REFLEXIVE PRONOUN # (SOFTSKILL)
What is Reflexive
Pronoun ?
Reflexive (adj.)
[grammar]: reflecting back on the subject, like a mirror
We use a
reflexive pronoun when we want to refer back to the subject of the sentence or
clause. Reflexive pronouns end in "-self" (singular) or
"-selves" (plural).
There are
eight reflexive pronouns:
|
Subject
Pronouns |
Reflexive
Pronouns |
|
I
|
Myself
|
|
You
|
Yourself
|
|
He
|
Himself
|
|
She
|
Herself
|
|
It
|
Itself
|
|
We
|
Ourselves
|
|
You (pl)
|
Yourselves
|
|
They
|
Themselves
|
Look at these
examples:
|
non-reflexive
the underlined words are NOT the same person/thing |
REFLEXIVE pronouns
the underlined words are the SAME person/thing |
|
John saw me.
|
I saw myself in the
mirror.
|
|
Why does he
blame you?
|
Why do you
blame yourself?
|
|
David sent him a copy.
|
John sent himself a
copy.
|
|
David sent her a copy.
|
Mary sent herself a
copy.
|
|
My dog hurt the cat.
|
My dog hurt itself.
|
|
We blame you.
|
We blame ourselves.
|
|
Can you
help my children?
|
Can you
help yourselves?
|
|
They cannot look after the babies.
|
They cannot look after themselves.
|
Intensive
pronouns
Notice that
all the above reflexive pronouns can also act as intensive pronouns, but the
function and usage are different. An intensive pronoun emphasizes its
antecedent. Look at these examples:
- I made it myself. OR I myself made it.
- Have you yourself seen it? OR Have you seen it yourself?
- The President himself promised to stop the war.
- She spoke to me herself. OR She herself spoke to me.
- The exam itself wasn't difficult, but the exam room was horrible.
- Never mind. We'll do it ourselves.
- You yourselves asked us to do it.
- They recommend this book even though they themselves had never read it. OR They recommend this book even though they had never read it themselves.
If you are
using YOU in the plural, the reflexive pronoun is yourselves.
Examples of
sentences using reflexive pronouns:
- My daughter likes to dress herself without my help.
- I taught myself to play the guitar.
- My cat always licks itself.
When
to use reflexive pronouns
1. When the subject and the object
refer to the same person or thing.
- He accidentally cut himself while he was chopping the vegetables.
- She bought a present for herself.
- We helped ourselves to the free drinks at the launch party.
- They injured themselves during the rugby match.
- I enjoyed myself at the concert.
- The dog is scratching itself – it must have fleas!
2. We use them for emphasis.
- The author signed the book for me herself!
- I did it myself.
3. In some cases we use it to have a
similar meaning to also.
- Annabelle was pretty happy last night. I was pretty happy myself.
When
NOT to use reflexive pronouns
1. There are a number of verbs in
English with which we rarely or never use reflexive pronouns (as they are in
other languages).
They include:
adapt, behave, complain, concentrate, get up, hide, lie down, meet, move,
relax, remember, shave, shower, sit down.
2. After a preposition of place or
location we use a personal pronoun and not a reflexive pronoun.
- He put the backpack next to him.
Ourselves,
Themselves and Each Other
1. We use each other when two
or more people or things perform the same action to the other.
- Our neighbors were shouting at each other all night.
- My brothers always compete with each other in sport.
2. Take note of the difference
between these two sentences:
- Mark and Sarah killed themselves. (They each committed suicide).
- Mark and Sarah killed each other. (Mark killed Sarah and she killed Mark).
More
about Each Other
We use the
reciprocal pronoun each other when the action is between two people, and
not reflexive.
- They stared into each other's eyes.
- The hate each other.
And to make
the contrast clearer:
- Mike and Carol bought each
other presents for Christmas
(Mike bought a present for Carol and Carol bought a present for Mike).
is very different to
- Mike and Carol bought themselves
presents for Christmas
(Mike bought a present for himself and Carol bought a present for herself).
Reflexive
Pronouns with Objects
We use verb
+ reflexive pronoun + object when we do something for ourselves.
- She cooked herself a quiche.
- We taught ourselves French.
We use verb
+ object + reflexive pronoun when we want to emphasize that another person
did not do the action (or assist).
- I repaired the tire myself.
- They did the homework themselves.
- My brother spoke to his boss himself about a raise.
By
+ Reflexive Pronouns
We use by
+ myself/yourself/himself etc when we are alone or not with another person.
- Jacob went to the party by himself.
- Emma was sitting by herself.
Tips and Tricks About Reflexive Pronouns
The reason that these reflexive pronouns exist is to make it clear that the subject is in fact doing something to itself. Instead of acting upon another object, the subject is acting upon itself, either literally or figuratively.This is especially helpful when using the third person plural. Consider the following two examples:
- They liked them.
- They liked themselves.
Are Reflexive Pronouns Just a Feature of the English Language?
No! In fact, reflexive pronouns are an important part of many languages worldwide. Many students are surprised to learn that in other languages, there are entire verb categories based around reflexive pronouns. In other languages, the placement and order of reflexive pronouns in relation to other pronouns critically changes the meaning of the sentence.Examples of Reflexive Pronouns in Action
Here are a few more examples:
1. Sally
thought to herself, this would be a very nice day for a picnic
2. I
cried myself to sleep last night
3. He
loved himself too much, and never thought about anyone else
Source:
http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/pronouns/reflexive-pronoun.html
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