English Reflexive pronouns Grammar (B1)

What this grammar point covers

Reflexive pronouns are words like 'myself', 'yourself', 'himself', etc. We use them when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same person.

When to use it

Use reflexive pronouns when the subject does something to himself/herself/itself, or to emphasize that someone did something alone or without help.

Key forms

• myself
• yourself
• himself
• herself
• itself
• ourselves
• yourselves
• themselves

Examples

Tips

• Do not use a reflexive pronoun when another person is the object.
• Remember: 'myself' is only for 'I', not for 'me' or 'my'.
• Do not use a reflexive pronoun after most verbs like 'meet', 'feel', 'relax'.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs in English do not use reflexive pronouns, even if they do in other languages (for example, 'wash', 'dress').

Sample exercise

Which sentence uses the reflexive pronoun correctly?

When using reflexive pronouns, we refer back to the subject of the sentence.

Answer: She taught herself how to use the new app.

The reflexive pronoun 'herself' correctly refers back to the subject 'she'.