A reflexive pronoun is one that refers back to another noun, usually the subject of the verb: myself, yourself, himself, herself, oneself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. They are therefore unusual in that a different pronoun is used for the second person singular and plural.
Reflexive pronouns can be used in four ways :
1. They can be used as the object of the verb when the subject and object are the same. Eg:
Wendy hates watching herself on video - subject = Wendy; object = Wendy.
Did he hurt himself? - subject = he; object = he
The cat was washing itself - subject = the cat; object = the cat
Notice that when the object of the verb is a reflexive pronoun, the passive form is not possible :
So : He cut the grass this morning / The grass was cut this morning
He hurt himself this morning but not * Himself was hurt this morning
With a few verbs. reflexive pronouns are obligatory - eg:
She prides herself on her knowledge of the history of the area.
Many languages rely on reflexive verbs as in this way much more than English. For example : French - Je me suis lavé; Italian - Mi sono lavato; German - Ich wusch mich can all be translated by the English I washed myself. But it would be more natural in English to avoid the reflexive construction and say I got washed.
2. Reflexive pronouns can also be used in apposition to the noun phrase, whether subject orobject of the sentence, to intensify it. Consider:
I myself would have acted differently
Here, the reflexive pronoun adds nothing to the sentence - it simply reinforces the subject “I”. It could be replaced with the adverb personally:
I personally would have acted differently.
Another example :
We ourselves realised it was a mistake.
In these cases, where the noun is the subject, the reflexive pronoun can also be postponed until later in the sentence :
I would have acted differently myself.
We realised it was a mistake ourselves.
This can't happen when the noun is the object of the sentence :
I talked to the boss herself about it but not *I talked to the boss about it herself
I talked to the boss herself about it but not *I talked to the boss about it herself
3. Similar to this emphatic use, is the use of reflexive pronouns to indicate whether anyone else was involved :
He repaired the car himself (ie he didn't take it to a garage)
Did you write this essay yourself? ( implying, Or did someone else write it for you?)
She ate the whole cake herself! (ie no-one else had any of it)
4. Reflexive pronouns also occur in prepositional phrases:
I live by myself (ie alone)
He cooked dinner for himself (ie no-one else ate with him)
She often talks to herself (ie not to another person)
Related Reading
Parrott, M. Grammar for English Language Teachers, Cambridge
Related Reading
Parrott, M. Grammar for English Language Teachers, Cambridge
