I taught myself to play the guitar.
- Language
- English
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Pronouns
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Reflexive pronouns in English are words like myself, yourself, himself, etc. They are used when the subject and the object of the verb are the same person.
When to use it
Use reflexive pronouns when the subject does something to itself, for emphasis, or in some fixed expressions.
Key forms
- myself
- yourself
- himself
- herself
- itself
- ourselves
- yourselves
- themselves
Examples
She looked at herself in the mirror.
We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
Be careful! You might hurt yourself.
The cat cleaned itself.
Tips
- Do not use a reflexive pronoun if the subject and object are different people.
- Use reflexive pronouns for emphasis: 'I did it myself.'
- Some verbs in English do not use reflexive pronouns, even if they do in other languages.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs, like 'wash' or 'dress,' do not always need a reflexive pronoun in English.
- The pronoun 'oneself' is used in formal or general statements.