What are reflexive pronouns?

What are reflexive pronouns?

Pronouns are words that replace nouns, noun phrases, and noun clauses to allow for clarity and brevity in language. Reflexive pronouns are words that refer back to the subject of the sentence or clause and end in -self or -selves.

There are nine reflexive pronouns in the English language:

• Myself
• Yourself
• Himself
• Herself
• Oneself
• Itself
• Ourselves
• Yourselves
• Themselves

For example, in the sentence “She cut herself while making dinner,” the reflexive pronoun herself refers to the subject: she.

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How to use reflexive pronouns in writing

Reflexive pronouns are often used to express identity or emphasize the subject of a sentence. For example, when small children say things like, “I want to do it all by myself,” they’re emphasizing that they want to do it alone, without help, and using a reflexive pronoun to make their case. If your friend is acting out of sorts, you might say that they’re not themselves today, indicating that they’re acting differently from how they normally do.

If you’re unsure of whether to use a reflexive pronoun in a sentence, here’s an easy way to remember. If the object and the subject of a verb are the same, you can use a reflexive pronoun for the object. Here’s the tip in action:

• Correct: Steven shook himself awake.
• Incorrect: Steven shook him awake.

This is a fairly clear example. Steven was drifting off to sleep and made a quick movement to keep from doing so; this is reflected in the correct example containing a reflexive pronoun. In the incorrect example, however, the meaning changes, and it could be interpreted that Steven shook someone else awake.

A reflexive pronoun can also function as the object of a preposition such as in, on, for, and with. In a sentence like, “He looked at himself in the reflection of the window,” the reflexive is the object of the preposition at.

However, reflexive pronouns cannot be swapped with personal pronouns like me, you, him, and her. These kinds of pronouns are used when the subject and the object of a sentence are different. Saying, “He loves her” and, “He loves himself” have very different meanings, and the pronouns refer to entirely different people.

Using reflexive pronouns can make your writing more engaging and easier for your reader to understand. To ensure that you’re using them properly, remember these tips.

• When the subject and the object of a sentence or clause are the same, use a reflexive pronoun.
• Use reflexive pronouns to give emphasis to the subject of a sentence or express identity.
• As an object of a preposition, a reflexive pronoun can refer to the subject.
• When the subject and object are different, do not use a reflexive pronoun.
• As with all writing, avoid redundancy and unnecessary words. This is especially true for reflexive pronouns, as they can make your sentences clunky and hard to read. You wouldn’t say, “Please contact myself for more information,” you’d say, “Please contact me.”

The English language has many moving parts that work together. Being able to understand these parts of speech will improve your writing and your ability to put together complex sentences. For more writing help, try Microsoft Editor, which can offer corrections and suggestions to make your writing more effective.