Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are words such as "myself", "yourself" and "themselves" that refer back to the subject of a sentence when the subject and object are the same person or thing. They end in "-self" (singular) or "-selves" (plural) and are used after verbs or prepositions, as in "She hurt herself" or "He talks to himself".
Types of reflexive pronouns
Singular reflexive pronouns
Used when the subject is one person or thing.
e.g. myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
Plural reflexive pronouns
Used when the subject is more than one person or thing.
e.g. ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Emphatic (intensive) use
Used to add emphasis to a noun or pronoun, stressing that the person did something alone or personally, rather than showing that the action reflects back on the subject.
e.g. I made the cake myself., The manager herself signed the letter.
Reflexive use after prepositions
Used after certain prepositions when the object refers to the same person as the subject, often in fixed expressions.
e.g. He lives by himself., They kept the news to themselves.
Rules to remember
- Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and the object of the verb are the same person or thing: 'I cut myself.'
- Match the reflexive pronoun to the person and number of the subject: I/myself, we/ourselves, they/themselves.
- Do not use a reflexive pronoun as the subject of a sentence; it must function as an object or complement.
- Many verbs describing daily actions (wash, dress, shave, relax, concentrate) do not need a reflexive pronoun in English even though other languages use one: 'I washed' not usually 'I washed myself' unless emphasising effort.
- Use reflexive pronouns, not personal pronouns, after prepositions when referring back to the subject: 'She bought a gift for herself,' not 'for her'.
Examples in sentences
| Example | How it works |
|---|---|
| I taught myself to play the guitar. | Subject 'I' and object refer to the same person, so 'myself' is required. |
| Be careful, or you'll hurt yourself. | Singular 'yourself' matches the subject 'you' (one person). |
| The children enjoyed themselves at the party. | Plural subject 'the children' takes the plural reflexive pronoun 'themselves'. |
| He completed the report himself, without any help. | Emphatic use stresses that he did it alone, adding emphasis rather than showing a reflexive action. |
| We should ask ourselves why the project failed. | Reflexive pronoun follows the verb 'ask', referring back to the subject 'we'. |
| The cat cleaned itself after eating. | 'Itself' is used for a singular non-human or inanimate subject. |
| She lives by herself in a small flat. | Reflexive pronoun follows the preposition 'by' in the fixed expression meaning 'alone'. |
Common mistakes
Incorrect: I concentrate myself on my studies every evening.
Correct: I concentrate on my studies every evening.
Incorrect: Myself and my colleague finished the report.
Correct: My colleague and I finished the report.
Incorrect: He bought a present for hisself.
Correct: He bought a present for himself.
Why this matters for IELTS
Using reflexive pronouns accurately, especially in the emphatic form ("I organised the event myself") and after prepositions ("by myself", "for herself"), shows control of a wider grammatical structure and helps raise your Grammatical Range and Accuracy score in IELTS Writing and Speaking. Avoid overusing them with everyday verbs like "relax" or "feel", since native speakers rarely add a reflexive pronoun there, and misuse can actually lower accuracy rather than improve it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a reflexive pronoun in simple terms?
It is a pronoun ending in '-self' or '-selves', such as 'myself' or 'themselves', used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same person or thing.
What is the difference between reflexive and intensive pronouns?
They use the same words, but reflexive pronouns act as the object of a verb or preposition ('She cut herself'), while intensive pronouns add emphasis to a noun and can usually be removed without changing the meaning ('She herself cut the cake').
Can 'myself' be used instead of 'me' or 'I'?
No, this is a common error. 'Myself' should only be used when it refers back to the subject, as in 'I hurt myself', not as a simple substitute for 'I' or 'me', such as in 'Myself and John went' or 'Give it to myself'.
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