reflexive pronoun
Noun: A reflexive pronoun is a specific type of personal pronoun that ends in -self (singular) or -selves (plural). Its primary function is to indicate that the subject of the sentence is also the recipient or object of the verb's action. It reflects the action back upon the subject.
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object of a verb are the same person or thing. They are necessary for grammatical correctness in such sentences. They can also be used for emphasis.
- Basic Reflexive Use: The subject performs an action on itself.
- She taught herself to play the guitar. (The person who taught and the person who learned are the same.)
- The cat cleaned itself.
- Please help yourselves to some food.
- Emphatic Use: Used to emphasize the subject or object, often for contrast or intensity. In this case, the pronoun is not the object of the verb and can often be removed without breaking the sentence's core grammar.
- I myself baked this cake. (Emphasizes that I did it, not someone else.)
- You should speak to the manager himself.
- By + Reflexive Pronoun: This structure means "alone" or "without help."
- The child did the puzzle by himself.
- Reflexive pronouns are not typically used after prepositions of place; object pronouns are used instead.
- Correct: She closed the door behind her.
- Incorrect: She closed the door behind herself. (Unless the door is attached to her, which is not the intended meaning.)
The set of English reflexive pronouns is: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves. * Oneself: The reflexive form of the impersonal pronoun "one." * One should be able to entertain oneself.
There are no direct synonyms for the grammatical category "reflexive pronoun." However, in specific contexts, a phrase like "the subject itself" or "the same person/thing" can convey a similar meaning descriptively.
- Reflexive Verb: A verb whose direct object is a reflexive pronoun. In English, many verbs can be used reflexively or non-reflexively (e.g., : "I enjoyed the party" vs. "I enjoyed myself at the party").
- To be beside oneself (with emotion): To be in a state of extreme emotion.
- She was beside herself with joy when she heard the news.
- To keep to oneself: To be private or solitary.
- He's very quiet and keeps to himself.
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a personal pronoun compounded with -self to show the agent's action affects the agent
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