Reflexive Pronouns
Introduction
Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) are used when the subject and the object of a verb are the same person. They are also used for emphasis (intensive pronouns). Reflexive pronouns end in -self (singular) or -selves (plural).
Reflexive Pronouns Table
- I → myself: “I hurt myself”
- You → yourself/yourselves: “You hurt yourself” (singular) / “You hurt yourselves” (plural)
- He → himself: “He taught himself English“
- She → herself: “She made the cake herself”
- It → itself: “The door closes itself”
- We → ourselves: “We enjoyed ourselves”
- They → themselves: “They organized everything themselves”
Uses
- Reflexive: Subject and object are the same. “I cut myself while cooking”
- Emphatic (intensive): Emphasizes the subject. “I myself saw the accident” (can be removed)
- Common expressions: enjoy yourself, behave yourself, teach yourself, by myself (alone)
Exercises
1. Complete: “She looked at ___ in the mirror”, “We enjoyed ___ at the party”. 2. Choose reflexive or not: “He washed ___”, “He washed the car”. 3. Write 5 sentences using reflexive pronouns. 4. What is the difference between “I did it” and “I did it myself”?
Summary
Reflexive pronouns end in -self/-selves and refer back to the subject. Use them when the subject does the action to itself. Emphatic use adds emphasis. Common verbs: enjoy, hurt, teach, behave + reflexive pronoun.
Useful links: Prefixes and Suffixes | Argumentative Essay
مدونة التربية و التعليم في الجزائر – دروس، فروض، نتائج امتحانات مدونة التربية والتعليم في الجزائر | تحضير الدروس، فروض واختبارات، نتائج البكالوريا وBEM، مسابقات التوظيف، والتوجيه المدرسي للطلاب وأولياء الأمور.