Reflexive Pronoun

A reflexive pronoun is a type of pronoun that is used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same. It reflects back to the subject and is necessary to the meaning of the sentence. Reflexive pronouns in English include “myself,” “yourself,” “himself,” “herself,” “itself,” “ourselves,” “yourselves,” and “themselves.” They are typically used for emphasis or to indicate that the action of the verb is performed by the subject on itself, such as in the sentence, “She taught herself to play the piano.”

What Is a Reflexive Pronoun?

A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that refers back to the subject of the sentence, indicating that the subject and the object are the same entity. These pronouns are essential for showing that the action of the verb is directed back towards the subject. Examples of reflexive pronouns in English include “myself,” “yourself,” “himself,” “herself,” “itself,” “ourselves,” “yourselves,” and “themselves.”

Examples of Reflexive Pronouns

1. Myself

• I taught myself to play the guitar.
• I made myself a sandwich.

2. Yourself

• You should be proud of yourself.
• Did you find yourself a good book to read?

3. Himself

• He injured himself while playing soccer.
• He made himself a cup of coffee.

4. Herself

• She bought herself a new dress.
• She prepared herself for the presentation.

5. Itself

• The cat groomed itself.
• The machine shut itself off.

6. Ourselves

• We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
• We taught ourselves the new software.

7. Yourselves

• You should take care of yourselves.
• Did you yourselves solve the problem?

8. Themselves

• They entertained themselves with games.
• They prepared themselves for the journey.

Reflexive Pronoun Sentences

1. I taught myself to cook.
2. She found herself lost in the city.
3. He introduced himself to the new neighbors.
4. We organized ourselves into teams.
5. They congratulated themselves on a job well done.
6. You should trust yourself more.
7. The dog injured itself while playing.
8. The children dressed themselves for school.
9. I made myself a cup of tea.
10. She blamed herself for the mistake.
11. He cut himself while shaving.
12. We prepared ourselves for the meeting.
13. They entertained themselves with board games.
14. You should give yourself a break.
15. The cat cleaned itself after eating.
16. I challenged myself to run a marathon.
17. She taught herself to speak Spanish.
18. He built himself a new desk.
19. We congratulated ourselves on our success.
20. They defended themselves against the accusations.
21. You should reward yourselves for the hard work.
22. The robot turned itself off.
23. I reminded myself to stay calm.
24. She treated herself to a spa day.
25. He prided himself on his achievements.
26. We introduced ourselves to the new classmates.
27. They asked themselves if they were ready.
28. You can find yourselves in a better place.
29. The bird preened itself in the sun.
30. I saw myself in the mirror and smiled.

Reflexive Pronoun Examples For class 4

Reflexive pronouns are pronouns that refer back to the subject of the sentence. They end in “-self” or “-selves.” Here are some examples to help Class 4 students understand reflexive pronouns better.

Singular Reflexive Pronouns

1. Myself
   • I made this cake myself.
   • I hurt myself while playing.
2. Yourself
   • Did you do your homework yourself?
   • Take care of yourself.
3. Himself
   • He cooked dinner himself.
   • He found himself lost in the park.
4. Herself
   • She painted the picture herself.
   • She taught herself to play the piano.
5. Itself
   • The cat cleaned itself.
   • The plant grows by itself.

Plural Reflexive Pronouns

1. Ourselves
   • We organized the event ourselves.
   • We can do this by ourselves.
2. Yourselves
   • Did you and your friends build this treehouse yourselves?
   • You should enjoy yourselves at the party.
3. Themselves
   • They prepared the meal themselves.
   • They found themselves in a difficult.

Summary Table

Subject Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun
I	Myself
You	Yourself
He	Himself
She	Herself
It	Itself
We	Ourselves
You (plural)	Yourselves
They	Themselves

List of Reflexive Pronoun Examples

1. She looked at herself in the mirror.
2. He made himself a sandwich.
3. The cat cleaned itself.
4. We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
5. You should be proud of yourself.
6. They introduced themselves.
7. I taught myself to play the guitar.
8. She prided herself on her accomplishments.
9. He blamed himself for the mistake.The dog hurt itself.
10. We can solve this problem ourselves.
11. You must believe in yourselves.
12. They prepared themselves for the test.
13. I found myself lost in thought.
14. She dressed herself quickly.
15. He congratulated himself on his promotion.
16. The company prides itself on quality.
17. We entertained ourselves with games.
18. You should take care of yourself.
19. They kept to themselves at the event.
20. I challenged myself to run a marathon.
21. She talked to herself while working.
22. He kept himself busy with work.
23. The organization adapted itself to changes.
24. We cooked dinner ourselves.
25. You should trust yourself more.
26. They protected themselves from the rain.
27. I reminded myself of the meeting.
28. She comforted herself with a book.
29. He enjoyed himself at the concert.
30. The bird preened itself.
31. We congratulated ourselves on our success.
32. You can do it yourself.
33. They entertained themselves with movies.
34. I kept myself hydrated.
35. She cut herself while cooking.
36. He introduced himself to the group.
37. The machine turned itself off.
38. We managed ourselves well.
39. You should be honest with yourselves.
40. They kept themselves informed.
41. I found myself a new hobby.
42. She lost herself in the music.
43. He pushed himself to the limit.
44. The book itself is fascinating.
45. We took care of ourselves.
46. You must take pride in yourselves.
47. They isolated themselves from the group.
48. I surprised myself with the results.
49. She excused herself from the table.
50. He prided himself on his skills.

Reflexive Pronoun Direct object Examples

1. She taught herself to play the piano.
2. He prepared himself for the interview.
3. They treated themselves to a nice dinner.
4. I hurt myself while jogging.
5. You should take care of yourself.
6. The cat groomed itself thoroughly.
7. We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
8. He blamed himself for the mistake.
9. She introduced herself to the new neighbors.
10. They defended themselves against the accusations.

When to Use a Reflexive Pronoun?

Reflexive pronouns are an essential part of English grammar, adding emphasis and clarity to sentences. They are used in various contexts to reflect the subject of the sentence back to itself. Here are the main situations in which reflexive pronouns are appropriately used:

1. When the Subject and the Object are the Same

When the subject and the object of a verb are the same person or thing, a reflexive pronoun is used.

Examples:

• She taught herself to play the piano.
• He cut himself while cooking.

2. For Emphasis

Reflexive pronouns can be used to emphasize that the subject of the sentence is performing the action alone or without assistance.

Examples:

• I did it myself.
• They built the house themselves.

3. After Prepositions

Reflexive pronouns are used after prepositions when the preposition refers back to the subject of the clause.

Examples:

• She is very proud of herself.
• He was talking to himself.

4. In Phrasal Verbs

Some phrasal verbs require reflexive pronouns.

Examples:

• He perjured himself in court.
• She prides herself on her achievements.

5. In Fixed Expressions

Certain fixed expressions in English use reflexive pronouns.

Examples:

• Behave yourself!
• Make yourself at home.

Reflexive Pronouns Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct reflexive pronoun.

1. She looked at ______ in the mirror.
2. We made the cake ______.
3. They taught ______ to play the guitar.
4. I prepared ______ a cup of tea.
5. The cat cleaned ______.
6. He introduced ______ to the new neighbors.
7. You should believe in ______.
8. The robot can fix ______.

Exercise 2: Correct the Sentences

Identify and correct the mistakes in the following sentences.

1. She bought herself a new dress for himself.
2. We can do this ourselves self.
3. He blamed themselves for the mistake.
4. They enjoyed yourself at the party.
5. I cut himself while chopping vegetables.
6. The dog entertained itselfs with the toy.

Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Pronoun

Choose the correct reflexive pronoun to complete each sentence.

1. The children can dress (themselves/themself) for school.
2. You should take care of (yourself/yourselves) when you’re sick.
3. She taught (herself/itself) to play the piano.
4. He found (himself/themselves) in a difficult situation.
5. The plant can grow (itself/itselfs) without much water.

Exercise 4: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences to include a reflexive pronoun.

1. I completed the project alone.
2. Sarah baked the cookies.
3. The students organized the event.
4. You should fix the car.
5. We decorated the house.

Exercise 5: Match the Sentences

Match the sentence beginnings with the correct endings.

1. They enjoyed __________
   a. herself in the photo.
2. He introduced __________
   b. itself after a while.
3. She couldn’t believe __________
   c. themselves at the concert.
4. The computer reset __________
   d. ourselves a delicious meal.
5. We cooked __________
   e. himself to the audience.

Exercise 6: Reflexive Pronouns in Context

Read the following paragraph and fill in the blanks with the appropriate reflexive pronouns.

“Yesterday, I decided to treat ______ to a day off. I told my friends that they should enjoy ______ and not worry about work. My sister also needed some time for ______, so she took the afternoon off. We all found ______ relaxing at the park. Even the dog seemed to enjoy ______ as it ran around freely. It was a great day to remind ______ that it’s important to take care of ______.”

Answers

Exercise 1:

1. herself
2. ourselves
3. themselves
4. myself
5. itself
6. himself
7. yourself
8. itself

Exercise 2:

1. She bought herself a new dress.
2. We can do this ourselves.
3. He blamed himself for the mistake.
4. They enjoyed themselves at the party.
5. I cut myself while chopping vegetables.
6. The dog entertained itself with the toy.

Exercise 3:

1. themselves
2. yourself
3. herself
4. himself
5. itself

Exercise 4:

1. I completed the project by myself.
2. Sarah baked the cookies herself.
3. The students organized the event themselves.
4. You should fix the car yourself.
5. We decorated the house ourselves.

Exercise 5:

1. c
2. e
3. a
4. b
5. d

Exercise 6:

1. myself
2. themselves
3. herself
4. ourselves
5. itself
6. ourselves
7. ourselves

FAQs