English Grammar

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns add information to a sentence by pointing back to a noun or pronoun near the beginning of the sentence. Reflexive pronouns end in -self or -selves. The English reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves.

• I cut myself shaving this morning.

Emphatic pronouns also end in -self or -selves, but they just add emphasis to the noun or pronoun.

• I will tell him myself.
• I wouldn’t sell this to the King himself.

Use

Reflexive pronouns are used to talk about actions where the subject and object are the same person.

• I cut myself shaving this morning.
• Alice saw herself in the mirror.
• John doesn’t know what to do with himself.

A reflexive pronoun can refer to other things besides the subject of a clause.

• His letters are all about himself.
• I am going to tell her a few facts about herself.

Emphatic use

We can use reflexive pronouns as subject or object emphasisers to mean ‘that person/thing and nobody/nothing else’.

• She herself admitted her mistake.
• The manager spoke to me himself.
• I myself cleaned the house.

Reflexives used instead of personal pronouns

Reflexives are often used instead of personal pronouns after as, like, but (for) and except (for).

• These shoes are specially designed for heavy runners like yourself. (OR … like you.)
• Everybody was happy except myself. (OR … except me.)

Reflexives not used

Certain verbs are not used with reflexive pronouns in English. Examples are: open, sell, concentrate, feel etc.

• Suddenly the door opened. (NOT Suddenly the door opened itself.)
• His books are selling well. (NOT His books are selling themselves well.)
• I tried to concentrate. (NOT I tried to concentrate myself.)

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