Reflexive pronouns
The reflexive pronouns are:
| singular: |
myself |
yourself |
himself |
herself |
itself |
| plural: |
ourselves |
yourselves |
themselves |
We use a reflexive pronoun as a direct object when the object is the same as the subject of the verb:
- I fell over and hurt myself.
- Be careful with that knife. You might cut yourself.
We can use a reflexive pronoun as direct object with most transitive verbs, but these are the most common:
| amuse |
enjoy |
kill |
| blame |
help |
prepare |
| cut |
hurt |
satisfy |
| dry |
introduce |
teach |
We do not use a reflexive pronoun after verbs which describe things people usually do for themselves:
- He washed in cold water.
- He always shaved before going out in the evening.
- Michael dressed and got ready for the party.
We only use reflexives with these verbs for emphasis:
- He dressed himself in spite of his injuries.
- She’s old enough to wash herself.
We use reflexive pronouns as an indirect object when the indirect object is the same as the subject of the verb:
- Would you like to pour yourself a drink?
- We’ve brought ourselves something to eat.
We use reflexive pronouns as the object of a preposition when the object is the same as the subject of the verb:
- They had to cook for themselves.
- He was feeling very sorry for himself.
but we use object pronouns, not reflexives, after prepositions of place:
- He had a suitcase beside him. (NOT himself)
and after with when it means accompanied by:
- She had a few friends with her. (NOT herself)
We use reflexives with the preposition by:
- to show that someone did something without any help:
- The children got dressed by themselves.
- I prepared the whole meal by myself.
- to show that someone was alone:
- He lived by himself in an enormous house.
- She walked home by herself.
We use reflexive pronouns intensively to emphasise the person or thing we are referring to:
- Kendal itself is quite a small town.
- especially if we are talking about someone very famous:
- Sir Paul McCartney himself sang the final song.
We often put the reflexive pronoun at the end of the clause when we are using it intensively for emphasis:
- I baked the bread myself.
- She mended the car herself.
Some verbs change their meaning slightly when they have a reflexive pronoun as direct object:
- Would you like to help yourself to another drink?
- Would you like to take another drink?
- I wish the children would behave themselves.
- I wish the children would behave well.
- He found himself lying by the side of the road.
- He was surprised when he realised that he was lying by the side of the road.
- I saw myself as a famous actor.
- I imagined that I was a famous actor.
- She applied herself to the job of mending the lights.
- She worked very hard to mend the lights.
- He busied himself in the kitchen.
- He worked busily in the kitchen.
- I had to content myself with a few euros.
- I had to be satisfied with a few euros.