Reflexive pronouns: Myself, yourself
Practice reflexive pronouns myself and yourself with B1 exercises. Improve grammar with gap-fill questions, clear explanations, and real-life examples.
Exercises & Summary
Reflexive Pronouns: Myself, Yourself Exercises
When the subject and the object of a sentence are the same person, you use reflexive pronouns. This means that the person who does the action also gets the action.
It is important to know how and when to use reflexive pronouns correctly in everyday English at the B1 level.
What Are Reflexive Pronouns?
Reflexive pronouns are words like “myself” (singular) and “themselves” (plural).
The most common reflexive pronouns are:
| Subject | Reflexive Pronoun |
|---|---|
| I | myself |
| You | yourself |
| He | himself |
| She | herself |
| It | itself |
| We | ourselves |
| You (plural) | yourselves |
| They | themselves |
This lesson is about the words “myself” and “yourself,” which are used a lot in both spoken and written English.
When Do We Use Reflexive Pronouns?
When the person who is the subject and the person who is the object are the same person
When someone does something to themselves, we use reflexive pronouns.
Structure:
Subject + verb + reflexive pronoun
Examples:
- I taught myself how to play the guitar.
- You should take care of yourself.
- He hurt himself while playing football.
- She introduced herself to the class.
In these cases, the person doing the action is also the person getting the action.
To show independence (without help)
We often use reflexive pronouns to say that someone did something by themselves.
Examples:
- I fixed the computer myself.
- Did you cook this meal yourself?
- She completed the project herself.
This use stresses self-reliance and hard work.
After certain verbs
When talking about daily routines or personal actions, some verbs are often followed by reflexive pronouns.
Common verbs include:
- enjoy yourself
- help yourself
- introduce yourself
- prepare yourself
- teach yourself
Examples:
- Enjoy yourself at the party!
- Please help yourself to some coffee.
- I need to prepare myself for the exam.
Reflexive Pronouns vs Object Pronouns
Don’t mix up reflexive pronouns with object pronouns.
Compare:
- I saw myself in the mirror. (same person)
- I saw him in the mirror. (different person)
- You hurt yourself. (you hurt you)
- You hurt me. (you hurt another person)
Only use reflexive pronouns when the subject and object are the same.