5. reflective pronouns.ppt

The Grammar Business © 2001 Glenrothes College

The Grammar BusinessThe Grammar BusinessPart TwoPart Two

5. Reflexive pronouns:

when not to use them

2The Grammar Business © 2001 Glenrothes College

Reflexive pronouns areReflexive pronouns are

• myself

• yourself

• himself/herself

• itself

• yourselves

• ourselves

• themselves


They refer back to the They refer back to the subjectsubject of of the sentencethe sentence

• I am not so sure myself.• She herself has no idea who her father is.• He dressed himself carefully.• We didn’t arrive ourselves until much, much

later.• You think I’m beautiful? You’re beautiful

yourself.


Common errorCommon error

• Using the reflexive pronoun instead of the personal pronoun as the object of the sentence

• e.g. He gave it to myself

• Which should be “He gave it to me.”


So it’s wrong to saySo it’s wrong to say

• Jane was very sure of myself• It doesn’t make sense.

• Jane can be sure of herself, but not of myself.

• The reflexive pronoun has to agree with the subject of the sentence, which in this case, is Jane.


It It is is correct to saycorrect to say

• Jane was very sure of herself - and very sure of me.

• She was fooling herself actually, but she wasn’t fooling me.

• That’s what I told myself at the time.• Later, it transpired that we had both, to some

extent, been deceiving ourselves.


And it is correct to sayAnd it is correct to say

• My friend and I went out on Saturday.

But not

• My friend and myself went out on Saturday.


What’s wrong with this one?What’s wrong with this one?

• He gave a cheque to her and to myself.


It should beIt should be

• He gave a cheque to her and to me.


Correct the following sentences, then Correct the following sentences, then compare what you’ve got with the compare what you’ve got with the

answers on the next slideanswers on the next slide• He hit her, but neither myself, nor Jeremy.• The Prime Minister has informed myself of

the seriousness of the situation.• The slug has slimed itself and myself too.• The King and myself are delighted to meet

yourselves.• He has informed himself but not yourselves of

the situation.


Answers belowAnswers below

• He hit her, but neither me, nor Jeremy.• The Prime Minister has informed me of the

seriousness of the situation.• The slug has slimed itself and me too.• The King and I are delighted to meet you.• He has informed himself but not you of the

situation.


Health warning:Health warning:

• grammatical rules tend to change through common usage

• in speech, it is becoming more common to use the reflexive pronoun (myself) instead of the personal pronoun (me) to add emphasis

• so• you may well hear: “The offer was extended to

myself.”• but don’t write it!


If this still confuses youIf this still confuses you

• try the exercise on Handout Five– (go on yoursel’ son!)

5. reflective pronouns.ppt

Documents