Reflexive pronouns are an important part of the English language, yet many English learners are not familiar with them. Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of a sentence and are used to emphasize or add emphasis to the subject. In English, reflexive pronouns always end in the letters -self or -selves, which refer to the subject of the sentence.
There are eight reflexive pronouns in English: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. The reflexive pronoun replaces the noun or pronoun that is the sentence’s subject. For example, in the sentence, “I hurt myself,” the reflexive pronoun “myself” replaces the subject “I.”
The reflexive pronoun is also used to emphasize the subject or object of a sentence. For example, in the sentence, “I washed the car myself,” the reflexive pronoun “myself” is used to emphasize that the speaker was the one who washed the car.
Reflexive pronouns can also be used in the passive voice. In a passive sentence, the subject is not performing the action but is being acted upon. For example, in the sentence “The car was washed by myself,” the reflexive pronoun “myself” is used to emphasize that the speaker was the one who washed the car.
It is important to remember that reflexive pronouns cannot replace any other type of pronoun, such as possessive or indefinite pronouns. Additionally, reflexive pronouns can never be used as the subject of a sentence. For example, in the sentence “Myself washed the car,” “myself” is not used correctly as the subject of the sentence.
Overall, reflexive pronouns are an important part of the English language and are used to emphasize the subject or object of a sentence. Knowing how and when to use them correctly is essential for any English language learner.
