REFLEXIVE AND RECIPROCAL PRONOUNSREFLEXIVE AND RECIPROCAL PRONOUNSReflexive pronouns are formed by adding self (singular) or selves (plural) to my, your, our (possesive adjectives)

or him, her, it, them (object pronouns).

myself yourself

himself herself

itself

ourselves yourselves

themselves

© Dulce Rosales

Common reflexive verbs in English:

to enjoy oneself

to hurt oneself (cut oneself)

to kill oneself

to convince oneself

to deny oneself

to encourage oneself

to pay oneself

Reflexive pronounsReflexive pronouns are used in three instances in English.

1. With Reflexive Verbs Examples:I enjoyed myself last summer.Mark hurt himself while playing footballWe encourage ourselves to learn something new every week.Every morning he looks at himself in the mirror

2. As an Object of a Preposition

Referring to Subject

• Examples:

- Tom bought a motorcycle for himself- We made everything in this room by ourselves.- Jackie took a weekend holiday to be by herself.

3. To Emphasize Something Examples:

-No, I want to finish it myself! (I don’t want anyone to help me.)

-She insists on talking to the doctor herself. (She didn’t want anyone else to talk to the doctor.)

-Frankie tends to eat everything himself. (He doesn’t let the other dogs get any food.)

NOTICE: Many languages such as Spanish, German or French often use verb forms which

use reflexive pronouns. Here are some examples

get up, change clothes, get dressed, get better, to bathe, to shower, to shave, relax, get wet, meet,

remember, forget, etc > THESE ARE NOT reflexive verbs in English.<

RECIPROCAL PRONOUNS

• If we say that John writes to Mary and that Mary writes to John, we are talking about a reciprocal action. This sort of actions are expressed by each other or one another:

- They write to each other / one another once a month.- They get on very well with each other- They don’t look like one another.

Decide whether you have to use the reflexive pronoun, the reciprocal pronoun (each other) or

nothing.• John hurt _________when climbing the tree. • Peter and Susan helped _________with the homework. • I feel _________much better today. • Did she make ________a cup of tea? • The handsome man looked at ________in the mirror. • Barbara and Bob smiled at _________. • We're meeting _________at the station. • During the meeting, Julia and Mark were talking to ____________. • I don't remember __________where we spent our holiday last year. • We need to concentrate ___________.

© Dulce Rosales

Answers

• John hurt HIMSELFwhen climbing the tree. • Peter and Susan helped EACH OTHER with the homework. • I feel -----_much better today. • Did she make HERSELF a cup of tea? • The handsome man looked at HIMSELF_in the mirror. • Barbara and Bob smiled at EACH OTHER_________. • We're meeting _------_____at the station. • During the meeting, Julia and Mark were talking to EACH OTHER. • I don't remember _----_where we spent our holiday last year. • We need to concentrate _-------_.

In pairs, ask each other:

• When was the last time you hurt yourself? How?• Did you enjoy yourself last weekend? Why (not)?• Do you and your mother look like each other? • Do you and your best friend email each other? How

often?• Do you and your best friend phone each other? How

often?• Do people in your family help one another? How?• What’s the last thing you did for yourself?• What’s the last thing you did by yourself?

© Dulce Rosales