Dave in Elkland, Pa., wrote to me recently about pronouns ending in “self” — myself, yourself, and so on — and how annoying they can be at times. “‘Myself,’ in particular, drives me near distraction,” ...

Most of us use pronouns frequently in speaking and writing. We are familiar with most types and therefore use them almost without thinking, (e.g., “I,” ”we,” and “they.“) What may surprise you, ...

“If misuse of ‘I’ and ‘me’ is an irritant, the abuse of ‘myself’ is nothing short of a blot on humanity.” — Heidi Stevens, “Words Work” I once thought that my two columns about reflexive pronouns — ...

Reflection is generally a good thing, but it can be overdone — like spending too much time staring at yourself in a mirror. Similarly, reflexive pronouns, which play a distinctive role, can be ...

If the misuse of “I” and “me” is an irritant, the abuse of “myself” is nothing short of a blot on humanity. ‘Would you please give a lesson on the proper use of ‘myself’?” writes Nancy Nagel. “People ...