Lesson

Reflexive pronouns: herself, himself, themselves

Reflexive usage

≈ 20 min 8 block(s)

Text

What are reflexive pronouns: herself, himself, themselves?

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence. They show that the subject both performs and receives the action. In this lesson we focus on herself, himself and themselves — used for third-person singular feminine, third-person singular masculine, and third-person plural respectively.

  • Use reflexive pronouns when the subject and object are the same person or group.
  • Place reflexive pronouns after the verb or after a preposition.
  • Match the reflexive pronoun to the subject (she → herself, he → himself, they → themselves).

Reflexive pronouns are common in business English (e.g., She prepared the report herself).

Table

Reflexive Pronouns: Singular and Plural

Pronoun Subject matches Example
herself she The manager blamed herself for the mistake.
himself he He introduced himself at the meeting.
themselves they The team congratulated themselves after the presentation.
(for reference) myself / yourself / itself I / you / it I reminded myself to send the email.

Tip

Key rule: Match the subject

The reflexive pronoun must refer back to the subject of the sentence.

  • Singular feminine subject → herself (e.g., She completed the audit herself).
  • Singular masculine subject → himself (e.g., He prepared himself for the presentation).
  • Plural subject → themselves (e.g., Employees trained themselves on the new system).

When the subject and object are different people, do NOT use a reflexive pronoun.

Example

Examples in context

The manager blamed herself for the mistake.

He introduced himself at the meeting before presenting.

The team updated the report themselves to meet the deadline.

She prepared the presentation herself to ensure accuracy.

Tip

Common mistakes to avoid

Watch for these universal errors when using reflexive pronouns.

  • Using a non-reflexive object when the subject and object are the same (Incorrect: He blamed him).
  • Using a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object are different (Incorrect: She gave herself the keys — if she actually gave them to someone else).
  • Confusing reflexive with reciprocal expressions (each other / one another).
  • Mismatching number or gender (e.g., using himself for a plural subject).

Always check who performs and who receives the action in the sentence.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Focus on whether the action is done by the subject to the same person.

Quiz

Complete: He introduced _____ at the conference.

Hint: Think about the subject referring back to the same person.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Check agreement between subject (plural) and reflexive pronoun.

Key Points

Vocabulary

herself

pronoun CEFR B1 //hɜːrˈsɛlf//

Reflexive pronoun referring to a singular female subject.

The director congratulated herself on the successful launch.

Vocabulary

himself

pronoun CEFR B1 //hɪmˈsɛlf//

Reflexive pronoun referring to a singular male subject.

He reminded himself to bring the contract to the meeting.

Vocabulary

themselves

pronoun CEFR B1 //ðəmˈsɛlvz//

Reflexive pronoun referring to multiple people (they).

The team organized themselves to finish the project on time.

GrammarPoint

reflexive pronoun

noun CEFR B1 //rɪˈflɛksɪv prəˈnaʊn//

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

In 'She taught herself Spanish', 'herself' is a reflexive pronoun.

Expression

reciprocal (each other / one another)

expression CEFR B2 //rɪˈsɪprəkəl//

Used when two or more people perform an action on each other.

The partners called each other to confirm the schedule.

Expression

introduce oneself

verb phrase CEFR B1 //ˌɪntrəˈdjuːs wʌnˈsɛlf//

To present oneself to others (to say one's name and role).

Please introduce yourself at the start of the meeting.