Grammar Mishaps: myself vs me
When do you use "myself" and when do you use "me"?
The craziest rule of all, to my ear, is the rule that governs the use of "myself" and "me". Which of these *sounds* correct to you?
1. The Captain handed the medals to my partner and myself.
2. The Captain handed the medals to my partner and I.
3. The Captain handed the medals to my partner and me.
The correct version, of course, is the 3rd. The word "me" is a always a direct or indirect object (never a subject) and "I" is *always* a subject--that much doesn't sound too far-fetched, and it rules out the 2nd example.
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"Myself" is a special object (direct or indirect), to be used only when the subject is you (note I didn't write "...when the subject is yourself"). I can give a gift to *myself* since I am the one doing the giving. The Captain can never "give a gift to myself" since the subject is the Captain.
Part of the confusion comes from the two-part indirect object in the examples above ("my partner and me") but the same grammar rules apply whether or not the object is compounded.