What are reflexive and intensive

pronouns?

Grammar Toolkit

Reflexive and intensive pronouns

Grammar Toolkit

Reflexive and intensive pronouns

A reflexive pronoun “reflects” back to the noun or pronoun that is the

subject of the sentence.

did this myself.

burnt himself.

blamed ourselves for the mess.

won’t clean up itself.

I

Raoul

We

The mess

What are the reflexive pronouns and the subjects they reflect in these sentences? Notice

how the reflexive pronoun changes depending on the case, gender and number of the subject.

We paddled by ourselves.

Hannah accidentally cut herself.

As it ate, the sea cucumber turned itself inside out.

You ran yourself ragged, didn’t you?

The first two race finishers gave themselves pats on the back.

Grammar Toolkit

Reflexive and intensive pronouns

Grammar Toolkit

Reflexive and intensive pronouns

The same pronouns can be used as intensive pronouns, to emphasise the subject of the sentence. Intensive pronouns make a sentence more forceful.

I burned the papers myself.

The Prime Minister herself spoke at the ceremony.

You must be able to tie the knots yourselves.

Lucas himself led the project.

Heather and the rest of her family built the stone

wall themselves.

Grammar Toolkit

Reflexive and intensive pronouns

• A pronoun stands in place of a noun. • A reflexive pronoun refers to (or “reflects”

back to) the noun or pronoun that is the subject of the sentence.

• The same pronouns are also intensive pronouns, which emphasise a noun or another pronoun in a sentence.

• In the following sentence, the reflexive pronoun is red and the intensive pronoun is blue. The King himself said, “I will crown myself!”

Grammar Toolkit

Reflexive and intensive pronouns

The End