English Grammar Drills - Mark Lester 2009
Reflexive pronouns
5 Pronouns
Part 1 Noun Phrases
Reflexive pronouns are a unique group of pronouns that always end in either -self or -selves. Here is the complete list:
Reflexive pronouns have no independent meaning; they must refer back to some noun (or pronoun) mentioned earlier in the same sentence. This previously mentioned noun is called the antecedent of the reflexive pronoun. The word reflexive comes from a Latin word meaning “to bend back.” Reflexive pronouns must “bend back” to their antecedent, the nearest appropriate noun—usually but not always the subject of the sentence. Here are some examples with the reflexive pronouns in italics and their antecedents in bold:
The queen smiled at herself in the mirror.
The movie refuses to take itself seriously.
The couple had accidentally locked themselves out of their car.
The computer shut itself off.
I want to do it by myself.
Notice that in all of these examples, the antecedent of the reflexive pronoun is the subject of the sentence. While this is generally the case, the antecedent can also be the object of the preceding verb. For example, look at the following sentence:
Mary told John to help himself to some dessert.
Here the antecedent of the reflexive pronoun himself is not the subject of the sentence, Mary, but the object, John. If we tried to make the subject the antecedent, the result would be ungrammatical:
X Mary told John to help herself to some dessert.
The general rule is that the antecedent of a reflexive pronoun is the nearest preceding noun that plays the role of subject or object of a verb. Here are some more examples of objects being the antecedent:
Mary wanted Ralph to dress himself as a pirate for the costume party.
I wish you would behave yourself.
We will give them a chance to redeem themselves.
She told the kids to behave themselves.
Very often in conversation you will hear a reflective pronoun that seems to have no antecedent. For example:
Take care of yourself!
Behave yourselves, now!
Do yourselves a favor.
Don’t hurt yourself!
Just be yourself and you will be fine.
All of these sentences are commands with an understood you (which can be either singular or plural) as subject. The understood you is the antecedent to the reflexive pronouns yourself or yourselves.
(You) take care of yourself!
(You) behave yourselves, now!
(You) do yourselves a favor.
(You) don’t hurt yourself!
(You) just be yourself and you will be fine.
Exercise 5.4
Fill in the blank with the appropriate reflexive pronoun. Confirm your answer by underlining the pronoun’s antecedent. If the antecedent is understood, insert you.
He tends to repeat ... . .
He tends to repeat himself.
1. Please! I can do it by ... .
2. They refused to allow ... to give up hope.
3. My little girl always sings ... to sleep.
4. I told them that I would do it by ... .
5. It was so noisy that we couldn’t hear ... think.
6. The trip could almost pay for ... .
7. The workers were putting ... out of a job.
8. It was such an interesting book that the pages seemed to turn ... .
9. The system is designed to shut ... off in the event of an emergency.
10. Don’t be so hard on ... .
11. All successful politicians believe in ... .
12. We wanted the children to be able to look after ... .
13. Jane encouraged Sam to do it ... .
14. Try doing it by ... .
15. I can’t stand traveling by ... .
There is another, completely different use of reflexive pronouns as well. We can add reflexive pronouns to a sentence just for emphasis. For example, consider the following sentence:
I wouldn’t turn down the offer myself.
Here the reflexive pronoun myself has been added to an already complete sentence just for emphasis. Unlike a normal reflexive pronoun that plays the role of object of a verb or a pronoun, this pronoun has no grammatical role at all. We can delete it:
or move it right after its antecedent:
I myself wouldn’t turn down the offer.
Here are some more examples of reflexive pronouns added for emphasis, each with a paraphrase showing that the emphatic reflexive pronoun can be deleted or moved to a position immediately following the antecedent.
He wouldn’t do that himself.
Deleted: He wouldn’t do that.
Moved: He himself wouldn’t do that.
They did not know the answers themselves.
Deleted: They did not know the answers.
Moved: They themselves did not know the answers.
We intended to go to Italy ourselves.
Deleted: We intended to go to Italy.
Moved: We ourselves intended to go to Italy.
She decorated the new house herself.
Deleted: She decorated the new house.
Moved: She herself decorated the new house.
Needless to say, we cannot delete or move a reflexive pronoun used in the normal way since it is the object of the verb or of a preposition.
Exercise 5.5
Underline the reflexive pronouns in the following sentences. Write emphatic or functional above each one as appropriate. If the pronoun is emphatic, confirm your answer by moving it to a position next to its antecedent.
1. The District Attorney took the case himself.
2. The engine started running again by itself.
3. They saw the accident on the freeway themselves.
4. I couldn’t help smiling myself.
5. Their mortgage takes nearly half their income itself.
6. Senator Blather declared himself the winner.
7. She proposed the idea herself.
8. You need to separate yourself from the rest of the candidates.
9. I did all the necessary paperwork myself.
10. The consultants were opposed to the new project themselves.