Reflexive pronoun list
Singular forms end in -self and plural forms end in -selves. Note that you has two reflexive forms.
| Subject | Reflexive pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | myself | I hurt myself playing cricket. |
| you (one person) | yourself | Help yourself to some tea. |
| he | himself | He introduced himself to the class. |
| she | herself | She blamed herself for the delay. |
| it | itself | The machine switches itself off. |
| we | ourselves | We enjoyed ourselves at the wedding. |
| you (more than one) | yourselves | Please make yourselves at home. |
| they | themselves | They prepared themselves for the exam. |
| one | oneself | One should look after oneself. |
Three ways to use reflexive pronouns
Reflexive: the subject and object are the same person or thing: "She looked at herself in the mirror."
Emphatic: the pronoun stresses who did it, often meaning without help: "The principal herself called my parents." "I painted the room myself." Here you could remove the pronoun and the sentence would still be correct.
By + reflexive: this means alone or without help: "My grandmother lives by herself." "He fixed the bike by himself."
When not to use a reflexive pronoun
Don't use a reflexive pronoun in place of I or me. Say "My friend and I will attend" and "Please email me", not "myself".
Some verbs take a reflexive pronoun in other languages but not usually in English: relax, concentrate, feel, meet, worry, sit down. Say "Try to relax", not "Try to relax yourself". With wash, shave and dress, the pronoun is usually dropped: "I got up and dressed."
After a preposition of place, use an ordinary object pronoun: "She put her bag beside her", not "beside herself".
For two people or groups doing the same action to each other, use each other, not a reflexive: "They looked at each other" means one looked at the other; "They looked at themselves" means each looked at their own reflection.
Common mistakes
Wrong: Myself Priya, and I am from Hyderabad.
Right: My name is Priya, and I am from Hyderabad.
A reflexive pronoun can't be the subject or be used to introduce yourself.
Wrong: Please send the documents to myself.
Right: Please send the documents to me.
Me is the object here. Myself would need I as the subject of the same clause.
Wrong: They did the project by theirselves.
Right: They did the project by themselves.
Theirselves isn't standard English. The form is themselves.
Wrong: I enjoyed a lot at the party.
Right: I enjoyed myself a lot at the party.
Enjoy needs an object. If there is no other object, use a reflexive pronoun.
Wrong: We met ourselves at the station.
Right: We met at the station.
Meet doesn't take a reflexive pronoun in English.
Using this in IELTS and PTE
IELTS Speaking Part 1 starts with your name, and "Myself Rahul" is a common slip that sounds unnatural to an examiner; say "My name is Rahul" or "I'm Rahul". In Task 2 and PTE Write Essay, reflexives are natural in phrases such as "people should educate themselves" and "the problem will not solve itself". Avoid "myself" as a polite substitute for me in emails and letters in IELTS General Task 1.
5 questions
Exercise
Try each one, then open it to check your answer.
1. Complete this: "The children dressed ___ for school."
themselves
The subject is the children, which is plural.
2. Correct this: "My manager and myself will attend."
My manager and I will attend.
The subject needs I.
3. Reflexive or each other? "The two friends hugged ___."
each other
Each friend hugged the other.
4. What does "She lives by herself" mean?
She lives alone.
By plus a reflexive pronoun means alone or without help.
5. Complete this: "Did you build this table ___?" (speaking to one person)
yourself
It is emphatic and refers to one person.
Frequently asked questions
Is "John and myself" correct?+
It is common in speech and some business English, but most grammar guides treat it as non-standard. In writing, use "John and I" as a subject and "John and me" as an object.
What is the difference between themselves and each other?+
Themselves means each person does the action to their own self. Each other means the people do the action to one another.
Is theirselves a word?+
It is heard in some dialects, but it isn't standard English. Use themselves.
Can I introduce myself by saying "Myself Ali"?+
No. This pattern is common in South Asian English but isn't standard. Say "My name is Ali" or "I'm Ali".
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