I know – some folks are looking at this and thinking "Here she goes again, nagging about grammar." At least one is thinking, "Grammar rants don't belong on Active Rain." (I know this, because he told me so.)
But meanwhile, I keep ranting about this subject because there ARE a lot of people who do care about grammar.
They consider bad grammar to be a sign that the speaker/writer lacks education, intelligence, or both. Thus, they want to do business with agents who at least know the basics.
I doubt if any of them care whether an agent knows the proper terminology for every part of speech or has the ability to correctly outline a sentence.
Most will also probably overlook a typo, but they WILL be put off if an agent says "Me and my clients…"
Why is this incorrect?
Because "me" is not a subject pronoun. It's an object. "I" is a subject pronoun.
Additionally, putting yourself first in the sequence is considered the height of bad manners. Put the clients (or your spouse, children, or friends) first.
So rather than saying "Me and my clients" the writer or speaker should say "My clients and I."
The clue to help you get it right: Write the sentence leaving out the other person.
Most who paid attention in grammar school would not say something like "Me visited 3 open houses on Sunday," or "Me went on vacation." That's sort of like a 2-year-old saying "Me want a cookie."
"Me too!" may be a common saying, but it's still incorrect.
"Myself" is not a subject pronoun either, nor is it an object pronoun. It's reflexive – which means you only use it to reflect back to yourself. You use it in sentences such as:
- I scolded myself for using the wrong word.
- I attended the real estate convention by myself.
- I left a note reminding myself to proofread my own copy.
- I speak only for myself when I say…
Here's the clue – only use it if you've already written "I."
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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