Reflexive and Other Pronouns — English Grammar Exercises
myself, yourself, themselves — plus when NOT to use them, emphatic use, and impersonal you/they/one.
Reflexive Pronouns in English: Quick Reference Guide
Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) are deceptively simple in form but surprisingly tricky in usage. The Cambridge Learner Corpus — a database of over 2 billion words of real student writing — shows that reflexive pronoun errors appear in approximately 12% of B1-B2 writing samples. The most common mistake is overuse: learners add reflexive pronouns where English doesn't need them, influenced by their native language (e.g., "I feel myself tired" instead of "I feel tired"). Research by Cambridge Assessment found that distinguishing reflexive from emphatic use causes errors in over 25% of B2 candidates. The phrase "by myself" (meaning "alone") is confused with reflexive "myself" by nearly 1 in 3 intermediate learners. These 60 exercises cover reflexive basics, emphatic use, "by myself" patterns, and impersonal pronouns you/they/one.
Reflexive Pronoun Forms
Each personal pronoun has a matching reflexive form:
he → himself | she → herself | it → itself
we → ourselves | they → themselves (never "theirselves")
Reflexive vs Emphatic Use
Reflexive = subject and object are the same person (required):
Emphatic = "personally / without help" (optional, adds emphasis):
I repaired the car myself. (= without help)
By Myself = Alone
I prefer to study by myself. (= on my own)
When NOT to Use Reflexive Pronouns
Many verbs that are reflexive in other languages are not reflexive in English:
- feel, relax, concentrate, complain, meet — no reflexive needed
- wash, dress, shave — reflexive only when emphasizing ("He dressed himself" = unusual emphasis)
- After prepositions of place: "She had a bag with her" (not "with herself")
Common Mistakes
✗ The kids should be proud of theirselves. → ✓ The kids should be proud of themselves.
✗ I feel myself tired today. → ✓ I feel tired today.
✗ We need to concentrate ourselves on this. → ✓ We need to concentrate on this.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do you use reflexive pronouns in English?
Use reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) when the subject and object of a verb are the same person: 'She cut herself while cooking' (she = the person who cut and the person who was cut). Also use them after prepositions when referring back to the subject: 'He was talking to himself.' Common verbs with reflexives: enjoy yourself, help yourself, hurt yourself, introduce yourself, teach yourself.
What is the difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns?
Reflexive pronouns are objects that refer back to the subject: 'I hurt myself.' Emphatic (intensive) pronouns use the same forms but add emphasis, meaning 'personally' or 'without help': 'I fixed the car myself' (= I personally did it, nobody helped). The key test: if you can remove the pronoun and the sentence still makes grammatical sense, it's emphatic. 'I fixed the car' works; 'I hurt' (without 'myself') doesn't.
What does 'by myself' mean and how is it different from 'myself'?
'By myself' means 'alone' or 'without anyone else': 'I live by myself' (= I live alone). This is different from the reflexive use: 'I taught myself piano' (= I was both teacher and student). Compare: 'She went to the cinema by herself' (alone, no company) vs 'She enjoyed herself at the cinema' (reflexive — she had a good time). 'On my own' has the same meaning as 'by myself'.
When should you NOT use a reflexive pronoun in English?
Many verbs that are reflexive in other languages do NOT use reflexive pronouns in English. Common examples: feel (not 'feel myself'), relax (not 'relax myself'), meet (not 'meet ourselves'), concentrate (not 'concentrate myself'), complain (not 'complain myself'), wash/dress/shave (usually no reflexive unless emphasizing). Also, after prepositions of place, use object pronouns: 'She had a bag with her' (not 'with herself').