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reflexive pronouns: myself, etc

What are reflexive pronouns?​

Reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, oneself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

Use: I cut myself shaving.​

Reflexive pronouns are used as objects, in cases when the object refers to the same person(s) or thing(s) as the subject.

  • I cut myself shaving this morning. (not I cut me …)
  • We got out of the water and dried ourselves. (not … dried us.)
  • I need to get myself some new shoes.

Reflexive pronouns can refer back not only to subjects, but also to possessives or objects.

  • His conversations are all about himself.
  • I’m going to tell her a few facts about herself.
  • I love you for yourself, not for your money.

Same clause​

A reflexive only refers to a noun in the same clause. Compare:

  • Jack says that James talks to himself a lot. (James talks to James, not to Jack.)
  • Jack says that James talks to him a lot. (James talks to Jack, not to James.)

After prepositions: She took her dog with her.​

After prepositions of place, we often use a personal pronoun (me, you, etc) if the meaning is clear without using a reflexive. Compare:

  • She took her dog with her. (not … with herself. She could hardly take her dog with somebody else.)
  • She’s very pleased with herself. (She could be pleased with somebody else.)

Other examples:

  • Close the door after you.
  • He was pulling a small cart behind him.

Emphatic use: Do it yourself.​

We can use reflexives as emphasisers, to mean ‘that person/thing and nobody/nothing else’.

  • It’s quicker if you do it yourself.
  • The manageress spoke to me herself.
  • The house itself is nice, but the garden’s very small.
  • I’ll go and see the President himself if I have to.

Reflexives used instead of personal pronouns​

Reflexives are sometimes used instead of personal pronouns after as, like, but (for) and except (for).

  • These shoes are designed for heavy runners like yourself. (or … like you.)
  • Everybody was early except myself. (or … except me.)

Reflexives can also be used instead of personal pronouns in co-ordinated noun phrases.

  • There will be four of us at dinner: Robert, Alison, Jenny and myself. (or … and I/me.)

by oneself​

By myself/yourself, etc means ‘alone, without company’ or ‘without help’.

  • I often like to spend time by myself.
  • ‘Do you need help?’ ‘No, thanks. I can do it by myself.’

-selves and each other / one another​

Note the difference between -selves and each other / one another (see here).

  • They talk to themselves a lot. (Each of them talks to him/herself.)
  • They talk to each other a lot. (Each of them talks to the other.)

own​

There are no possessive reflexives. Instead, we use my own, your own, etc.

  • I always wash my own clothes. (not … myself’s clothes.)
  • The children have both got their own rooms.

Reflexives not used​

Certain verbs (e.g. wash, dress, shave) have reflexive pronouns in some languages but not in English.

  • Do you shave on Sundays? (not Do you shave yourself on Sundays?)

However, reflexives can be used if it is necessary to make it clear who does the action.

  • She’s old enough to dress herself now.
  • The barber shaves all the men in the town who don’t shave themselves. So does he shave himself or not?

Some other verbs which do not normally have reflexive pronouns:

  • Suddenly the door opened. (not Suddenly the door opened itself.)
  • His book’s selling well. (not His book’s selling itself well.)
  • Try to concentrate. (not Try to concentrate yourself.)
  • I feel strange. (not I feel myself strange.)
  • Hurry! (not Hurry yourself!)
note

For more about structures like The door opened and His book’s selling well, (see here).