According to me…
A very common phrase mostly used by many of us, but have you ever wondered if this phrase is even right to use?
To answer that, let’s understand why we use this phrase and in what scenarios we use it.
We often use “According to me” as an alternative to ‘In my opinion, typically translated from a regional language to English. Such as, “Mere hisab se,” as we say in Hindi, is now being spoken as is in English using the phrase “According to me.” Now, this is what many non-native English speakers would do to start speaking in English, and at times we dwell in translation so much that we always forget about grammar which is unique in each language around the world and not the same.
Before we dig deeper… Let us first understand the literal meaning of the word “According,” i.e., “As mentioned/ stated by/ reported by or source of information.
The above context now brings a question – “According to – Who???”
Me???
Does it feel right? Does it make any sense when we use – According to me??? It still feels right as we can have our opinions, so why not use “according to me.”
What’s wrong with it???
Let’s have a look at few more examples to understand how the above phrase can be used in a grammatically correct manner:
- Instructions followed by the employees are according to the CEO.
- The people in the Babylonian society were ranked and treated according to Hammurabi’s Code.
- According to Walt Disney, the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.
- According to the ministry of environment, forest, and climate change (MOEFCC), the latest amendments are required because there have been changes in India’s ecological, social, and environmental regimes over the last 40 years.
Source – hindustantimes.com
- According to LinkedIn Future of Talent Report 2021, 9 in 10 companies in India are looking to fill open job roles internally. Upskilling will become a priority now as more companies merge functions, use data, and review internal talent, to hire more effectively.
Source – indiatoday.in
Suppose someone has to refer to one’s own opinion and use the phrase – according to me. It would sound odd and inaccurate as we take a source of information from people or documented information in the form of Journals, Articles, etc., and not from us/me.
With the help of the above examples, it’s pretty clear that in English, when we need to take a reference or express something stated by someone or what someone has opined, we must use “According to.”
For example:
Your best friend, Anya, suggested Leh Ladakh for your holidays. You could tell your siblings, “According to Anya Leh Ladakh is the best place to spend holidays and have fun in nature.”
With this, we can use “according to” with him/ her/ them/ scientists and others but not me.
However, if you are to express your opinion, you may make the use of the below-mentioned phrases:
- In my opinion
- From my point of view
- I believe
- From my perspective
- Speaking for myself
With the above article, I hope it’s now clear that we cannot, and we must not use, “According to me” but use the correct phrases to express one’s opinion.
