Reflexive Pronouns in English — How They Work

Reflexive Pronouns in English — How They Work — Go Loco

Forms

Reflexive pronouns are formed by combining a pronoun base with self or selves, and the form must match the person and number of its antecedent. The singular forms are myself, yourself, himself, herself, and itself, while the plural forms are ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. The special form oneself is used for general or impersonal statements, especially in formal style.

Form	Person	Number	Use
myself	First	Singular	Matches I and refers back to the speaker.
yourself	Second	Singular	Matches you and refers back to one person.
himself	Third	Singular	Matches he and refers back to a male person.
herself	Third	Singular	Matches she and refers back to a female person.
itself	Third	Singular	Matches it and refers back to a thing or animal.
ourselves	First	Plural	Matches we and refers back to the speakers.
yourselves	Second	Plural	Matches you and refers back to more than one person.
themselves	Third	Plural	Matches they and refers back to more than one person.
oneself	Third	Singular	Used for people in general in formal statements.

Reflexive Use

In the reflexive use, the subject and the object refer to the same person or thing, so the action returns to the subject. In these sentences, the reflexive pronoun usually follows the verb as its object and appears in the same clause as the subject. This use is closely related to sentence structure in Word Order and Clauses.

Idea	Example
The subject acts on the same person with a reflexive pronoun.	She taught herself.
The object refers back to the subject.	They blamed themselves.
The reflexive pronoun follows the verb as the object.	He dressed himself.

Emphatic Use

In the emphatic use, a reflexive pronoun adds strong emphasis to a noun or pronoun without changing the basic meaning of the sentence. It often follows the emphasized word or appears near the subject. In formal and careful speech, this use is distinct from the ordinary reflexive object use.

Idea	Example
The reflexive pronoun adds emphasis to the subject.	I myself saw it.
The meaning stays the same without the reflexive pronoun.	The president herself answered.
The emphasized form usually appears close to the word it highlights.	The chef himself cooked dinner.

After Prepositions

Reflexive pronouns are used after prepositions when the meaning refers back to the subject or when the speaker means without help from others. They often appear in fixed phrases such as by myself, for themselves, and among yourselves. In ordinary informal speech, many speakers prefer yourself where a formal system would prefer oneself.

Idea	Example
The reflexive pronoun can follow a preposition.	She kept the secret to herself.
The phrase can mean without help.	I got home by myself.
The form must still match the subject.	They prepared the meal for themselves.

Special Verbs

Some verbs and verb phrases normally take a reflexive form, especially in formal registers. Common patterns include pride oneself on and avail oneself of, where the reflexive pronoun is part of the fixed expression. These forms belong with verbs that require reflexive meaning rather than ordinary direct objects.

Idea	Example
Some verbs require a reflexive pronoun in the phrase.	She prides herself on accuracy.
The reflexive form is part of a fixed expression.	They availed themselves of the offer.
The meaning is built into the verb pattern.	He prides himself on punctuality.

Agreement

Reflexive pronouns must agree with the antecedent in person and number, so the form changes when the subject changes. Singular subjects take singular reflexives, and plural subjects take plural reflexives. This agreement also matters when a general statement uses oneself.

Idea	Example
A singular subject takes a singular reflexive pronoun.	The child helped himself.
A plural subject takes a plural reflexive pronoun.	The students helped themselves.
A general statement can use oneself.	One should trust oneself.

Reciprocal Contrast

Reflexive pronouns are different from reciprocal expressions because reflexive forms refer back to the same person or thing, while reciprocal forms show action between two or more people. The contrast is clear when one sentence means self directed action and the other means mutual action. When the meaning is shared action, English uses reciprocal words such as each other rather than reflexives.

Idea	Example
Reflexive meaning points back to the subject.	They dressed themselves.
Reciprocal meaning shows mutual action.	They hugged each other.
The two forms are not interchangeable.	The sisters blamed themselves.

Usage Notes

A common error is using myself as a subject or as a replacement for ordinary object pronouns, but standard English reserves myself for reflexive or emphatic use. The form oneself is common in formal writing and general statements, while many speakers prefer yourself in less formal speech. Singular they is increasingly used in modern English, and some speakers use themself, though traditional standard usage most often uses themselves.

Idea	Example
Myself is not a subject pronoun.	My friend and I went home.
Myself does not replace me in ordinary object position.	Please call me later.
Formal general statements often use oneself.	One should carry oneself with care.
Singular they may use themselves or themself in modern usage.	If a guest arrives, they should introduce themselves.

Reflexive Pronouns in EnglishA2

Translations

Prerequisites

Overview

Forms

Reflexive Use

Emphatic Use

After Prepositions

Special Verbs

Agreement

Reciprocal Contrast

Usage Notes

Summary

Prerequisites

Complementary Modules

Unlocks Modules

Practical Applications

Suggested Modules: A2

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