Lesson

Myself/yourself/themselves

Reflexive pronouns

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns: myself / yourself / themselves

Reflexive and intensive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) have two main uses in English: to show that the subject and object are the same (reflexive), and to add emphasis to a noun or pronoun (intensive).

  • Reflexive: the subject performs the action on itself. Example: She taught herself Spanish.
  • Intensive: the pronoun adds emphasis to a noun/pronoun. Example: The CEO himself signed the contract.
  • Forms must agree with the subject (I → myself, they → themselves).

Table

Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns — Forms & Examples

Pronoun Subject Use Example
myself I Reflexive / Intensive I prepared the report myself.
yourself you (singular) Reflexive / Intensive Please complete the form yourself.
himself he Reflexive / Intensive He blamed himself for the error.
herself she Reflexive / Intensive The manager herself led the meeting.
itself it Reflexive The software updated itself overnight.
ourselves we Reflexive / Intensive We introduced ourselves at the conference.
themselves they Reflexive / Intensive They treated themselves to dinner after the launch.

Tip

Key rule: When to use reflexive vs. intensive

Remember the basic distinction and placement:

  • Reflexive pronouns: used when subject and object are the same. Place them as the object of the verb or after a preposition. (She taught herself.)
  • Intensive pronouns: used to emphasize a preceding noun/pronoun. Place them directly after the noun/pronoun they emphasize. (The director herself approved it.)
  • Do not use reflexive pronouns as subject pronouns. Use them only as objects or for emphasis.

Check who performs the action and who receives it: if it's the same person/group, use the reflexive form that matches the subject.

Example

Examples in context

I prepared the report myself.

Please submit the form yourself so there are no mistakes.

They treated themselves to a team dinner after the product launch.

She blamed herself for the error in the presentation.

Tip

Common mistakes to avoid

Many learners make predictable errors with reflexive/intensive pronouns. Watch for these:

  • Using reflexive pronouns as subjects (incorrect: "Myself and John will attend").
  • Replacing object pronouns with reflexive pronouns when they aren't reflexive (incorrect: "Contact myself" instead of "Contact me").
  • Using the wrong form that doesn't agree with the subject (e.g., "themselves" with a singular subject).
  • Placing intensive pronouns far from the noun they emphasize, which can cause confusion.
  • Confusing reflexive constructions with reciprocal ones (each other / one another).

Check subject–object agreement and the pronoun's function (object vs emphasis) before finalizing formal emails or reports.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Check whether the subject and object refer to the same person.

Quiz

Complete: The team congratulated _____ after the product launch.

Hint: Think about whether the subject refers to a group and needs a plural reflexive.

Quiz

Which sentence uses an intensive pronoun correctly?

Hint: Look for the pronoun placed directly after the noun it emphasizes.

Key Points

Vocabulary

myself

pronoun CEFR A2 //maɪˈsɛlf//

Reflexive/intensive pronoun for 'I'.

I will handle the negotiation myself.

Vocabulary

yourself

pronoun CEFR A2 //jɔːrˈsɛlf//

Reflexive/intensive pronoun for 'you' (singular).

Please review the contract yourself before signing.

Vocabulary

themselves

pronoun CEFR A2 //ðəmˈsɛlvz//

Reflexive/intensive pronoun for 'they'.

The team congratulated themselves on the successful launch.

GrammarPoint

reflexive pronoun

grammar_point CEFR B1 //rɪˈflɛksɪv ˈproʊnaʊn//

A pronoun used when the subject and object of a verb are the same person or group.

They reminded themselves to send the invoice.

GrammarPoint

intensive pronoun

grammar_point CEFR B2 //ɪnˈtɛnsɪv ˈproʊnaʊn//

A pronoun used to add emphasis to a noun or pronoun (same forms as reflexive).

I myself will oversee the audit.

Vocabulary

ourselves

pronoun CEFR A2 //aʊərˈsɛlvz//

Reflexive/intensive pronoun for 'we'.

We introduced ourselves at the networking event.

Expression

each other

expression CEFR B1 //iːtʃ ˈʌðər//

Used to express a reciprocal action between two or more people (not reflexive).

The partners congratulated each other after the meeting.