Personal pronouns: using 'I', 'me', and 'myself' correctly

Personal pronouns β€” a B1 English lesson. Practise using 'I', 'me', and 'myself' correctly and expand your vocabulary for clear communication.

Personal pronouns: using 'I', 'me', and 'myself' correctly
Photo by EstΓ©e Janssens / Unsplash

Summary

This ESL lesson for B1 English students explores English grammar pronouns. Using a real video as the basis for discussion, students develop reading and listening comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar skills across a 90-minute class.

The grammar focus is Subject, object, and reflexive pronouns (I, me, myself). Key vocabulary includes interchangeably (adverb), pronoun (noun), subject (noun) and more, all drawn directly from the source material. The practical English section gives students useful phrases for real-life situations: You are in a meeting or conversation and need to correct a small mistake or clarify who is responsible for something without being rude..

Activities

00:07 Me, myself, and I.
00:09 You may be tempted to use these words interchangeably
00:13 because they all refer to the same thing,
00:15 but in fact, each one has a specific role in a sentence.
00:19 "I" is a subject pronoun,
00:21 "me" is an object pronoun,
00:24 and "myself" is a reflexive or intensive pronoun.
00:28 So what does that reveal about where each word belongs?
00:31 Let's start with the difference between subject and object.
00:35 Imagine the subject as the actor in a sentence
00:38 and the object as the word that is acted upon.
00:42 "I invited her but she invited me."
00:46 The object can also be the object of a preposition.
00:49 "She danced around me, while he shimmied up to me."
00:54 In some languages, like Latin and Russian,
00:57 most nouns have different forms that distinguish subjects from objects.
01:01 However, in English, that's only true of pronouns.
01:05 But so long as you know how to distinguish subjects from objects,
01:08 you can figure out what belongs where.
01:11 And when you encounter a more complicated sentence,
01:14 say one that involves multiple subjects or objects,
01:17 and you're not sure whether to use "I" or "me,"
01:21 just temporarily eliminate the other person,
01:24 and once again distinguish subject from object.
01:28 Here's another.
01:30 You wouldn't say, "Me heard gossip," but sub in "I" and you're good to go.
01:35 Then what about "myself?"
01:38 This grand character is often substituted for "me" and "I"
01:42 because it seems more impressive.
01:44 "Please tell Jack or myself" may sound elegant,
01:48 but in fact, "me" is the right pronoun here.
01:52 So where should you use "myself"?
01:54 In its function as a reflexive pronoun,
01:57 "myself" only works if it's the object of a sentence
02:00 whose subject is "I."
02:03 "I consider myself the most important pronoun at this year's party."
02:09 "Myself" can also add emphasis as an intensive pronoun.
02:14 "I, myself, have heard others agree."
02:18 The sentence works without it,
02:19 but that extra pronoun gives it oomph.
02:22 To check if "myself" belongs in a sentence,
02:25 simply ensure that there's also an "I" that it's reflecting or intensifying.
02:30 So that's "me," "myself," and "I,"
02:32 ever ready to represent you, yourself, and you.

Vocabulary focus

The vocabulary section introduces B1-level words and phrases related to English grammar pronouns. Key terms include interchangeably (adverb), pronoun (noun), subject (noun), object (noun), preposition (noun). Students practise using these terms in context through exercises drawn from the source material.

Grammar focus

This lesson focuses on Subject, object, and reflexive pronouns (I, me, myself). Understanding the role of a word in a sentence is key to choosing the correct pronoun. 'I' is a subject pronoun; it does the action (e.

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Mastering I, Me, Myself: Grammar Rules & Practice
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