The word myself can be used as a reflexive pronoun or as an intensifier. Reflexive means that the action reflects back on the person who initiated the action, as in the quintessential reflexive pronoun sentence "I hurt myself." As a reflexive pronoun, myself is always some kind of object, never a subject. It can be the direct or indirect object of a verb, or it can be the object of a preposition. Here are some examples:
- Direct object: I hit myself.
- Indirect object: I gave myself a haircut.
- Object of a preposition: I bought that gift for myself.
In all cases, the reflexive pronoun refers to the same person as the subject, or actor, in the sentence. A common error people make with myself is using it as the direct object when someone else is the subject or actor in the sentence. Here is an incorrect sentence:
- The manager selected Tran and myself as the new sales representatives.
The correct sentence would say Tran and me. You could also say this:
- I selected Tran and myself as the representatives.
As an intensifier, myself is used right after the word I for emphasis. It can also be used at the end of the sentence for emphasis:
- Although many people like cross-country skiing, I myself prefer downhill.
- I built that model ship myself!
You can even use the intensifier myself prior to the word I for emphasis, like this:
- Myself, I prefer the key lime cheesecake.
The main thing to remember is that the word I has to be the subject of the sentence: no one else can do something to myself.