Grammar
Reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, and themselves
After a long walk, Maya made herself a cup of tea. The word herself points back to Maya, so the listener knows who received the tea.
Use reflexive pronouns when the subject and object are the same person or thing, and recognize their emphatic use.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
She prepared herself for the interview. /ʃiː prɪˈpeəd həˈself fə ði ˈɪntəvjuː/
The short answer
Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object are the same: Leo blamed himself. Choose the form that matches the subject: I use myself, she uses herself, and they use themselves.
Nina introduced herself to the new neighbour.
Why it works: Nina is both the person who introduced someone and the person who was introduced.
5 more examples
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I taught myself to use the new camera.
The subject I and the object myself refer to the same person.
Not this:I taught
my cousinto use the new camera. What changes: The lesson goes to a different person, so use an ordinary object noun rather than myself. -
Ravi hurt himself while moving the chair.
Ravi did the action and was hurt by it.
Not this:Ravi hurt
his anklewhile moving the chair. What changes: His ankle names the body part that was hurt. It does not refer back to Ravi as the object of the verb. -
The cat cleaned itself after lunch.
Use itself for an animal or thing when it is the subject and object.
Not this:The cat cleaned
the muddy stepwith its paw. What changes: The action affects the step, not the cat, so a reflexive pronoun is not used. -
We made ourselves sandwiches before the train journey.
We and ourselves refer to the same group of people.
Not this:We made sandwiches for
the visitorsbefore the train journey. What changes: The sandwiches are for another group, so the sentence needs an ordinary object phrase. -
The director herself answered the question.
Here herself adds emphasis. It stresses that the director, rather than another person, answered.
Not this:
The directoranswered the question after the meeting. What changes: Without herself, the sentence reports the action but does not add the same emphasis.
Read the full guide
First, find the subject of the sentence. Then ask whether the action returns to that same person or thing. If it does, a reflexive pronoun may be needed. Keep an ordinary object pronoun when the action goes to someone else: Sam called her is different from Sam called himself.
Match the pronoun to the subject
A reflexive pronoun must agree with its subject. Look at the subject first, then choose the matching form.
I reminded myself to lock the door.
The subject I matches myself.
They reminded themselves to lock the door.
The subject they matches themselves.
Which form follows she?
Use herself: She reminded herself to lock the door.
Use a reflexive pronoun when the action returns
Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject does something to the same person or thing. It is often the object of the verb.
Daniel saw himself in the shop window.
Daniel is the person looking and the person seen.
The children dressed themselves before breakfast.
The children did the dressing and received the action.
Do you need a reflexive pronoun in Ana washed the cups?
No. The cups are the object, so the action does not return to Ana.
Use by plus a reflexive pronoun for alone
By plus a reflexive pronoun usually means alone or without help. It can describe how someone completed an action.
I can get to the library by myself.
By myself means alone, without another person coming with me.
The twins built the model by themselves.
By themselves says that the twins completed the work without help.
What does by ourselves add to We cooked by ourselves?
It says that we cooked without help from other people.
Add emphasis with a reflexive pronoun
A reflexive pronoun can add emphasis after a noun or pronoun. In this use, it is not the object of the verb. It highlights who did something.
I myself checked every page.
Myself emphasizes that I, not another person, did the checking.
The guests themselves chose the music.
Themselves emphasizes that the guests made the choice.
Does herself in The manager herself called you mean alone?
No. It adds emphasis to the manager. It does not describe whether she had help.
Keep ordinary object pronouns for other people
Do not use a reflexive pronoun when the subject acts on a different person. Use me, you, him, her, us, or them when that is the meaning.
Lina invited him to the concert.
Him refers to another person, not back to Lina.
The coach praised us after the match.
Us refers to the team members, while the coach is the subject.
Which is correct: My aunt called myself or My aunt called me?
Use me. The subject is my aunt, so the action does not return to I.
Avoid using myself as a formal subject or object
Myself is not a formal substitute for I or me. Use it only when it refers back to I or adds emphasis to I.
My colleague and I will join the call.
I is the subject, so myself is not needed.
Please send the receipt to Maya or me.
Me is the object of to. It does not refer back to a subject I.
When is myself correct after a preposition?
Use it when it refers back to I, as in I kept the news to myself.
Before you go
Remember this
Match the reflexive pronoun to its subject: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, or themselves. Use one when the action returns to the subject, use by plus the pronoun for alone, and place one after a noun or pronoun when you want extra emphasis.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, and themselves"
What is a reflexive pronoun?
A reflexive pronoun points back to the subject of the sentence. In I taught myself to use the new camera, I and myself refer to the same person. The forms include myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.
I taught myself to use the new camera.
When do I use himself, herself, or itself?
Choose the form that matches the subject. Use himself with he, herself with she, and itself with an animal or thing when it is both the subject and object. For example, Ravi hurt himself, while the cat cleaned itself.
I taught my cousin to use the new camera.
What does by myself mean?
By myself means alone or without help. I can get to the library by myself says that no one needs to come with me. The form changes with the subject, so a group can do something by ourselves or by themselves.
Ravi hurt himself while moving the chair.
Can reflexive pronouns add emphasis?
Yes. A reflexive pronoun after a noun or pronoun can emphasize who did an action. The director herself answered the question places extra focus on the director. It does not automatically mean that she worked alone.
Ravi hurt his ankle while moving the chair.
Why is My colleague and myself incorrect?
Myself must refer back to a subject I or emphasize I. In a subject phrase, use I: My colleague and I will join the call. In an object phrase, use me: Please send the receipt to Maya or me.
The cat cleaned itself after lunch.