Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) refer back to the subject when the subject and object are the same person or thing.
Level B1
Pronouns
Summary
- Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) refer back to the subject when the subject and object are the same person or thing.
Structure
subject + verb + ...self/...selves
Examples
- I hurt myself while cooking.
- She taught herself to play guitar.
- They enjoyed themselves at the concert.
- Be careful or you'll cut yourself.
Common mistakes
- • Using a reflexive where an object pronoun is needed, e.g. 'between John and myself' instead of 'between John and me'.
- • Saying 'hisself' or 'theirselves' instead of 'himself' and 'themselves'.
Related
More pronouns
Subject and Object Pronouns
A1
Subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) do the action; object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) receive it. The form depends on the pronoun's job in the sentence.
Possessive Adjectives
A1
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) come before a noun to show who owns it. They never change for singular or plural nouns.
Possessive Pronouns
A2
Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) replace a noun completely, so no noun follows them. They show ownership while avoiding repetition.