Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of a clause, usually when the subject and an object identify the same person or thing. The main reflexive pronouns in English are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.
For example:
After missing an important deadline, Nadia blamed herself for the delay.
Herself refers back to Nadia. The person doing the blaming and the person being blamed are the same.
The same pronoun forms can also add emphasis or appear in expressions such as by myself. Their function depends on how they are used in a sentence.
Reflexive Pronouns List
Reflexive pronouns end in -self or -selves.
| Corresponding pronoun | Reflexive form |
|---|---|
| I | myself |
| You (singular) | yourself |
| He | himself |
| She | herself |
| It | itself |
| We | ourselves |
| You (plural) | yourselves |
| They | themselves |
| One | oneself |
Yourself refers to one person, while yourselves refers to more than one.
Before submitting the application, give yourself time to check the supporting documents.
Before the expedition begins, make sure you have prepared yourselves for the weather.
Oneself corresponds to the impersonal pronoun one. It is mainly used in formal or general statements.
One should allow oneself time to reconsider an important decision.
In standard written English, the established forms are himself and themselves, rather than dialectal forms such as hisself and theirselves.
Themselves vs. Themself
Themselves can refer to several people or to one person when they is used as a singular pronoun.
Every applicant should give themselves enough time to complete the assessment.
Themself is also used with singular they.
Ari reminded themself to bring the revised drawings.
Major style guides, including MLA, accept themself for singular reference, but some dictionaries and editorial styles still label it nonstandard or prefer themselves.
Themselves is the more established choice for both singular and plural reference. Themself is specifically used for a singular reference.
When to Use Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns commonly show that someone or something is involved in an action directed back toward themselves.
They can function as direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of prepositions.
As Direct Objects
During the rehearsal, the actor filmed herself to review her timing.
Herself is the direct object of filmed. The actor recorded herself.
Compare:
During the rehearsal, the actor filmed her to review her timing.
Here, her normally refers to another woman.
Changing the pronoun changes who was filmed.
Reflexive pronouns can also refer to things.
The security system resets itself after a power interruption.
Itself refers back to the security system.
As Indirect Objects
Some verbs can take both a direct object and an indirect object.
Rohan made himself a checklist before the inspection.
Himself is the indirect object of made. A checklist is the direct object.
We promised ourselves a proper break after the project ended.
Ourselves identifies the people who made and received the promise.
After Prepositions
A reflexive pronoun can follow a preposition when it refers back to the subject.
The hikers carried enough drinking water for themselves.
Themselves is the object of for and refers to the hikers.
Olivia was pleased with herself after completing the presentation.
Herself is the object of with and refers to Olivia.
However, referring back to the subject does not automatically require a reflexive pronoun after every preposition.
Compare:
Olivia brought an assistant with her.
Olivia was pleased with herself.
In the first sentence, with her expresses accompaniment. The ordinary object pronoun her is natural.
In the second, herself identifies the person Olivia felt pleased with.
English commonly uses ordinary object pronouns after prepositions expressing physical position or accompaniment.
Daniel placed the equipment beside him.
Elena brought her younger brother with her.
The meaning of the prepositional phrase helps determine which form is appropriate.
Reflexive Pronouns vs. Intensive Pronouns
Reflexive and intensive pronouns share the same forms, but their grammatical functions differ.
A reflexive pronoun functions as an object and refers back to the subject.
An intensive pronoun, also called an emphatic pronoun, adds emphasis to a person or thing.
Compare:
| Sentence | Function | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Mira prepared herself for the inspection. | Reflexive | Mira got herself ready for the inspection |
| Mira prepared the inspection report herself. | Intensive | Mira personally prepared the report |
| Mira prepared the inspection report by herself. | By + reflexive | Mira prepared the report without assistance |
In the first sentence, herself is the direct object of prepared.
In the second, herself emphasizes Mira’s personal involvement. It does not tell us whether anyone assisted her.
In the third, by herself indicates that Mira completed the work independently.
These meanings may overlap in some situations, but they are not interchangeable in every sentence.
How to Recognize an Intensive Pronoun
An intensive pronoun can appear immediately after the person or thing it emphasizes.
The architect himself presented the revised design.
It can also appear later in the clause.
The architect presented the revised design himself.
Both sentences emphasize that the architect personally made the presentation.
One useful check is to remove the pronoun.
The director herself answered the questions.
Without herself, the basic statement remains:
The director answered the questions.
The emphasis disappears, but the sentence is still grammatical.
This test is helpful, though it is not absolute. Some verbs also allow reflexive objects to be omitted.
Compare:
Priya dressed herself before the ceremony.
Priya dressed before the ceremony.
Both are grammatical. In the first, herself is a direct object. In the second, dressed is used without an object.
The important distinction is the pronoun’s function in the original sentence.
By Myself, By Yourself, and Similar Expressions
The construction by + reflexive pronoun commonly means alone or without help.
The researcher spent the evening by herself in the archive.
Here, by herself means nobody accompanied her.
The researcher catalogued the collection by herself.
In this sentence, the expression emphasizes that she completed the work without assistance.
Sometimes both interpretations are possible.
He completed the inspection by himself.
This might mean nobody accompanied him or that nobody helped him.
The surrounding context makes the intended meaning clearer.
Reflexive Pronouns vs. Reciprocal Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject, while reciprocal pronouns express mutual actions or relationships.
Compare:
The two actors blamed themselves for forgetting their lines.
The two actors blamed each other for forgetting their lines.
In the first sentence, the actors directed blame toward themselves.
In the second, each actor blamed the other.
The distinction is between an action directed back toward oneself and an action involving people acting toward one another.
When Not to Use Reflexive Pronouns
A reflexive pronoun is not always necessary when someone performs an action involving their own body or personal affairs.
It is also not a more formal substitute for an ordinary personal pronoun.
With Everyday Personal Actions
English often omits reflexive pronouns after verbs such as wash, shave, and dress when the meaning is already clear.
Priya washed and dressed before leaving for the interview.
Adding herself is unnecessary here.
A reflexive form becomes useful when the self-directed action needs to be made explicit.
Despite her injured wrist, Priya managed to dress herself.
Herself makes it clear that Priya could dress without someone else doing it for her.
Me vs. Myself
Compare:
Please send the meeting notes to me.
I sent the meeting notes to myself.
In the first sentence, me is appropriate because the understood subject is you, the person being asked to send the notes.
In the second, myself refers back to I, the subject of sent.
The same principle helps with compound objects.
Incorrect in standard edited English:
Please email the revised contract to Daniel or myself.
Correct:
Please email the revised contract to Daniel or me.
In this construction, myself does not refer back to a corresponding subject. Me is the appropriate ordinary object form.
When the Subject Is Understood
A reflexive pronoun can also refer to an understood subject.
Please introduce yourself before the presentation.
The subject you is understood, even though it is not written.
A reflexive pronoun may also refer to the understood subject of an infinitive clause.
The coach asked Maya to introduce herself.
Herself refers to Maya, the person expected to introduce herself. It does not refer to the coach.
This is why you need to identify the relevant clause rather than simply look for the nearest subject in the sentence.
Common Expressions with Reflexive Pronouns
Some everyday expressions use reflexive forms with meanings that are best understood as complete phrases.
Help yourself is an invitation to take or use something available.
There’s fresh fruit on the counter. Help yourself.
Enjoy yourself means to have a pleasant experience.
The visitors enjoyed themselves during the evening performance.
Behave yourself means to behave appropriately.
The children were reminded to behave themselves during the ceremony.
These expressions do not always describe a literal physical action directed back toward the subject, but their reflexive forms are part of normal English usage.
How to Identify Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns in Context
The same -self form can change a sentence’s meaning depending on whether it functions as an object or adds emphasis.
Compare these three statements:
The coordinator reminded herself to check the schedule.
The coordinator reminded her to check the schedule.
The coordinator herself checked the schedule.
Each describes a different situation.
| Expression | Pronoun function | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Reminded herself | Reflexive object | The coordinator gave herself the reminder |
| Reminded her | Personal object pronoun | The coordinator reminded another woman |
| Herself checked | Intensive pronoun | The coordinator personally checked the schedule |
In the first sentence, herself is the direct object of reminded and refers back to the coordinator.
In the second, her is the direct object, but it normally refers to a different woman.
In the third, herself emphasizes the coordinator. The direct object of checked is the schedule.
How to Check the Function
When an -self or -selves form appears in a sentence, identify the relevant verb and its subject.
Then consider what the pronoun is doing.
If it functions as an object referring back to that subject, it is being used reflexively.
If it emphasizes a person or thing without serving as an object, it is intensive.
If it appears in an expression such as by herself, consider whether the sentence means alone or without assistance.
This approach is more reliable than identifying the pronoun’s function from its spelling alone.
Check Your Understanding
Choose the correct pronoun or identify its function.
1. Choose the correct pronoun.
After noticing the error, the laboratory director reminded (her / herself) to check the equipment again.
The director was both the person giving and receiving the reminder.
2. Identify the function of himself.
The museum director himself welcomed the visiting researchers.
Is himself reflexive or intensive?
3. Choose the correct form.
Please send the revised figures to (me / myself) before the meeting.
4. Explain the difference.
Maya completed the analysis herself.
Maya completed the analysis by herself.
How does the meaning change?
5. Identify what herself refers to.
The supervisor asked Elena to introduce herself to the new employees.
Does herself refer to the supervisor or Elena?
6. Choose the appropriate expression.
The two musicians congratulated (themselves / each other) after performing together.
Each musician congratulated the other.
Answers
1. Herself
The laboratory director gave herself the reminder. Herself refers back to the subject.
2. Intensive
Himself emphasizes that the museum director personally welcomed the researchers. It is not an object of welcomed.
3. Me
The understood subject is you, the person being asked to send the figures. Me is the appropriate personal object pronoun.
4. Personal involvement and independence
In the first sentence, herself emphasizes that Maya personally completed the analysis. This does not necessarily mean she worked without assistance.
In the second, by herself indicates that she completed the work without help.
5. Elena
Herself refers to Elena, who is understood to be the person introducing herself.
6. Each other
The musicians congratulated one another. Each other expresses a mutual action between two people.
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