Reflexive pronouns

Rules

• Rule 1: The action comes back to the subject

  When the person who does the action and the person it happens to are the same, use a reflexive pronoun.

  Pattern: subject + verb + -self / -selves (same person)

  Example: Emre looked at himself in the window.

  Example: Be careful! You'll burn yourself.

• Rule 2: “Without help”

  We also use them to show that someone did something with no help. by + reflexive = alone. For emphasis it can also come right after the subject: The teacher herself didn't know!

  Example: My sister fixed the lamp herself.

  Example: The twins walked to school by themselves.

• Rule 3: Useful phrases

  Some common phrases: enjoy yourself (have fun), help yourself (take some), hurt yourself, teach yourself.

  Example: Did you enjoy yourselves at the fair?

  Example: Please help yourself to some fruit.

• Rule 4: Different people → a normal object pronoun

  If the person who does the action and the person it happens to are different, don't use a reflexive: use me, you, him, her, us, them.

  Pattern: different people → me / him / her / us / them

  Example: Can you help me?

  Example: The coach told us to run.

Common mistakes

• He hurt hisself. → He hurt himself.

  There is no word hisself.

• They did it theirselves. → They did it themselves.

  There is no word theirselves.

• Children, help yourself! → Children, help yourselves!

  More than one person → yourselves.