Reflexive Pronouns: Myself, Yourself, Himself, Herself, Itself, Ourselves, Themselves
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Reflexive pronouns show that the subject and object of a sentence are the same person or thing.
- Use reflexive pronouns when the subject performs an action on itself: 'I cut myself.'
- Use them for emphasis (intensive): 'I did it myself.'
- Do not use them as subjects: 'John and I went' (not 'John and myself').
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object refer to the same person, or to add emphasis.
The Full Set
| Subject | Reflexive Pronoun |
|---|---|
| I | myself |
| you (singular) | yourself |
| he | himself |
| she | herself |
| it | itself |
| we | ourselves |
| you (plural) | yourselves |
| they | themselves |
Use 1: Reflexive — Subject = Object
The subject does something to itself:
✅ She cut herself while cooking.
✅ He taught himself to code.
✅ We introduced ourselves to the neighbours.
Use 2: Emphatic — Done Alone or Impressively
To stress that someone did it without help or that it's surprising:
✅ I cooked this dinner myself. (no help)
✅ The president himself attended. (impressive)
By + Reflexive = Alone / Without Help
✅ She lives by herself.
✅ He finished it by himself.
Common Mistakes
❌ I feel myself tired. → ✅ I feel tired.
❌ We enjoyed at the party. → ✅ We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
❌ He shaved hisself. → ✅ He shaved himself.
Reflexive Pronoun Formation
| Subject Pronoun | Reflexive Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
I
|
myself
|
I cut myself.
|
|
You (singular)
|
yourself
|
You hurt yourself.
|
|
He
|
himself
|
He taught himself.
|
|
She
|
herself
|
She loves herself.
|
|
It
|
itself
|
It fixed itself.
|
|
We
|
ourselves
|
We enjoyed ourselves.
|
|
You (plural)
|
yourselves
|
You all enjoyed yourselves.
|
|
They
|
themselves
|
They blamed themselves.
|
Meanings
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object of a verb are the same person or entity.
Reflexive Action
The subject performs an action on itself.
“He looked at himself in the mirror.”
“They hurt themselves playing soccer.”
Intensive/Emphatic
Used to emphasize the subject or to show they did it without help.
“I wrote the report myself.”
“The CEO herself attended the meeting.”
By + Reflexive
Meaning 'alone' or 'without help'.
“She lives by herself.”
“He learned to code by himself.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Verb + Reflexive
|
I taught myself.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + Aux + not + Verb + Reflexive
|
I didn't hurt myself.
|
|
Question
|
Aux + Subject + Verb + Reflexive?
|
Did you enjoy yourself?
|
|
Emphasis
|
Subject + Reflexive + Verb
|
I myself saw it.
|
|
Independence
|
Verb + by + Reflexive
|
She lives by herself.
|
|
Imperative
|
Verb + Reflexive
|
Help yourself!
|
Formality Spectrum
I completed the task independently. (Work/School)
I did the work by myself. (Work/School)
I did it all on my own. (Work/School)
I soloed it. (Work/School)
Reflexive Pronoun Map
Singular
- myself yo mismo
- yourself tú mismo
Plural
- ourselves nosotros mismos
- themselves ellos mismos
Object vs. Reflexive
Do I need a reflexive?
Is the subject the same as the object?
Usage Types
Functions
- • Reflexive Action
- • Emphasis
- • Independence
Examples by Level
I wash myself.
He looks at himself.
We enjoy ourselves.
They like themselves.
I did it by myself.
She made the cake herself.
Did you hurt yourself?
The cat cleaned itself.
The CEO herself signed it.
We found ourselves in a difficult situation.
He taught himself to play guitar.
They blamed themselves for the loss.
I'll handle the logistics myself.
The house itself is quite old.
She prides herself on her punctuality.
They were left to fend for themselves.
The theory itself is sound, but the application is flawed.
He himself admitted that the plan was risky.
They found themselves at a crossroads.
I have to remind myself that progress takes time.
The author himself was present at the premiere.
She is a success story in and of herself.
They have effectively isolated themselves from the community.
The system is designed to correct itself.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up 'me' and 'myself'.
Mixing 'themselves' with 'each other'.
Using 'myself' instead of 'I'.
Common Mistakes
I wash me.
I wash myself.
He look at him.
He looks at himself.
She love she.
She loves herself.
We enjoy we.
We enjoy ourselves.
I did it by me.
I did it by myself.
They did it themself.
They did it themselves.
Myself went to the store.
I went to the store.
I cut my finger myself.
I cut my finger.
He shaved him.
He shaved.
Them people did it theirself.
Those people did it themselves.
Please contact myself for details.
Please contact me for details.
Them and myself are going.
They and I are going.
She is a great person her own self.
She is a great person herself.
Sentence Patterns
I taught myself to ___.
I did the ___ myself.
She lives by ___.
The ___ itself is ___.
Real World Usage
I took this selfie myself!
I'm treating myself tonight.
I managed the project by myself.
I booked the flight myself.
I ordered myself a burger.
The data itself is inconclusive.
The Mirror Test
No Reflexive Subjects
Emphasis
Business Jargon
Smart Tips
Place the reflexive pronoun immediately after the subject.
Use 'by + reflexive' to sound natural.
Always replace it with a subject pronoun.
Ask: 'Is the subject doing this to someone else?' If yes, use an object pronoun. If no, use a reflexive.
Pronunciation
Stress
In reflexive pronouns, the stress is usually on the second syllable (my-SELF).
Emphatic
I did it MY-self! ↑
Conveys pride or surprise.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Self is the key, when subject and object agree.
Visual Association
Imagine looking into a mirror. The person in the mirror is you. You are pointing at yourself.
Rhyme
When the subject and object are the same, add -self to the pronoun's name.
Story
Sarah wanted to bake a cake. She didn't want any help. She went to the kitchen by herself. She baked the cake herself. She was very proud of herself.
Word Web
Challenge
Write three sentences about things you did alone today using 'by myself'.
Cultural Notes
Reflexive pronouns are often used in business settings to sound 'professional', though this is often grammatically incorrect (e.g., 'Contact myself').
More conservative usage; hyper-correction is less common than in American corporate environments.
In many non-native contexts, 'myself' is used as a formal introduction, which is a common cultural marker.
Reflexive pronouns evolved from Old English combinations of personal pronouns and the word 'self'.
Conversation Starters
What is something you taught yourself to do?
Do you prefer working by yourself or in a team?
Have you ever hurt yourself doing a sport?
Who is the most famous person you have seen yourself?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
She taught ___ how to swim.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Myself and John went to the park.
I made this cake without help.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: Who fixed the sink? B: I fixed it ___.
'The cat cleaned itself.'
enjoyed / at / we / the / party / ourselves
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesShe taught ___ how to swim.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Myself and John went to the park.
I made this cake without help.
We -> ?
A: Who fixed the sink? B: I fixed it ___.
'The cat cleaned itself.'
enjoyed / at / we / the / party / ourselves
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
It is increasingly accepted in singular, gender-neutral contexts, but 'themselves' is still the standard plural.
Reflexive pronouns cannot be the subject of a sentence. Use 'John and I'.
'By myself' means alone. 'Myself' can mean emphasis (I did it myself) or reflexive action (I cut myself).
No. Only transitive verbs where the subject and object are the same.
Yes, it means you had a good time.
It is a common error in business English where people try to sound formal but use the wrong pronoun.
Yes, use 'itself' for animals and objects.
Yes, this is called an intensive pronoun.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
pronombres reflexivos (me, te, se)
Spanish uses reflexive pronouns for many more verbs than English.
pronoms réfléchis (me, te, se)
French uses them for passive-like constructions more often.
Reflexivpronomen (mich, dich, sich)
German reflexive pronouns are more case-dependent.
jibun
Japanese 'jibun' is not strictly tied to the subject in the same way.
nafs
It is a noun-based construction rather than a pronoun-based one.
zìjǐ
It does not change based on the person (no 'myself' vs 'themselves').
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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