Reflexive pronouns are words that indicate a noun or pronoun is referring back to itself. Reflexive pronouns can be used in many different ways, such as for emphasis, to add clarity to a sentence, and even to create reflexive common mistakes. In this article we’ll cover the basics of reflexive pronouns and more.
What Does Reflexive Pronouns Mean?
Reflexive pronouns are a type of pronoun that are used to refer back to the subject of a sentence. They are formed by adding “-self” or “-selves” to the end of the pronoun.
- For example, “myself,” “yourself,” “ourselves,” and “themselves” are all reflexive pronouns.
These pronouns serve an important role in English grammar, indicating that the person or thing performing the action in the sentence is also receiving the action.
Without the use of reflexive pronouns, sentences can become confusing or ambiguous. It is important to understand when and how to use reflexive pronouns correctly to ensure clear communication.
Examples of Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns serve as a vital part of the English language. They refer back to a subject in the sentence and act as direct or indirect objects. The most commonly used reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. These pronouns are used to emphasis and clarify that the subject is acting upon themselves. For example:
- “I hurt myself while playing basketball” or
- “She talked to herself in the mirror.”
Reflexive pronouns can be tricky to master, but they add precision to language and are essential in conveying clear communication.
Uses of Reflexive Pronouns in Sentences
Reflexive pronouns often play a crucial role in prepositional phrases, helping clarify the subject-object relationship or emphasize an action. These pronouns typically follow prepositions like by, for, or to, as in these sentences:
- “She did it by herself.”
- “He kept the decision to himself.”
Such usage highlights self-reliance or discretion, making reflexive pronouns essential for conveying nuance.
When used in prepositional phrases, reflexive pronouns must align with the subject to ensure grammatical accuracy. For instance, in this sentence:
- “The children made cookies for themselves.”
The reflexive pronoun reflects the same individuals as the subject. Misplacing reflexive pronouns in this context, such as “The children made cookies for itself,” creates confusion and disrupts sentence clarity.
Beyond prepositions, reflexive pronouns serve broader sentence purposes, such as adding emphasis or distinguishing between multiple participants. In this sentence:
- “She wrote the report herself.”
The reflexive pronoun emphasizes individual effort, while still functioning within the grammatical framework of the sentence.
Mastering the use of reflexive pronouns in prepositional phrases not only ensures proper sentence construction but also enhances the depth and precision of communication. By positioning reflexive pronouns thoughtfully, writers can highlight actions, subjects, or objects with clarity and accuracy.
Forms of Reflexive Pronouns: Singular, Plural, and Person-Specific
Reflexive pronouns are unique tools in English that help emphasize subjects or objects within a sentence. Singular forms include myself, yourself, himself, herself, and itself, each aligning with singular personal pronouns like I, you, he, she, and it. These pronouns reflect back on the subject, creating a self-referential meaning. For instance:
- “She prepared herself for the presentation”
This sentence shows that the subject (she) and object (herself) are the same. Understanding these singular forms of reflexive pronouns ensures their correct use in writing and speech.
In plural contexts, reflexive pronouns include ourselves, yourselves, and themselves, matching plural personal pronouns like we, you, and they. For example:
- “We taught ourselves how to code.”
In this sentence, ourselves emphasizes that the subject (we) performed the action on itself. These plural forms maintain consistency with subject-verb agreement and help clarify when actions are reciprocal or directed back at the group. Mastering plural reflexive pronouns strengthens sentence clarity and precision.
Reflexive pronouns also vary based on the grammatical person being used: first person (singular myself and plural ourselves), second person (yourself for singular and yourselves for plural), and third person (himself, herself, itself, and themselves). Each form is tied directly to its corresponding subject. For example:
- “You should be proud of yourself.”
This sentence uses the second-person singular reflexive pronoun, while “They challenged themselves to improve” uses the third-person plural. Correctly pairing reflexive pronouns with their respective persons ensures grammatical accuracy.
Gender-specific reflexive pronouns appear in the third person—himself and herself—to align with masculine and feminine subjects. For instance:
- “He congratulated himself on the achievement.”
The sentence above uses himself for a male subject, while:
- “She reminded herself of the goal.”
The above sentence uses herself for a female subject. Non-gender-specific pronouns, such as themselves, provide inclusivity when gender is unknown or irrelevant, as in “The team motivated themselves to succeed.” Recognizing gender distinctions in reflexive pronouns fosters inclusivity and clarity in modern communication.
Whether singular, plural, person-specific, or gender-based, reflexive pronouns play a vital role in structuring clear and effective sentences. By understanding these forms, you can confidently use reflexive pronouns to enhance your writing and communication.
Rules for Using Reflexive Pronouns Correctly
Using reflexive pronouns correctly requires understanding their placement and function within a sentence. Reflexive pronouns, such as myself, yourself, and themselves, are used to reflect the action back to the subject. They must only appear when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same, as in this sentence:
- “She taught herself French.”
Misplacing reflexive pronouns or using them unnecessarily, like in “Myself will attend the meeting,” is grammatically incorrect.
Positioning reflexive pronouns properly within a sentence is also key to maintaining clarity. Typically, they follow the verb directly, as in thsi sentence:
- “He prepared himself for the challenge.”
However, when emphasis is required, reflexive pronouns can appear at the end of a clause:
- “The team completed the project themselves.”
Avoid using reflexive pronouns as replacements for personal pronouns in subject or object positions, as this creates confusion and grammatical errors.
Mastering the rules for reflexive pronouns enhances both written and spoken communication. Whether emphasizing an action or clarifying relationships within a sentence, reflexive pronouns should always be positioned and applied with grammatical precision to maintain their intended meaning.
Common Mistakes with Using the Wrong Form
Using reflexive pronouns can be tricky, particularly when it comes to choosing the correct form. It’s an all-too-common mistake to use a standard personal pronoun instead of a reflexive pronoun, or to use a reflexive pronoun erroneously. Reflexive pronouns always end in “-self” or “-selves” and reflect the action back on the subject of the sentence. For example:
- “I hurt myself.” or
- “They enjoyed themselves.”
It’s important to be aware of the usage rules so as not to cause confusion or misunderstandings in your writing or speech. With practice, you’ll learn to avoid these common reflexive pronoun mistakes and use them with ease.
How to Use Relative Pronouns With Reflexives
Using relative pronouns with reflexives can be a useful tool in writing more complex sentences. When using a relative pronoun, such as “who” or “that,” to connect a reflexive pronoun, such as “myself” or “herself,” to its antecedent, you create a clearer connection between the two ideas.
- For example, instead of writing “I saw the woman that was cleaning herself” you can say “I saw the woman who was cleaning herself,” which makes it clearer that the woman was the one doing the cleaning.
However, it’s important to remember to choose the right pronoun for the gender and number of the antecedent, as well as to keep the tense and voice consistent throughout the sentence. With practice, using relative pronouns with reflexives can help elevate your writing to the next level.
Reflexive Pronouns in Sentence Structure: Emphasis, Active Voice, and Passive Voice
Reflexive pronouns play a versatile role in sentence structure, contributing to emphasis and clarity. In the active voice, reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object are the same, as in thsi sentence:
- “She congratulated herself on the achievement.”
They emphasize the action’s impact on the subject, enhancing the sentence’s meaning. In passive constructions, reflexive pronouns rarely appear but may surface for emphasis, such as in this sentence:
- “The mistake was corrected by herself.”
These instances highlight the subject’s involvement in the action.
Compound Subjects and Reflexives
When forming sentences with compound subjects, reflexive pronouns help maintain balance and clarity. For example, in this sentence:
“Sarah and I prepared ourselves for the presentation.”
The reflexive pronoun agrees with the plural subject. However, reflexive pronouns should not replace proper forms of personal pronouns. Saying “Sarah and myself went to the meeting” is incorrect; instead, use “Sarah and I went to the meeting.”
Reflexive pronouns in compound structures function as objects, never as subjects, and are placed to clarify actions involving multiple individuals.
Correct positioning and usage of reflexive pronouns are essential for constructing coherent and effective sentences. Whether emphasizing actions in active or passive voice or ensuring accuracy in compound subjects, reflexive pronouns bring precision to sentence structure while enriching the overall clarity of communication.
When Not to Use Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are useful for emphasizing actions directed back to the subject, but there are situations where their use is unnecessary—or even incorrect. One common mistake is using reflexive pronouns in place of standard object pronouns, such as in this sentence:
- “Please give the book to myself.”
The correct form would simply be, “Please give the book to me.” Reflexive pronouns should only be used when the subject and object are the same.
Another error occurs when reflexive pronouns are added for emphasis without proper context. For example:
- “The team and myself worked hard on this project.”
This sentence is incorrect because myself does not reflect the subject performing the action. Instead, “The team and I worked hard” is grammatically sound. Overusing reflexive pronouns in such instances can make sentences sound clunky or overly formal.
This type of pronoun should not replace possessive pronouns, such as in this sentence:
- “That’s myself’s idea.”
Reflexive pronouns have specific grammatical roles and do not indicate possession.
Understanding when not to use reflexive pronouns is just as important as knowing when to use them. Avoiding these common mistakes ensures that this type of pronoun maintain their proper function and contribute to clear, professional communication.
Conclusion
Reflexive pronouns are an important part of the English language. By understanding their use, you can write and speak with clarity and confidence. Being aware of the rules related to reflexives, such as when to use them, compound subject forms, prepositional phrases involving reflexives, active and passive voice rules related to their usage and relative pronouns with reflexives will help you be more efficient in your communication skills. With proper practice and dedication to grammar, you will become a better writer and communicator.
FAQs
What is a reflexive pronoun?
A reflexive pronoun is an indirect object pronoun that refers back to the subject in a sentence. It typically ends with -self or -selves and is used when the subject performs an action upon itself. For example, “I gave myself a break.”
How do I identify a reflexive pronoun in a sentence?
To identify reflexive pronouns in sentences, look for words ending in -self or -selves after verb being used in the sentence. This type of pronoun are typically used with action verbs, such as “to bathe” or “to prepare”.
What is the difference between intensive and emphatic pronouns?
An intensive pronoun is a reflexive pronoun that emphasizes the subject of a sentence by referring back to it. For example, “I myself will make dinner.” An emphatic pronoun is similar to an intensive pronoun but places emphasis on another noun or pronoun in the sentence rather than just on the subject. For example, “John himself made dinner.”
When should I not use a reflexive pronoun?
A reflexive pronoun should never be used if the subject and object are not the same. For example, “John gave himself a gift” would be incorrect because John is both the subject and object of the sentence. Instead, it should read “John gave him a gift”.
Are there gender specific forms for different persons when using reflexives?
Yes, when referring to an individual in third person singular there are gender-specific forms for this type of pronoun. For masculine nouns or pronouns it is “himself”, for feminine nouns or pronouns it is “herself” and for nonbinary genders it is “themselves”.
Is there a difference between plural and singular forms of reflexives?
Yes, the singular forms of this type of pronoun usually end in -self (e.g., himself, herself, itself) and the plural forms usually end in -selves (e.g., themselves, yourselves).
Where should reflexives be positioned within sentences?
This type of pronoun are typically positioned after verbs or prepositions but before conjunctions or adverbs. For example, “He prepared himself for the test” or “John gave it to himself.”
Are there any special rules for using relative pronouns with reflexives?
Yes, when two clauses exist with a subject-verb relationship between them, a Are there any common mistakes to avoid when using reflexives?
Yes, here’s why: By knowing these few key facts about reflexive pronouns, you should be able to confidently identify and correctly use them in your Are there any compound forms of reflexives?
Yes, sometimes two or more of this type of pronoun may be used together with a single verb. This is known as a compound reflexive pronoun; for example “John and Mary got themselves ready.” In this sentence, the compound reflexive pronoun “themselves” refers to both John and Mary. Compound reflexives can also be used for emphasis; for example “The cat itself was eating.” Here, the word “itself” is used for emphasis to show that it was indeed the cat who was eating. By understanding how to use reflexive pronouns, you should be able to communicate more effectively in your writing! Remember key rules such as using gender-specific forms when appropriate, being careful with subject/object verb relationships and not using a reflexive pronoun if a relative pronoun exists. With these tips in mind, you should have no problem properly using reflexives in your sentences!