Tutor and grammar

[eco1636]

I’m looking for a tutor to help my son prepare for entrance assessment to a specific school at age 13+.
There aren’t many people who mention the school on their website, but I’ve found a lady who does.
Problem is, she states, “this course is run by myself and my colleague Mrs xyz”.
Myself is wrong there isn’t it? Really putting me off her

@Pinkyyy both of your examples are wrong actually...

It wouldn't be 'taught by xyz and I', it would be 'taught be xyz and me', even though it sounds wrong. Basically, you sub in the word you would have used if xyz wasn't there.

So 'xyz and I have written this course' because it would be 'I have written this course'.

sorry hit go too soon...

But because it is 'written by me' and not 'written by I' you need to say 'written by xyz and me'

I dearly wish I hadn't clicked on this thread!

OP, I would look elsewhere if the tutoring she offers has anything to do with English language.

It's a glaring error. I don't flatter myself that my own written language is perfect, but this isn't an error I make.

Pinkyyy

'Myself' is correct in this sentence and (arguably) sounds better than 'me' would. I was taught in school that 'xyz and I' or 'myself and xyz' was the correct way to say this, not 'me and xyz'

The trend to use 'xyz and I' or 'myself and xyz' is a poster child for what is called hypercorrection, which is the technical term for grammatical mistakes made through applying grammatical rules incorrectly, as opposed to mistakes made through ignorance of grammatical rules.

It doesn't sound better, it sounds like you (like many, many, many other people) were taught that using "me" was the mark of the uneducated and to be avoided at all costs. I believe it all started in reaction to the trope in films and books that working class characters used me exclusively in speech. In response people have tried to distance themselves from the mocked speech pattern so far that they're avoiding me when it is the correct word, and I'm not sure how the trend can be halted now.

The word myself is a reflexive pronoun, to be used with reflexive verbs, e.g. I wash myself. It's really not an elevated, formal synonym for me.

Fair enough, that will teach me not to try and poke my nose in where grammar is concerned!

People using myself incorrectly makes me irrationally angry. There's someone who's desperate to be a supplier for me at work but uses myself and yourself wrong constantly on top of other basic spelling and grammar errors. It's probably horribly snobby of me but I refuse to use the company she works for because she presents such a bad image of them.

Unfortunately, like a great many other glaring errors this will no doubt become acceptable eventually and the reason why it isn't correct will be lost in the mists of time.

If the number of pp on here that actually think it is right, and state that it is with such firm conviction, are representative of the general population it's already well on its way to being a general part of every day speech.

Me, myself and I was my y5 DS homework this weekend funnily enough
That tutor is wrong and I think you should look for a different one

Unfortunately, like a great many other glaring errors this will no doubt become acceptable eventually and the reason why it isn't correct will be lost in the mists of time.

Which, to be fair, is how language works. It evolves over time. If something is done incorrectly often enough and by enough people, they becomes correct by common usage. That's probably a good thing.

Chaucer would think we were all illiterate buffoons if he could hear us.

Myself wood let the tutor no she is wrong!!!

My ds had an amazing tutor although English wasn't his first language and his website was full of grammatical errors! Perhaps meet with this tutor and look at some of the work the students produce.

It’s mainly tutoring in English ds will need I predict, so I think it matters. Trying to avoid paying £87 for a London one or doing online.

The woman is wrong on two counts: myself is a dreadful error as used here and, in addition, it is polite to put oneself last.

Keep searching.

How long does a lesson last for £87 eco1636?

Really really grammatically incorrect (trust me I'm an editor)! Sets my teeth on edge!

It even sounds wrong, and clumsy. Avoid.

It immediately stands out to anyone who has good English as the words of someone who does not. It is like a notice saying "I am useless at grammar. Do not use me as the tutor."

I run the course with my colleague or
The course is run by my colleague and me [ as in "run by me" - you would never say "run by I"]

Misuse of reflexive pronouns would definitely make me want to avoid this tutor.

£87 is an hour for lots of London tutors.

She’s been recommended by others and also seems to be one of the only local tutors specifically catering for Sevenoaks School entry.

Really makes me want to mail her and say - sort it out!!

£87 and hour. I assumed you meant an hour but just wanted to make sure.

That's a lot of money to pay someone for English tuition when they clearly have quite a poor grasp of, what is, pretty basic English grammar.

£87? WTF?

If you wanted tutoring with an unrelated subject (science, maths*, music, whatever), she might be competent and skilled at her job, and I'd not rule her out, but this isn't the case. I would be wary of accepting
free exam tuition in English from someone who misused myself like this, in case it did more harm than good.

*That said, most of the maths teachers I know - and I know a few - are grammar pedants who wouldn't misuse a reflexive personal pronoun in a million years!