Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns such as “myself,” “yourself,” and “themselves” normally refer back to the clause subject and can also add emphasis. Do not automatically substitute reflexive forms for ordinary subject or object pronouns; forms such as “myself went” are not licensed by the reflexive rule.
Reflexive pronouns such as “myself,” “yourself,” and “themselves” normally refer back to the clause subject and can also add emphasis.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
Do not automatically substitute reflexive forms for ordinary subject or object pronouns; forms such as “myself went” are not licensed by the reflexive rule.
Further guidance
Application
Use a reflexive pronoun when subject and object refer to the same participant, or for emphasis where the grammar allows it.
Core Rule
Reflexive pronouns such as “myself,” “yourself,” and “themselves” normally refer back to the clause subject and can also add emphasis.
Practical Application
Use reflexive pronouns when the object refers back to the clause subject, and use the same forms for emphasis when the sentence remains grammatical without the emphatic item.
Reader Check
Check whether the pronoun has an antecedent in the clause or is genuinely emphatic. Do not use “myself/yourself” merely as a formal-sounding replacement for ordinary “me/you.”
Worked Example
Reflexive: “Maya introduced herself.” Emphatic: “Maya herself approved the final proof.” Ordinary object: “Please send the proof to Maya and me,” not “Maya and myself.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Pronouns: reflexive (myself, themselves, etc.) — Cambridge Grammar (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct grammar evidence for reflexive-pronoun forms, same-subject/object use, emphasis, and common restrictions.