English Grammar Demystified - A Self Teaching Guide

66 English Grammar Demystifi ed

My boss suggested the project to Harry and myself.

This sentence is an example of the overused mirror pronoun. What’s wrong with

this use of myself? Locate the subject and verb: boss (subject), suggested (verb).

Project is the object of the verb suggested. Is there any word that myself can logi-

cally mirror? No. Also, if you recall, the word to is a preposition and it can be used

to introduce a prepositional phrase (to Harry and myself). If written correctly, a

prepositional phrase ends with an object noun or pronoun. As the pronoun chart

indicates, me is the object pronoun required in this phrase. The sentence should

read:

My boss suggested the project to Harry and me.

COMMON ERRORS

Do not ever use the words hisself or theirselves. They are examples of nonstandard
English.

Incorrect: He hisself answered the door.
Correct: He himself answered the door.

Incorrect: They moved the couch theirselves.
Correct: They moved the couch themselves.

Written Practice 3-10

Delete the incorrect pronoun and insert the correct one in each of the following

sentences.

1. They took their cat and theirselves to the beach.


2. Larry and myself eat lunch together every day.


3. Marty asked hisself an important question.