Reflexive Pronouns: Complete Guide for English Language Beginners

Examples:

• John hurt himself while playing football. (John did the hurting, and John received the hurt)
• The children dressed themselves for school. (The children both dressed and were dressed)
• I taught myself to play guitar. (I was both the teacher and the student)
• She reminded herself to buy milk. (She gave the reminder to herself)

Examples:

• The CEO himself answered my email. (Emphasizes that the CEO personally replied)
• I baked this cake myself. (Emphasizes that I did it alone, without help)
• The queen herself attended the ceremony. (Emphasizes the queen’s personal presence)
• We painted the house ourselves. (Emphasizes we did it without hiring painters)

Examples:

• She was proud of herself. (Not “proud of her”)
• He kept the secret to himself. (Not “to him”)
• They were talking among themselves. (Not “among them”)
• Look after yourself while I’m gone. (Not “after you”)

❌ Incorrect:

• Myself and John went to the store.
• Himself completed the project on time.

✓ Correct:

• John and I went to the store.
• He completed the project on time.

❌ Incorrect:

• She looked at her in the mirror.
• They blamed them for the mistake.

✓ Correct:

• She looked at herself in the mirror.
• They blamed themselves for the mistake.

❌ Incorrect:

• Please give the book to myself. (When someone else is giving you the book)
• She invited John and myself to dinner.

✓ Correct:

• Please give the book to me.
• She invited John and me to dinner.

Common Reflexive Expressions:

• Help yourself – Take what you want (often with food or drinks)
• Enjoy yourself – Have a good time
• Behave yourself – Act properly and politely
• Make yourself at home – Feel comfortable and relaxed
• Express yourself – Communicate your thoughts and feelings
• Be yourself – Act naturally, don’t pretend
• Kill yourself (informal) – Work extremely hard
• Pride yourself on – Be proud of something you do well
• Beside yourself – Extremely emotional (angry, worried, etc.)
• By yourself – Alone, without others
• For yourself – For your own benefit or experience
• Among yourselves – Within a group, privately

• Please help yourself to some cookies on the table.
• Did you enjoy yourself at the concert last night?
• The children need to behave themselves during the ceremony.
• Make yourself at home while you wait for Sarah.
• Art class allows students to express themselves creatively.
• Just be yourself during the job interview.
• She was beside herself with worry when her son didn’t call.
• I prefer to travel by myself rather than in a group.
• You should see for yourself how beautiful the mountains are.
• Discuss the project among yourselves and reach a decision.

Exercise Questions:

1. I made this lunch ______. (myself / me / I)
2. Sarah looked at ______ in the mirror. (her / herself / she)
3. The dog hurt ______ while running. (it / itself / its)
4. We should ask ______ important questions. (ourselves / us / we)
5. Did you and Tom enjoy ______ at the party? (yourself / yourselves / you)
6. The students organized the event ______. (them / themselves / their)
7. He talks to ______ when he’s nervous. (him / himself / he)
8. They blamed ______ for the accident. (them / themselves / their)

• Subject + Verb + Reflexive Pronoun: Tom introduced himself.
• Subject + Verb + Reflexive Pronoun + Prepositional Phrase: She looked at herself in the window.

• Mary taught herself piano, and she became quite skilled.
• They prepared themselves for the exam, but it was harder than expected.

• Did you hurt yourself during the game?
• Have they introduced themselves to the new neighbors?
• Can she take care of herself while you’re away?

• He didn’t hurt himself in the accident.
• We shouldn’t blame ourselves for what happened.
• They haven’t prepared themselves properly for the trip.

Common verbs without reflexive pronouns:

• Wash, shave, dress, bathe – I washed and dressed quickly. (Not “washed myself”)
• Sit down, stand up, wake up – Please sit down. (Not “sit yourself down”)
• Feel (emotions) – I feel happy today. (Not “feel myself happy”)
• Relax, concentrate – Try to relax. (Not “relax yourself”)

Exception: You can add reflexive pronouns to these verbs for emphasis: “I dressed myself despite my injury.”

Comparison:

• Reflexive: They looked at themselves in the mirror. (Each person looked at their own reflection)
• Reciprocal: They looked at each other. (Person A looked at Person B, and Person B looked at Person A)

1. Ask “Who receives the action?” – If the answer is the same as the subject, use a reflexive pronoun.
2. Try removing the pronoun – If the sentence still makes sense, it’s probably intensive (for emphasis). If not, it’s reflexive (necessary).
3. Match the pronoun to the subject – Always ensure the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject in person and number.
4. Practice with common expressions – Learn fixed phrases like “enjoy yourself” and “help yourself” as complete units.
5. Listen to native speakers – Pay attention to when reflexive pronouns are used in movies, podcasts, and conversations.
6. Write practice sentences – Create your own examples using each reflexive pronoun to reinforce learning.

• Believe in yourself, and others will too.
• She challenged herself to learn a new skill every month.
• They pushed themselves beyond their comfort zone.

• I made myself breakfast this morning.
• The children entertained themselves with board games.
• He reminded himself to call his mother.

• Please introduce yourself to the team.
• The CEO himself approved the project.
• We need to hold ourselves accountable for results.

Remember These Key Points:

• Use reflexive pronouns when the subject and object are the same person or thing
• The eight reflexive pronouns are: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
• Reflexive pronouns can also be used for emphasis (intensive function)
• Never use reflexive pronouns as subjects of sentences
• Match the reflexive pronoun to the subject in person and number
• Many common English expressions use reflexive pronouns idiomatically
• Some verbs don’t require reflexive pronouns even when the action affects the subject

💡 Pro Tip: When in doubt, ask yourself: “Is the person doing the action also receiving it?” If yes, use a reflexive pronoun. If no, use a regular object pronoun.