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We say pass me the salt and pass the salt to me.
We also say I found the right car for me.

But which of the following sentences are correct?

I found the right car for myself.
I found myself the right car.

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Both are correct. Consider these expanded versions:

  • Rather than relying on anyone's help, I found the right car for myself.
  • After looking high and low, I found myself the right car.
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I found the right car for myself

is understandable to mean

I found the right car for me

which is the correct sentence to use

I found myself the right car

could be interpreted to mean either

I found the right car for me
I found the right car myself

the latter meaning you had no help in choosing the car

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  • So "I found the right car for myself'' is grammatically correct? – V.Lydia Jan 25 '16 at 14:06
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    It's understandable, I've heard it used, strictly speaking it's not correct me should be used. Do you say "yes, it's me!" or "yes, it's I!"? It's kind of the same thing ("yes, it's I" is correct), so no it's not strictly grammatically correct, but people use it – Peter Jan 25 '16 at 14:18
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    Your analysis seems to be saying that I found the answer for myself should always imply that of multiple potential answers, the one I found was the one most appropriate one for me. But glancing at some of the claimed 136 results in that link, it seems many if not most of them carry the sense that I found (the one and only) answer alone, without help from others. – FumbleFingers Jan 25 '16 at 17:24
  • "I ... for myself" is correct, as is "He ... for himself", but 'I' am unique, so the reflexive isn't required and "I ... for me" is acceptable. "He ... for him" implies that two different males are involved. – amI Mar 15 at 8:55
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I have found a car that suits me:

I have found myself reflexive the right car.
I have found the right car for me. [colloquial]
I found me reflexive a car. [regional, nonstandard]

I found it all on my own, unassisted:

I have found the right car myself.
I have found the right car for myself.
I, myself, have found the right car.

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"I found the right car for me" is saying "I found the right car [for my unique set of needs]"

Your proposed "I found myself the right car" is essentially equivalent to this.

Your other proposed construction, "I found the right car for myself," would typically be used to say that you accomplished the task by yourself, and would not imply that the "right car" was right because it fit your unique needs.

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Both are correct. "I found the right car for myself."

Means the car which suits MAXIMUM requirements of mine as a person. As if custom- made for me. If I am 6'2" I would need a special car, for example.

[2] I found myself the right car.

I found it by my personal efforts, without the help of dealers selling pr- used cars say.

Like my first job as if, I approached employers personally and got myself picked up- without seeking any assistance from an Employment agency may be.

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  • I found the right car for myself (me)

This sentence means, with the help of some others or you ,all by yourself, got the the car you we're in the look out for.

  • I found myself the right car.

Here ' myself ' is more of an emphatic pronoun as in a sentence— I myself did it. You found out the car yourself; the credit is all yours!

Actually ' _self' is not all needed in the first example, but it's a kind of colloquialism . It may even run the risk of transmitting a sense of humorous exclusivity. In that sense use of 'myself ' is fit and proper in the 2nd. example.

We shouldn't, by the way, use the expression reflexive pronoun for the first example and grudgingly use reflexive for the second.

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