What is a Reflexive Pronoun?

S2-SA1-0063

Grade Level:

Class 1

NLP, Law, History, Social Sciences, Literature, Journalism, Communication

Definition

What is it?

A reflexive pronoun is a special type of pronoun that ends in '-self' (singular) or '-selves' (plural). It is used when the subject of a sentence performs an action on itself. Think of it like looking in a mirror – the action 'reflects' back to the person doing it.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you are making a chai for yourself. You would say, 'I made chai for myself.' Here, 'myself' is the reflexive pronoun because 'I' (the subject) is doing the action (making chai) for 'I' (the same person).

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's look at the sentence: 'She bought a new book.'
---Step 1: Identify the subject. The subject is 'She'.
---Step 2: Identify the action. The action is 'bought'.
---Step 3: Who is the action being done to? The action is being done to 'a new book'. This is not the same as 'She'. So, this is NOT a reflexive pronoun situation.
---Now consider: 'She taught herself to code.'
---Step 1: Identify the subject. The subject is 'She'.
---Step 2: Identify the action. The action is 'taught'.
---Step 3: Who is the action being done to? The action is being done to 'herself'. Is 'herself' the same person as 'She'? Yes, it is! So, 'herself' is a reflexive pronoun.
---Answer: 'Herself' is a reflexive pronoun because the subject 'She' is performing the action 'taught' on herself.

Why It Matters

Understanding reflexive pronouns helps you write and speak clearly, making your sentences easy to understand. This skill is important for writers, journalists, and even lawyers who need to be precise in their language. Good communication is key in almost every job!

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Using 'hisself' instead of 'himself'. | CORRECTION: There is no word 'hisself'. Always use 'himself' for a male subject.

MISTAKE: Using 'myself' when 'me' or 'I' is correct, like 'My friend and myself went to the market.' | CORRECTION: Use 'My friend and I went to the market.' 'Myself' is only used when 'I' is the subject doing an action to 'I'.

MISTAKE: Using 'ourself' instead of 'ourselves'. | CORRECTION: 'Ourself' is incorrect. When the subject is plural (like 'we'), the reflexive pronoun must also be plural: 'ourselves'.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Fill in the blank: 'The cat licked ____ clean.' | ANSWER: itself

QUESTION: Choose the correct reflexive pronoun: 'We enjoyed (ourself / ourselves) at the wedding.' | ANSWER: ourselves

QUESTION: Rewrite the sentence using a reflexive pronoun: 'Ravi hurt Ravi while playing cricket.' | ANSWER: Ravi hurt himself while playing cricket.

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which sentence correctly uses a reflexive pronoun?

He gave the book to myself.

They baked the cake themselves.

She and myself went to the cinema.

The teacher taught we how to draw.

The Correct Answer Is:

Option B is correct because 'themselves' refers back to the subject 'They', indicating they performed the action on their own. The other options use reflexive pronouns incorrectly instead of objective or subjective pronouns.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you use voice assistants like Google Assistant or Alexa, they process your language to understand who is doing what. If you say, 'I need to remind myself to pay the electricity bill,' the assistant understands 'myself' means you want the reminder for you, the speaker. This shows how important understanding pronouns is for technology!

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

PRONOUN: A word that takes the place of a noun, like 'he', 'she', 'it' | SUBJECT: The person or thing performing the action in a sentence | ACTION: What the subject is doing, usually a verb | SINGULAR: Referring to one person or thing | PLURAL: Referring to more than one person or thing

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Great job learning about reflexive pronouns! Next, you can explore 'Intensive Pronouns'. They look exactly like reflexive pronouns but are used differently to add emphasis. You'll see how knowing one helps you understand the other!