myself, yourself, yourself, yourself, yourself, yourself, yourselves, yourself
Reflexive pronouns ( ReflexivePronouns ) - these are already known to us possessive pronouns Your, Her, My, Him, Our, Them, It, to which the ending is added self- singular / selves- in plural. Pronouns emphasize the reflexivity of an action, when the subject and the complement act as the same unit, be it an object or a subject. The Russian language also has such a concept as “category of recurrence.” It is expressed by the suffix -sya (-s), for example: smile, ride, have fun, study, study, etc. Table of reflexive pronouns.
As the table shows, reflexive pronouns are a symbiosis of possessive and personal pronouns.
Most verbs go very often with reflexive pronouns. The ending self / selves will be the ending -sya / -sya when translated.
She hated herself for showing cruelty to these people. “She hated herself for being so cruel to these people.”
He was not accurate, and cut himself with scissors. - He was not careful and cut himself with scissors.
Mary can not take part in the Olympics because she hurt herself. - Mary will not be able to take part in the Olympics because she was seriously hurt.
The children cleaned themselves in their rooms. - The children (cleaned up) cleaned their rooms themselves.
Not all verbs require the obligatory use of reflexive pronouns; in some cases they may not be used, especially when the process is directed towards oneself: shaving, combing one’s hair, waking up, doing (business), exercising, etc.
A heavy rain poured down, and Jack ran to the old oak tree to hide from the cold wind and streams of water. - It began to pour heavily, and Jack ran to the old oak tree to hide from the cold wind and streams of water.
As soon as they woke up, they immediately ran to wash , because Uncle John was waiting for them already on the street. - As soon as they woke up, they immediately ran to wash, because Uncle John was already waiting for them on the street
When I visit my grandmother, the first thing I do is to bathe in the pond next to the house. - When I come to visit my grandmother, the first thing I do is run to swim in the pond, which is next to the house.
Exception: to dry oneself - to dry oneself, to dry oneself
Her hair was still slightly damp, as she did not have time to dry herself. - Her hair was still slightly damp, as she had not had time to dry it.
It should be noted that there are verbs that require reflexive pronouns after themselves (also known as reflexive verbs), but do not show the process of reflexivity. These include: to content oneself - to be content, to commit oneself - to commit, to busy oneself - to do, to avail oneself - to use, etc.
The guys were enjoying at the party, but soon the club closed and everyone went home. - The guys were having fun at the party, but soon the club closed and everyone went home.
The working day was hard and they decided to kid themselves to a delicious dessert. The work day turned out to be hard and they decided to indulge in a delicious dessert.
Reflexive Pronouns - used after verbal units, are analogues of Russian reflexive pronouns: soboi (sebe, sebya).
She made herself fresh orange juice. - She made herself some fresh orange juice.
You must always try to control yourself. - You should always try to control yourself.
It should be noted that the pronoun se, (yourself, by yourself) in Russian corresponds to the English meaning herself, myself, themselves, etc. only in those moments when it is allowed to use the word sam (by yourself, by yourself, by yourself, by yourself) before it.
I never cook breakfast for myself. - I never cook breakfast for myself. (to myself)
But, if it is not possible to use the word “himself” in this way, then in the English version the reflexive pronouns are replaced by personal ones.
My sister took me for the first time to the exhibition of wax figures with her. - My sister took me to a wax exhibition for the first time.
My sister took me for the first time to the exhibition of wax figures with herself. - wrong option.
The main thing to remember is that Reflexive Pronouns are necessary in English speech in order to emphasize the meaning of a noun expressing an object/subject. These pronouns are similar to the Russian version - samo (sami, sama, sam).
For my birthday, I"ll make a cake myself. - For my birthday, I will make a cake myself.
She herself made a report on biology. - She herself gave a report on biology.
We decided to congratulate the veterans on the Victory Day ourselves. - We decided to congratulate the veterans on Victory Day ourselves.
In these examples it is clear that reflexive pronouns can be placed both at the end of a sentence and after the word that is emphasized, strengthening its meaning.
About reflexive pronouns in English speech comes when personal and possessive pronouns have already been studied. The forms of these pronouns are familiar, their place in the sentence and translation are clear. Based on a personal/possessive pronoun, you can create a reflexive pronoun; examples of their forms in singular and plural are in the table:
|
Singular |
Plural |
||
|
Reflexive pronoun |
Personal/possessive pronoun |
Reflexive pronoun |
|
|
I ,me/my |
My self |
We, us/our |
Our selves |
|
You/your |
Your self |
You /your |
Your selves |
|
He, him/his She, her/her It/its |
Him self Her self It self |
They, them/their |
Them selves |
As you can see, the first part of the reflexive pronouns repeats the forms of personal or possessive pronouns. In addition, this is the rare case when the 2nd person pronoun differs in number, so be careful when choosing yourselves or yourself.
The common part for singular reflexive pronouns is -self, for plural (according to all plural rules) -selves. As part of reflexive pronouns, these suffixes mean “oneself”, “himself”, and correspond to the Russian “-sya”.
In English the word self exists independently, with the translation “personality, essence”, and can also appear at the beginning of a word as a prefix with the meaning “self-” (for example, self-employed - self-employed).
Reflexive pronouns(self-pronouns) - this is what reflexive pronouns are called in English; they are used in cases where it is necessary to indicate the return of an action to oneself. A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that “reflects” an action to its performer.
Look at yourself, where have you got this shabby hat? - Look at yourself, where did you get this shabby hat?
Have they found the wallet themselves? - Did they find the wallet themselves?
There is also another reflexive pronoun - oneself. It applies to all persons and is used in situations where it is unknown (or unimportant) who is acting.
This desk is easy to assemble by oneself. - This table is easy to assemble yourself.
Reflexive pronouns - when to use
Generally speaking, there are only two cases of using reflexive pronouns.
1. The action is directed at the actor himself.
That man hasn’t even introduced himself. - That man didn’t even introduce himself.
2. In the case where the independence of performing an action is emphasized.
In such sentences, a reflexive pronoun can take place:
After the subject
The workers themselves carried away all the demolition waste. - The workers themselves took out all the construction waste.
After the subject to which the “independent” action is directed, at the end of the sentence
Don’t put the blouse into the washing machine, I’ll wash it myself. - Don't put your blouse in washing machine, I'll wash it myself.
To say that a person does some action without outside help (alone), the preposition by can be used before the reflexive pronoun.
Does Nicky really stay in the house in the evening by herself? - Does Niki really stay in the house alone in the evening?
I doubt that Dustin will ever marry - he is used to living by himself. - I doubt Dustin will ever get married - he's used to living alone.
Reflexive pronouns - members of a sentence
As already mentioned, reflexive pronouns are used when an action (predicate) is directed at a person or thing (subject).
In a sentence, the reflexive pronoun can be different parts of the sentence.
Addition
Direct object
Lima clearly saw herself in the shop window. - Lima clearly saw herself in the store window.
Indirect addition
Lima brought herself two cupcakes from the tuckshop. - Lima brought herself two cupcakes from the buffet.
Prepositional complement
Lima looked at herself in the make-up mirror and sighed. - Lima looked at herself in the mirror and sighed.
Circumstance
I’m sorry, but this time Lima will have to make a decision herself. “I’m sorry, but this time Lima will have to make the decision herself.”
Part of the predicate
Lima was beyond herself with rage. - Lima was beside herself with rage.
Definition
Praga is an amazing place. It seems we’ve left a part of ourselves there. - Prague is an amazing place. It seems we left a piece of ourselves there.
Reflexive pronouns - when not to use
Armed with the knowledge of reflexive pronouns, the rule of formation of which is quite simple, you can accidentally fall into the “trap” of Russian-English translation. A few words and expressions in combination with which reflexive pronouns cannot be used must be remembered. A sentence with a reflexive pronoun in these cases will be incorrect, although in the Russian version there is the word “self” or the suffix -sya on verbs.
Do not use reflexive pronouns with verbs denoting daily actions to put oneself in order - wash, shave, dress (wash, shave, dress).
Although they are reflexive and directed in meaning towards oneself, they are not combined with reflexive pronouns. Exceptions are situations when these actions are performed with effort, when it is difficult for a person to do them without outside help (usually we are talking about the sick, the elderly, children).
Compare:
Lima dressed quickly and rushed out of the room. - Lima quickly got dressed and rushed out of the room.
I’m afraid, the children can’t wash themselves. - I'm afraid the children won't be able to wash themselves.
The expression feel (feel) yourself, the verbs relax (relax), concentrate (concentrate), hurry (hurry), meet (meet) also, despite their reflexivity, do not need reflexive pronouns.
Don’t be so stressed out, feel at home. - Don't be so tense, feel at home.
To learn how to confidently use reflexive pronouns in English, we recommend doing the exercises. You can find exercises for reflexive pronouns on our website by following the link or searching by request reflexive pronouns exercises on the Internet.
Another group of pronouns are reflexive pronouns in English (reflexive pronouns / self-pronouns). These pronouns have the following forms:
I – myself(myself)
You – yourself(you yourself)
He – himself(himself)
She – herself(herself)
It – itself(itself)
We – ourselves(ourselves)
You – yourselves(yourself)
They – themselves(themselves)
One – oneself(myself)
Reflexive pronouns in English are called that because they serve to express the category of reflexivity. And we observe recurrence in the case when they are the same person (subject) in the sentence. The recurrence category can also express the meaning of the mutual action of two or more producers. In Russian, we convey reflexivity using -sya (-с): to dress, cut, put on makeup, kiss, etc. In English, the same category can be conveyed using:
- V ( to come upstairs– raise Xia up, to part– part Xia, to dress- dress Xia, etc.);
- verb in ( This house is being built at the moment. - The house is currently being built Xia);
- constructions “verb + reflexive pronoun” ( help yourself- treat Xia);
- or a stable combination ( to come back– return Xia, to give up- hand over Xia, can't help doing something– I can’t stop myself from doing something).
The use of reflexive pronouns in English
In a sentence, reflexive pronouns in English can perform the function of not one member of the sentence, but several: direct or indirect object, predicative, manner of action. For example:
She has cut herself. - She cut herself. (direct object)
I work for myself. – I work for myself. (indirect addition)
They will solve their problems themselves. “They will solve their problems themselves.” (circumstance)
You arenotquiteyourself today. – You are not yourself today (not at ease). (predicative)
How can we confront the dark parts of ourselves? – How can we confront our dark sides? (definition)
In what cases do we resort to using reflexive pronouns in English? We use them:
- With some verbs, when the subject and object of the verb represent the same person: behave- behave, burn- get burned, cut- cut yourself, enjoy- have fun, hurt- get hurt, introduce- introduce yourself, look at- look at, teach– learn, etc.
Will you introduceyourself, young man? – Will you introduce yourself, young man?
Be careful, you can hurtyourself! - Be careful, you might get hurt!
The party was great. We enjoyed ourselves very much. – The party was wonderful. We had a lot of fun.
I'm trying toteachmyself English. – I'm trying to learn English.
But, take note that we do not use reflexive pronouns after a place.
He closed the door behind him. – He closed the door behind him.
She had a suitcase besideher. “She had a suitcase next to her.”
- With an excuse by, when the expression means “oneself”, “one”. There are two points here: an expression with a preposition by and a reflexive pronoun may imply that someone is performing some action alone, without company or accompaniment. In this case, such an expression will be the phrase on one's own(on my own, on my own). And the second meaning is a combination of the preposition by with a reflexive pronoun can mean that someone does something independently, without anyone's help.
She likes living by herself(= on her own) . – She likes to live alone. (without anyone)
Are you going on holiday by yourself?(= on your own) – Are you going to go on vacation alone? (alone, without company)
Can he do it byhimself? – Can he do it himself? (without anyone's help)
Jane and Carol can't lift the piano by themselves. Jane and Carol can’t lift the piano themselves. (without anyone's help)
- In expressions such as: enjoy yourself(have fun) behave yourself(behave decently) help yourself(treat yourself) find oneself(to find myself) amuse oneself(have fun) do it yourself(do it yourself) pinch oneself(deny yourself something) take care of yourself(to take care of someone) and others.
The sick man can't takecareofhimself. – A sick man cannot take care of himself.
Makeyourself comfortable and comfortable helpyourself to the cake. – Make yourself comfortable (make yourself at home) and help yourself to some cake.
I found myself alone in a strange city. “I found myself alone in an unfamiliar city.
Collect yourself, you are a man! - Pull yourself together, you are a man!
- To enhance the meaning of the subject or object in a sentence.
I myself baked the cake. - I herself baked a pie.
He said it himself. - He myself said it.
The book itself wasn't very interesting. – Herself the book was not interesting.
The composer himself conducted the orchestra. – Composer myself(personally) conducted the orchestra.
We usually do not use reflexive pronouns after the following verbs in English: to dress- dress, to hide- hide, to wash– wash, to bathe- swim, to shave- shave. But, if we want to show that a person himself did something, or made an effort to do something, we can add these pronouns.
Hide behind the wall. - Hide behind the wall.
She likes to bathe in the lake. – She likes to swim in the lake.
I had a broken finger, but I managed to dress myself. “My finger was broken, but I was able to dress myself.
The exception is the verb to dry(dry, wipe off). It is always used with a reflexive pronoun - to dry oneself:
She quickly driedherself and dressed in the silk nightgown. “She quickly dried herself off and put on a silk nightgown.
Remember! Reflexive pronouns in English should not be used after verbs to feel(feel), to concentrate(concentrate) to relax(relax) to meet(meet) to kiss– kiss (and with other Russian verbs that express the meaning of mutual action). Also they are not used in the expression to take / to bring something with(take with you, bring with you).
I feel good! – I feel good! (we don’t say I feel good myself)
We shall meet later. - We'll meet later. (we don’t say We shall meet ourselves later)
When I leave, I will take this bag with me. – When I leave, I will take this bag with me. (we don’t say I will take this bag with myself)
There are two more small nuances regarding reflexive pronouns in English that you should pay attention to, as they will help you understand the meanings and avoid making mistakes in the future.
- We know that the reflexive pronouns in English correspond to the reflexive pronouns in Russian “self”, “sebe”, “self”, “about yourself”, etc. In English this can lead to a little confusion. To know exactly whether to use a reflexive or personal pronoun in a certain case, mentally substitute the word “himself” in the sentence. For example:
I bought myself a new car. – I bought myself a new car. (I bought it for myself)
Look at yourself! - Look at yourself. (to herself)
If we cannot substitute the word “himself” for its meaning, we use a personal pronoun in the objective case:
She put a pile of papers before her.“She put a stack of papers in front of her.
I would like to take you with me.- I would like to take you with me.
- Please note the difference in values: selves And each other.
Mother and father stand in front of the mirror and look at themselves. – Mom and dad stand in front of the mirror and look at themselves. (= dad and mom look at dad and mom – reflections in the mirrors)
Mother looks at father and father looks at mother. They look at eachother. - Mom looks at dad, dad looks at mom. They look at each other. (= they look at each other)
These are the simultaneously simple and sometimes complex reflexive pronouns in English .
This topic is closely related to others described in the articles that you need to pay attention to:
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No matter how much teachers correct us, we still continue to speak English by analogy with Russian. One of typical mistakes: Incorrect use of reflexive pronouns. We try to insert the word myself wherever possible, forgetting that English is different from Russian. And on the other hand, we are perplexed why the reflexive pronoun is used in certain sentences. Today we will put an end to this misunderstanding, because I am going to tell you, dear readers, about all the nuances of using reflexive pronouns in English.
First of all, let's define the term. In English, reflexive pronouns are called Reflexive Pronouns. The name comes from the verb to reflect - to reflect. Reflexive pronouns show that the performer of the action and the object to which the action is directed are one and the same. These pronouns figuratively “reflect” the action and “return” it back to the performer.
Each personal pronoun has a reflexive that refers to it. All reflexive pronouns have the word self, but in the plural (we, you, they) in the word self the F changes to V and the ending ES is added:
| Personal Pronoun | Reflexive Pronoun |
| I | myself |
| You | yourself |
| He | himself |
| She | herself |
| It | itself |
| We | ourselves |
| You | yourselves |
| They | themselves |
Despite the fact that reflexive pronouns refer to different persons, they all have a translation that does not depend on the person: yourself, yourself, yourself. In Russian, we use these words, but more often we use verbs ending in -СЯ and -Сь. In Russian, these endings have the function of reflexive action. However, you should not rush and use the reflexive pronoun with words that have this ending in Russian.
Reflexive pronouns are used:
1. After transitive verbs that imply a reflexive action:
I bought myself a new dress. - I bought myself a new dress. (Who? -I. To whom? - to myself. Subject and object - the same person)
He taught himself to play the guitar. - He taught himself to play the guitar. (He taught himself)
We wrote ourselves positive references. - We wrote positive characteristics for ourselves. (We wrote about ourselves.)
Most often, reflexive pronouns can be found with verbs:
Amuse- have fun.
The party was so boring but he tried to amuse himself. - The party was boring, but he tried to entertain himself.
Blame- blame.
She blamed herself for what happened. - She blamed herself for what happened.
Burn- get burned.
Did you burn yourself when you were frying meat? - Did you get burned when you fried meat?
WITHcontent- be content.
As we don’t have much money we have to content ourselves with some cheap food. - Since we don’t have much money, we will have to be content with cheap food.
Convince- convince.
They were convincing themselves that everything would turn out well. “They convinced themselves that everything would end well.
WITHut- cut.
I cut myself when I was peeling the potatoes. - I cut myself while peeling potatoes.
Encourage- encourage.
He should encourage himself to compete. - He must be encouraged to compete.
Enjoy- have a good time.
We enjoyed ourselves at the party. - We had a good time at the party.
Hurt- get hurt.
He hurt himself while mending a car. - He hurt himself while repairing the car.
Introduce- introduce.
At first you should introduce yourself to the audience. - First, you should introduce yourself to the audience.
Kill- kill.
He is not crazy, he won’t kill himself. - He's not crazy, but he won't kill himself.
Look at- look at.
She was looking at herself in the mirror. - She looked at herself in the mirror.
2. There are also verbs that can be used with a reflexive pronoun, but in this case they change their meaning.
Here are some examples:
Apply oneself to something- devote yourself to your occupation, work hard.
He applied himself to this project. - He is working hard on this project.
Behave yourself- behave well.
The children behaved themselves which was surprising. - The children behaved well, which was unexpected.
Busy oneself with something- keep yourself busy.
I will be busy myself with cleaning at the weekend. - I'll keep myself busy cleaning this weekend.
Find oneself- turn out to be.
I found myself in a forest. - I found myself in the forest.
See oneself as- introduce yourself.
She sees herself as a singer. - She imagines that she is an actress.
After these verbs, object pronouns are never used (me, you, him, her, it, us, them).
3. After prepositions that are part of phrasal verbs and fixed expressions.
For example:
Take care of- take care.
H e is old enough to take care of himself. - He's old enough to take care of himself.
Look after- to look after.
We help people who can't look after themselves. - We help people who cannot look after themselves.
Be proud of- be proud.
I passed the test with highest grade, I’m really proud of myself. - I passed the test with the highest score. I'm very proud of myself.
Believe in- believe.
You should believe in yourself and not to give up. - You must believe in yourself and not give up.
Be pleased with- be satisfied.
He was pleased with himself after his speech. - He was pleased with himself after the performance.
4. With the preposition by: by myself, by himself, by yourselves etc.
Reflexive pronoun combined with a preposition by means: independently, alone, without anyone, without outside help and indicates the fact that the action is being performed alone, without help. With the same value you can use the expression on one's own: on my own, on his own, on your own.
I wrote this poem by myself /on my own. - I wrote this verse myself.
It can be dangerous if you go to the forest by yourself / on your own. - It could be dangerous if you go into the forest without anyone.
She cleaned everything by herself / on her own. - She washed everything without outside help.
They climbed the mountain by themselves / on their own. - They climbed the mountain on their own.
5. In certain stable combinations that are used in colloquial speech:
Help yourself!- Don't be shy! Help yourself!
Enjoy yourself!- Have fun!
Don't upset yourself!- Don't be upset!
I can’t hear myself speak!- It's so noisy here! You can go deaf!
Make yourself at home!- Make yourself at home!
Make oneself heard- shout to someone.
It was so noisy in the class that the teacher couldn't make herself heard. - It was so noisy in the class that the teacher could not shout to the students.
Make oneself understood- convey an idea, convey a thought to someone.
It was not easy to make myself understood as he didn’t know English. - It was difficult to convey my idea because he didn’t know English.
Make oneself cheap- behave unworthily.
She really made herself cheap when she offended the child. - She behaved unworthily when she offended the child.
Make yourself responsible- take responsibility.
John made himself responsible for the accident. - John took responsibility for the incident.
6. Reflexive pronouns are always used after the following verbs:
Avail (oneself of)- take advantage of an opportunity.
We availed ourselves of the chance to go abroad for free. - We took advantage of the opportunity to travel abroad for free.
Absent (oneself from)- to be absent, to be absent (the verb is pronounced [?b"sent]).
The students were allowed to absent themselves from the lecture. - Students were allowed to be absent from class.
Pride (oneself on)- be proud.
She prides herself on winning the first prize. - She is proud of herself after winning the first prize.
Reflexive pronouns are not used:
1. Never used after the following verbs:
Concentrate- concentrate.
I need to concentrate on the problem. - I need to focus on the problem.
Feel- feel.
I feel very tired today. - I feel tired today.
Meet- meet.
I meet my friends at the weekend. - I meet friends on the weekend.
Hurry- hurry.
I hurried because I didn't want to miss the last bus. - I was in a hurry because I didn't want to miss the last bus.
Relax- relax.
I want to relax at the beach. - I want to relax on the beach.
2. Usually reflexive pronouns are not used after verbs:
Wash- wash, wash
Dress- dress
Hide- hide
Shave- shave
He washed, shaved, dressed and was ready for work. - He washed, shaved, got dressed and was ready to work.
The children tried to hide. - The children tried to hide.
* Reflexive pronoun can be used with verbs dress, shave, wash to show that the action was performed with some effort, that it was not easy for a person to perform this action. You can often find it in relation to small children or sick, old people who do everything with difficulty.
Although she is very young she dresses herself. - Despite the fact that she is very small, she dresses herself.
His right arm was broken but he shaved himself. - His right arm was broken, but he shaved himself.
An old man is weak but can wash himself. - Grandfather is weak, but he can wash himself.
* With verb dry The reflexive pronoun is usually used:
She took a shower and dried herself with a towel. - She took a shower and dried herself with a towel.
3. Reflexive pronouns are not always used regarding inanimate objects, despite the fact that the subject and object are the same object:
The door opened. - The door opened. (The door opened itself.)
The products sold really well. - The products sold well. (The products sold themselves really well.)
But we can use itself when talking about animals or living organisms:
The dog saw itself in the mirror and barked. - The dog saw itself in the mirror and barked.
The wound healed itself. - The wound has healed.
The virus copies itself within a body. - Viruses multiply in the body.
4. Not used with prepositions places, and pretext with(denoted by C). Instead of reflexive pronouns, object pronouns are used:
I can see a wall in front of me. - I see a wall in front of me.
She didn't have any money with her. - She has no money with her.
They left the park behind them. - They left the park behind them.
Why don’t you ask a person next to you? - Why don't you ask the person sitting next to you?
Reflexive pronouns for emphasis and emphasis.
Reflexive pronouns are used to create a certain effect, emphasizing or highlighting something. In some manuals, reflexive pronouns, which are used for emphasis and reinforcement, are called emphatic pronouns (from the word emphasise - to give special meaning; to emphasize, to emphasize). Reflexive pronouns are used in this function:
1. With nouns to create a contrast effect.
In this case they translate "by itself":
The movie itself was quite interesting but the some actors were a bit unnatural. - The film itself is quite interesting, but some of the actors acted unnaturally.
The girl herself was pleasant but her boyfriend was rude. - The girl herself was nice, but her boyfriend was rude.
2. With pronouns, animate nouns and verbs. Used to create an effect and confirm the veracity of what is being said:
I heard it myself! - I heard it with my own ears!
She saw an UFO herself! - She saw a UFO with her own eyes!
3. With pronouns and nouns, when there is uncertainty and without a reflexive pronoun, we cannot determine who exactly performed the action. Translated as: in person, in person:
The President congratulated the veterans himself. - The President congratulated the veterans personally.
The managers introduced a new business strategy themselves. - Managers presented the new business strategy in person.
4. Itself is used in sentences like:
She was generosity herself! - She was generosity itself!
The children were angels themselves. - The children behaved angelically.
Itself emphasizes unnaturalness and pretense.
Themselves and each other/one another.
A lot of mistakes are made when the use of these two words is confused. Themselves - themselves, each other/one another - each other. Let's look at some illustrative examples:
They are blaming each other/one another. - They blame each other.
They are blaming themselves. - They blame (each) themselves.
They take care of each other. - They take care of each other.
They take care of themselves. - They each take care of themselves.
If you have any questions, ask, we will be happy to answer them!
Good luck in learning English!
Reflexive pronouns in English are denoted by the words => themselves, yourselves, yourself, yourself, yourself, yourself, etc. These pronouns are also known as reflexive pronouns or self-pronouns. Let's look at the features and rules for using reflexive pronouns, give vivid examples, and also study the table where all reflexive pronouns with translation are indicated.
Examples
Everything she wanted – to make better for herself => Everything she wanted to do better for her.
One has to count on oneself => A person must count on himself.
We had to cope with it ourselves => We must cope with it ourselves.
This is interesting! The name of reflexive pronouns is associated with their main function - to express the category of reflexivity, the belonging of an action to the one who performs this action. If you explain using examples of the Russian language, you need to use the suffix -xia=> put on makeup, put on clothes, put on shoes, cut yourself, etc.
Examples
Now I need to dress oneself => Now I need to get dressed.
I told her to make herself ready for this meeting => I told her to make herself ready for this meeting.
Don't give up yourself! => Don't give up! (Don't give up!)
Examples clearly show the main situational decisions. It is recommended to remember these phrases, since they are used quite often in different areas of a person’s life, both in a conversational environment and in official business. Knowing small constructions, you can correctly construct an entire sentence.
Using reflexive pronouns correctly
Let's look at when to use reflexive pronouns using examples. And remember that there are many exceptions to any rules, so be sure to study everything with examples. So, reflexive pronouns have their place in the sentence. Let's look at when to use reflexive pronouns using examples.
- Next to verbs, when both objects and subjects refer to the verb representing the same person.
Examples
Will you please be so kind to introduce yourself? => Could you please introduce yourself?
Don't touch it! You can burn yourself! => Don't touch it! You might get burned!
My brother is trying to teach himself Spanish => My brother is trying to learn Spanish.
- With the preposition by, which expresses the meaning ‘’one, myself’’. But... there are two points here:
- If the situation implies that someone performs some actions on his own, alone, then you can use a synonym (in English -> on one’s own = on your own, by yourself).
- In the combination ‘’reflexive pronoun + preposition by’’ the meaning can be such that a person performs the action independently, without any help.
Examples
I will try to do it by myself => I will try to do it myself (without outside help)
Are you going to spend a week on this island by yourself (on your own)? Take me with you! => Are you going to spend a week on this island alone? Take me with you!
- When there are expressions => behave yourself, amuse oneself, help yourself, find oneself, enjoy yourself, do it yourself, take care of oneself, pinch oneself
Suddenly I find myself looking straight at his eyes => Suddenly I realized (I found myself) that I was looking straight into his eyes,
But =>
I found myself alone in the broken car => I felt alone in the broken car.
Be so kind to make yourself comfortable and help yourself to the cookies => Be so kind to make yourself comfortable and help yourself to homemade cookies.
After the death of my relatives, I have to take care of myself => After the death of my relatives, I have to take care of myself.
Pay attention to how reflexive pronouns are used in English =>
We ourselves prepared the homework => We prepared the lessons ourselves.
I have coped with it myself => I coped with it myself.
The articles themselves weren’t capturing at all => The articles themselves weren’t exciting at all.
The meeting itself was really amazing! => The meeting itself was really very exciting.
By doing exercises regularly, you will quickly understand the difference.
Reflexive pronouns in English
Reflexive pronouns cope with the role of not one member of a sentence, but several.
Interesting offers with translation =>
He is being amusing himself => He is amusing himself => (direct object function)
Her brothers are not quite themselves today => Her brothers are not quite themselves today (as a predicative)
I will try to cope with my problems myself => I will try to cope with the problems myself (as a function of circumstances)
Her grandma works for herself => Her grandma works for herself (in the function of indirect object)
How could they show the dark part of themselves in front of her? => How could they show their dark sides to her? (in the definition function).
Note! Never neglect translation! It will help you better understand the rule and study it in detail! Translation is especially important for beginning students.
Let's sum it up
When learning English, reflexive pronouns should be high on your list of lessons. You will gain the image of a well-read and intelligent person in the eyes of your interlocutor if you express your thoughts correctly. Such pronouns are represented by a small group of words, so learning them is not difficult. Do exercises and enrich your knowledge.
Remember: a high mountain is conquered by those who confidently move forward step by step. Don't miss a single step or a single lesson. As they say, drop by drop. And one more thing - try to combine tasks: use reflexive and other pronouns in sentences. This way you can learn new things and repeat what you have already learned.
Reflexive pronouns in English - easy and simple!
We wish you pleasant communication and enjoyment of your knowledge! And we are always happy to help with this!
Good luck and see you again!
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