Reflexive Pronouns
Have you ever looked in a mirror and seen your own reflection? In English grammar, when the subject performs an action upon itself, we use special pronouns called Reflexive Pronouns.
These pronouns are very easy to recognize because they always end with -self (for singular) or -selves (for plural).
List of Reflexive Pronouns
| Subject | Reflexive Pronoun |
|---|---|
| I | myself |
| You (Singular) | yourself |
| He | himself |
| She | herself |
| It | itself |
| We | ourselves |
| You (Plural) | yourselves |
| They | themselves |
Spelling Note: Notice the change from -self to -selves for plural subjects (We, You plural, They). This follows the regular English plural rule where the ending f changes to ves.
Two Main Functions
Even though they are called Reflexive Pronouns, this group of words actually has two distinct functions in sentences: the Reflexive Function and the Intensive Function.
1. Reflexive Function (Reflecting the Action)
This is the primary function. It is used when the Subject and the Object are the same person or thing. The action reflects back to the doer.
Without a reflexive pronoun, the sentence will sound strange or have a completely different meaning.
- He cut himself while cooking. (If you say He cut him, it means he cut another man).
- I bought myself a new phone.
- They are looking at themselves in the mirror.
2. Intensive Function (Emphasis)
The second function is to provide emphasis (intensity) to the subject, to show that the subject really did the action themselves, without anyone else’s help.
The easiest way to distinguish this function is: if you remove this pronoun from the sentence, the sentence will still make perfect sense.
- I will clean the room myself.
- (If removed to become I will clean the room, the meaning remains intact).
- The President himself opened the ceremony.
- We baked this cake ourselves.
Usage with By
Often, you will see reflexive pronouns preceded by the preposition by (e.g., by myself, by himself). This phrase means alone or without being accompanied by anyone else.
Examples:
- She lives in that big house by herself.
- I traveled to Japan by myself.
Conclusion: Use Reflexive Pronouns when the action returns to the doer, or when you want to emphasize that someone did something purely without the help of others.