Reflexive pronouns
Ang tuntunin
Reflexive pronouns indicate that the subject and object are the same person, or add emphasis meaning personally without help.
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the direct or indirect object of a verb refer to the exact same person or entity (the subject acts upon itself). Reflexive Pronoun Matrix: Singular: I → myself; You (one person) → yourself; He → himself; She → herself; It → itself. Plural: We → ourselves; You (multiple people) → yourselves; They → themselves. Three Primary Functions: (1) Reflexive Actions: The agent and recipient are identical: "She cut herself while slicing bread", "The toddler saw himself in the bathroom mirror", "He taught himself how to play the acoustic guitar". (2) Emphatic Pronouns (Intensification): Used immediately after a noun or at the end of a clause to emphasize that the person acted personally, without assistance or delegation: "The president herself signed the treaty", "I baked this fresh bread myself". (3) Idiomatic "By + Reflexive Pronoun": Signifies alone, unaccompanied, or without external help: "My elderly grandmother lives by herself", "Did you travel to Lisbon by yourself?".
Tandaan
- Reflexive forms: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
- Used when subject acts on itself: she looked at herself in the mirror, he cut himself.
- By followed by a reflexive pronoun means alone: she lives by herself, he travelled by himself.
Karaniwang Bitag na Dapat Iwasan
English routine grooming verbs are not reflexive: say I shaved and dressed, never I shaved myself and dressed myself.
Guía visual
How to read this A2 topic
At A2, the challenge is choosing between similar time frames, pronouns, and quantity patterns.
1. Look for the time clue
Yesterday, now, every day, already, and since often decide the tense.
I watched it yesterday.
2. Choose the pattern first
Pick the whole grammar structure before choosing the final word.
I am going to study.
3. Check word position
Adverbs, objects, and pronouns must sit in natural English order.
I know him well.
Pronoun forms
English pronouns change by grammatical job: subject, object, possession, or reflexive meaning.
| Person | Subject | Object | Possessive adjective | Reflexive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | I | me | my | myself |
| 2nd singular/plural | you | you | your | yourself / yourselves |
| 3rd singular | he / she / it | him / her / it | his / her / its | himself / herself / itself |
| 1st plural | we | us | our | ourselves |
| 3rd plural | they | them | their | themselves |
Decision path before answering
Use these checks before choosing between close options.
- 1Mark the subject, main verb, object, and any connector.
- 2Underline the time expression or discourse clue.
- 3Reject any option with the wrong agreement, tense, article, pronoun case, or word order.
- 4Read the whole sentence once more for naturalness and register.
Mga halimbawa
- 1Peter accidentally cut himself with the kitchen knife while slicing carrots.
- 2The little girl looked at herself in the mirror and smiled brightly.
- 3We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the outdoor community festival yesterday.
- 4Did you and your sister paint the entire bedroom walls by yourselves?
- 5The school headmaster himself handed the academic diplomas to the graduates.
- 6I taught myself how to program websites using online tutorial videos.
- 7The stray cat carefully washed itself while sitting on the warm windowsill.
- 8They organized the entire fundraising charity event all by themselves.
- 9Please make yourself comfortable in the living room while I prepare tea.
- 10He burned himself on the hot stove because he was not wearing oven mitts.
Mga eksepsiyon
Grooming Verbs are Not Reflexive in English: In many languages, routine self-care actions require reflexive pronouns. In standard English, verbs like wash, shave, dress, and relax are used intransitively without reflexive pronouns: say "I shaved and dressed quickly", NOT "I shaved myself and dressed myself". Contrast Reflexive vs. Reciprocal (Each Other): Reflexive means each person acts on their own body; each other means mutual exchange between two parties: "They looked at themselves in the mirror" vs. "They looked at each other and laughed".
Mga karaniwang mali
(1) Reflexives with grooming verbs: "I wash myself every morning." → "I wash every morning." (Routine grooming drops the reflexive pronoun). (2) Non-standard forms: "They finished it theirselves." → "They finished it themselves." (Standard English requires themselves). (3) Confusing ourselves and each other: "We helped ourselves." (each helped self) vs. "We helped each other." (mutual assistance).
Subukan ang sarili
Write three sentences about skills you learned by yourself and two about actions done personally, then practise.
Mga Kaugnay na Paksa sa Gramatika
Ipagpatuloy ang pagpapalawak ng iyong kaalaman sa iba pang paksa sa antas na ito.