“He prepared himself for the exam.”
Reflexive pronouns are a type of pronoun that refers back to the subject of a clause or sentence. They indicate that the subject is also the receiver of the action.
What they are
- Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object of a verb are the same. In simpler terms, they show that the subject is acting upon itself.
Examples of reflexive pronouns
- herself (Third person singular)
- himself (Third person singular)
- itself (Third person singular)
- myself (First person singular)
- ourselves (First person plural)
- themselves (Third person plural)
- yourself (Second person singular)
- yourselves (Second person plural)
How they are used
- When the subject and object are the same
- “I hurt myself.” (The subject “I” is also the object “myself.”)
- “She bought herself a new dress.” (The subject “she” is also the indirect object “herself.”)
- “The cat groomed itself.”
- Essential to the sentence’s meaning
- In the sentences above, removing the reflexive pronoun changes the meaning of the sentence or makes it grammatically incorrect.
Important notes
- Reflexive pronouns should not be used simply to add emphasis. When emphasis is being added, those are called intensive pronouns. Intensive pronouns look exactly like reflexive pronouns, but have a different function.
- For example: “I myself made the cake.” In this instance “myself” is an intensive pronoun.
- It is incorrect to use reflexive pronouns in place of personal pronouns. For example, it is incorrect to say, “Please give the papers to myself.” It should be, “Please give the papers to me.”
