Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the clause. They are used when the subject and the object are the same person or thing. In English, reflexive pronouns are formed with -self or -selves. They match the subject in person, number, and sometimes gender. Their main function is to show that an action is directed to the same participant.

English has eight standard reflexive pronouns. Singular forms use -self, and plural forms use -selves. He and she have separate forms for gender, but other pronouns do not. It has its own form for non-human or neutral subjects. The choice of form depends on the subject of the clause.

Word/Phrase	Definition
myself	I as subject refers back to I
yourself	You singular refers back to you
himself	He refers back to he
herself	She refers back to she
itself	It refers back to it
ourselves	We refers back to we
yourselves	You plural refers back to you plural
themselves	They refers back to they

Reflexive pronouns are used as objects when the subject and object are the same. They can appear after verbs as direct objects or prepositional objects. They do not replace personal pronouns when the subject and object are different. Using a reflexive pronoun signals that the action returns to the subject.

Rule
Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and the object are the same participant in the clause.
Use a reflexive pronoun as the object of a verb or a preposition when it refers back to the subject.

Reflexive pronouns can add emphasis to the subject or another noun. In this use, they do not change form, but their meaning changes from reflexive to emphatic. The pronoun often appears next to the noun it emphasizes. This is called emphatic use, not reflexive use, even though the form is the same.

Rule
Use a reflexive pronoun for emphasis when you want to highlight the subject or another noun.
Place the reflexive pronoun near the noun or pronoun it emphasizes.

Reflexive pronouns are common with verbs like enjoy, hurt, introduce, and describe when the action returns to the subject. They are also common after prepositions like by, to, and for when the reference is to the subject. Some verbs in English rarely take a reflexive, because their meaning already includes the subject. Choosing when to use a reflexive often depends on whether the object logically matches the subject.

Word/Phrase	Definition
by myself	Without other people; alone
introduce myself	Present myself to someone
hurt yourself	Cause injury to yourself
find themselves	Realize or discover their own situation

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject and are used when the subject and object are the same. The forms are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. They function as objects and can also be used for emphasis without changing form. Correct use depends on matching the subject and choosing contexts where the action returns to the subject.