When To Use Reflexive Pronouns
When To Use Reflexive Pronouns
When To Use Reflexive Pronouns
a Reflexive Pronoun.
It is the only area of English grammar that is reflexive.
Subject
Reflexive
Pronouns
Pronouns
Myself
You
Yourself
He
Himself
She
Herself
It
Itself
We
Ourselves
You (pl)
Yourselves
They
Themselves
If you are using YOU in the plural, the reflexive pronoun is yourselves.
Examples of sentences using reflexive pronouns:
I did it myself.
Annabelle was pretty happy last night. I was pretty happy myself.
Mark and Sarah killed each other. (Mark killed Sarah and she killed Mark).
We use verb + object + reflexive pronoun when we want to emphasize that another person did not
do the action (or assist).
By + Reflexive Pronouns
We use by + myself/yourself/himself etc when we are alone or not with another person.
Reflexive Pronouns
I saw myself reflected in her eyes.
No, the above sentence isnt a sappy love song lyric. Its an example of a particular kind
of pronoun called a reflexive pronoun. Unfamiliar with reflexive pronouns? Read on to
find out all you need to know about them.
All of the above pronouns are used to rename the subjects of action verbs and function
as different types of objects. If the reflexive pronoun is taken out of the sentence, it wont
make sense. Lets look at a few examples.
Examples of reflexive pronouns
The following sentences are examples of the correct and incorrect use of reflexive
pronouns.
Non-reflexive: Adam e-mailed him a copy of the report.
In this sense the italicized words are not the same person. Him is not a reflection
of Adam therefore it is not a reflexive pronoun.
Reflexive: Adam e-mailed himself a copy of the report.
Here are the italicized words are the same person. Himself reflects back to the subject
of the sentence which is Adam.
Non-reflexive: Allison accidentally
the
scissors.
my guests?
help
the
angry mob.
glass
of
milk.
singing
happily
to them.
Reflexive pronouns can also function as intensive pronouns but they act a little
differently and they arent used in quite the same way. An intensive pronoun emphasizes
its antecedent, or the subject of the sentence. These pronouns are positioned right next
to the subject.
Examples:
I myself am tired of all this rain.
You yourself are to blame for this confusion.
The president himself wrote me a letter.
We ourselves cooked the cake.
The dog itself opened her fridge raider.
The boys themselves led the entire team to victory.
To recap, reflexive pronouns refer back to, or reflect, the subject and they always end
in self or selves.There are only eight reflexive pronouns so remembering them and
how to use them should b
Adjectives
Verbs
Nouns
Conjunctions
Pronouns
Demonstrative Pronouns
Relative Pronouns
Reflexive Pronouns
Possessive Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Object Pronouns
Subject Pronouns
Indefinite Pronouns
Interrogative Pronouns
Reciprocal Pronouns
Intensive Pronouns
Pronoun Exercises
Adverb
Preposition
Intensive Pronouns
What Is an Intensive Pronoun?
An intensive pronoun is almost identical to a reflexive pronoun. It is defined as a pronoun that
ends in self or selves and places emphasis on its antecedent by referring back to another noun or
pronoun used earlier in the sentence. For this reason, intensive pronouns are sometimes called
emphatic pronouns.
You can test a word to see whether its an intensive pronoun by removing it from the sentence and
checking to see if the sentence has the same impact.
Himself
Herself
Yourself
Themselves
Ourselves
Intensive pronouns might not be necessary, but they serve the important function of making your
writing more interesting as well as more meaningful, particularly in formal situations. Use them
sparingly to ensure that the emphasis they provide isnt lost.
Jesse wondered aloud whether he himself was the only one seeing what was happening.
2.
Maria knew that she herself could make a positive impact on the world, if only she put her
mind to it.
3.
You yourself can easily transform your body: All it takes is a proper diet and plenty of
exercise.
4.
The team knew that they themselves were responsible for playing their best.
5.
We ourselves are the ones who make the greatest impact upon the world we live in.
1.
A.
Myself
B.
Ourselves
C.
Themselves
D.
Himself
2.
Ourselves
B.
Yourself
C.
Himself
D.
3.
Themselves
Im a little nervous about walking by _____________ after dark.
A.
Myself
B.
Ourselves
C.
Themselves
D.
Herself
4.
Myself
B.
Ourselves
C.
Himself
D.
Themselves
5.
Myself
B.
Himself
C.
Ourselves
D.
Herself
Answer Key
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
A.
Reflexive pronoun
B.
Intensive pronoun
2.
Reflexive pronoun
B.
Intensive pronoun
3.
Reflexive pronoun
B.
Intensive pronoun
Answer Key
1.
A Reflexive pronoun
2.
B Intensive pronoun
3.
A Reflexive pronoun