16 Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

1. Brush Up on the Basics

Before you can start writing incredible content, you’ll need at least an intermediate
understanding of the basic principles of writing.

This doesn’t mean you need to enroll in a prestigious creative writing program at an Ivy league
university, but you will need to know the basics of grammar and spelling. Every writer should
have a copy of “The Elements of Style” by Strunk and White on their bookshelf, as this small but
invaluable book is one of the most comprehensive resources on the correct use of grammar and
other helpful topics.

2. Write Like It’s Your Job

If you want to get better at something, you have to practice – and writing is no exception!

Unfortunately, there are few shortcuts that can transform you into an amazing writer overnight,
and even the most talented writers had to learn their craft over a period of many years. It's
admitedly even harder to write while considering SEO and how to drive traffic to your post.

If you want to improve your writing skills, writing on a regular basis will not only diminish your
fear of the blank page (or blinking cursor), it will also help you develop a unique style. So, even
if nobody reads it, keep writing. Practice makes perfect.
3. Read Like It’s Your Job

The best writers are also keen readers, and reading on a regular basis is an easy way to start
developing your writing skills. I don’t just mean blog posts, either – diversify your reading
material. Expand your horizons to more challenging material than you typically read, and pay
attention to sentence structure, word choice, and how the material flows.

he more you read, the more likely you are to develop an eye for what makes a piece so effective,
and which mistakes to avoid.

4. Find a Writing Partner

If you work at a reasonably sized company, the chances are pretty good that there is at least one
other person who also secretly harbors a desire to become a better writer. Although writing is
typically considered a solitary activity, the best writers know when it’s time to get much-needed
feedback on their work.

Talk to your coworkers (or friends) and ask someone if they’d be willing to cast an eye over your
work – they may spot mistakes that you overlooked.

Finding a writing partner is also a great way to hold yourself accountable and keep going.

5. Join a Workshop or Take a Night Class

Most people balk at the idea of standing in front of a room full of strangers and baring their soul
to the world, but joining a writing workshop can be immensely beneficial – and a lot of fun (if
you manage to find a good one).

You don’t need to have an unfinished novel hidden away in your desk drawer to join a
workshop. These days, content marketing meet-ups and professional development groups are
becoming wildly popular. Join one of the many content marketing groups on LinkedIn to meet
like-minded writers, or search for writing workshops near you on sites like Meetup. Pick a topic,
write something, listen to the feedback of the group, and then revise it. Rinse, repeat.

6. Dissect Writing That You Admire

Most people read the same blogs or sites on a regular basis because the material appeals to them
– but fewer people understand why their favorite blogs are so appealing.

Find a handful of recent blog posts you really like, then print them out. Next, just like your high
school English teacher did, take a red pen and highlight things you liked: certain sentences, turns
of phrase, even entire paragraphs. Examine why you like these elements, and see if there are any
common threads in your favored reading material. See how writers take one subject and
transition into another. Apply these techniques to your own work.

Let’s take a look at a particularly powerful (and memorable piece) from Copyblogger that serves
as a great example of this.

7. Imitate Writers You Admire

Before we go any further, a disclaimer – imitation is not the same as plagiarism. Don’t rip off
anyone’s work. Ever.

Just as you probably have a list of blogs you read often, you’ll likely also read the same writers
on a regular basis. Identify what it is you enjoy about their work, and see if you can use it to
improve your writing skills. Does a writer you like use humor to spice up dry topics? Try it. Do
they use pop culture references to make their work entertaining and useful? Try that, too.

When I first started writing, I imitated some of my favorite nonfiction writers and essayists, such
as Joan Didion, Truman Capote and Bill Bryson. I also attempted (and failed) to imitate writers
such as Dave Eggers and Dan Kennedy, but soon realized that I wasn't funny enough and gave it
up. Over time, I eventually developed my own style, but reading the works of these writers and
seeing how they constructed their essays and books was immensely helpful to me as a writer (see
tip #3).

8. Remember That Outlines Are Your Friend

The blinking cursor of a blank page is a considerable foe, even for the most experienced writers.
Before putting pen to proverbial paper, sketch out an outline of what you plan to write. This will
be your battle plan, and it will help you win the war. Very few – and I do mean very few –
writers sit down to write anything without a solid plan in mind.

An outline doesn’t have to be complex. A simple framework of which sections should appear in
a particular order, along with a few sentences about what each section contains, may be enough.
If the topic you’re tackling is a little more complex, your outline might have to be, too – but
having an outline before you write is like having a roadmap in the glove box of your car before a
road trip. If you start to feel lost, refer back to your outline and get back to kicking ass and taking
names.

9. Edit Your Work Ruthlessly

So, you’re writing every day (or regularly, at least), and you’re feeling more confident about
your work. Awesome! Now you’re going to become your own harshest critic.
Editing is a tough skill to learn for beginner writers, because they place immense value on the
time and effort they put into writing in the first place. However, a lot of writing is actually
rewriting, and this is where the cold, hard eye of an editor will serve you well.

Develop the discipline it takes to eliminate extraneous words (more on this shortly). Resist the
temptation to wax lyrically and get to the point. Not sure if a paragraph works? It probably isn’t.
Be tough on yourself, and know when to delete or rework something. Your work will be much
stronger as a result.

10. Accept That First Drafts Are Almost Always Crap

The best writers make it look so easy. After reading a great post, it’s tempting to imagine your
favorite bloggers effortlessly turning in incredible posts with minimal effort before spending the
rest of their day reading obscure books in a quaint corner café somewhere. Take comfort in the
knowledge that this isn’t how writing works.

First drafts are almost always crap, and that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t create a
masterpiece on your first attempt – chances are, you probably won’t, and that’s okay, too. Just
get your ideas down on paper first, then go back and start cleaning up. Writing is an iterative
process, and even the best writers have to spend a lot of time reworking material they were
probably too embarrassed to show anybody.

11. Find a Good (Patient) Editor

Whether you’re trying to make the case for a content strategy to your manager or want to start
guest blogging on your favorite sites, finding and working with a good editor is one of the best
things you can do to improve your writing skills. I’ve worked with dozens of editors over the
years, and in my experience, the best are those who show you why something doesn’t work,
rather than just telling you that it doesn’t.

Allowing someone else to read your work can be brutally difficult for some writers, especially
when they’re just starting out, but it’s crucial that you develop good habits from the outset and
learn to accept constructive criticism about your work. Remember – writers are desperately
needy creatures who need to be constantly reassured that they’re the creative geniuses they
believe themselves to be, but you’ll need to develop a thick skin if you’re serious about your
work, and a good editor is invaluable when it comes to toughening up.

12. Eliminate Unnecessary Words

Another common mistake among beginner writers (and some more experienced writers who
should know better) is writing overly complex sentences in an attempt to “sound” more
authoritative.

In many cases, shorter sentences can have a greater impact. You may have heard of a six-word
story that was supposedly written by Ernest Hemingway, which reads, “For sale: Baby shoes,
never worn.” Whether Hemingway wrote this or not is irrelevant – the power of these six words
shows that brevity can be a powerful tool when used correctly, and not every sentence needs to
be overwrought to get your point across.

Let’s look at another real example from one of my posts – my very first post for WordStream, as
it happens. This lengthy sentence is a prime candidate for a ruthless red pen, even if my lame
jokes were intended to give it a little more flavor. I’ve edited the sentence to show you how you
could edit a similar line in your own work (additions italicized).

“Whether you’re a newcomer to AdWords or have been running PPC campaigns for years,
you’ve probably given a great deal of thought to about which keywords will result in more
clicks and higher conversions – not to mention that vacation home in Lake Tahoe you’ve been
dreaming about.”

13. Take a Stroll Down Memory Lane

I’ve been writing professionally, in one way or another, for the past ten years. When I look back
at my early work, which I do every so often, it literally makes me cringe. I don’t do this because
I’m a masochist, but to remind myself how far I’ve come.

Writing should be fun, and along with the thrill of seeing your byline for the first time, seeing
how far you’ve progressed is one of the most satisfying parts of being a writer. Every now and
then (but not too often), re-read your earlier work and marvel at how much better you are now
than you were then. Pat yourself on the back. You’ve worked hard, so don’t be shy –
congratulate yourself.

14. Don’t Be Afraid to Say What You Think

Most content on the web is bland and dreadfully boring. This is because far too many bloggers
focus on regurgitating the same news as everybody else without bothering to add their own
opinions. Obviously you don’t want to fall afoul of libel laws, but that doesn’t mean you can’t
(or shouldn’t) say what you think.

Once you’ve started to discover your own “voice,” don’t be shy about sharing your opinions.
This makes for more interesting reading. Don’t be contrarian for its own sake, and don’t set out
to purposefully piss anyone off, but make sure there’s enough of you in your writing to make it a
worthwhile read for your audience.

15. Do Your Research

Aside from plagiarizing someone else’s work, nothing will undermine your credibility faster than
failing to do your homework.
In their eagerness to be done with a blog post (or even major newspaper article), many writers try
to take shortcuts with the facts. This can range from accidentally fudging a statistic out of haste
to being lazy when it comes to sourcing or attribution. Not only can this land you in big trouble
with your editor/content marketing manager/other boss-type person, it also makes you look like
an amateur.

Everybody makes mistakes, and you don’t need to spend weeks cross-referencing every last
statistic (see the next tip), but common sense should prevail here – don’t rely exclusively on sites
like Wikipedia, and use current, primary sources whenever possible.

16. Remember Done Is Better than Perfect

You should definitely take the time to write as well as you can, proofread and edit your work
thoroughly, and ensure that your piece flows logically from one point to the next.

However, this doesn’t mean you should take weeks to write something.

No piece of writing will ever be perfect – you have to know when it’s time to let it go. This is
especially important in content marketing, because you’ll rarely (if ever) have the luxury of
crafting agonizingly beautiful blog posts full of poignant sentences and evocative imagery. As
you become more confident, the “writing” part of writing will become easier and faster, but
never lose sight of the fact that deadlines, or editorial calendars, are just as much your masters as
any boss or manager.

Summary: How to Improve Your Writing Skills

1. Brush up on the basic principles of writing, grammar and spelling.

2. Write like it’s your job and practice regularly.
3. Read more so you develop an eye for what effective writing looks like.
4. Find a partner. Ask them to read your writing and provide feedback.
5. Join a workshop, meetup, or take a writing night class.
6. Take the time to analyze writing you admire.
7. Imitate writers you admire.
8. Outline your writing.
9. Edit your writing.
10. Accept that first drafts are often bad and revise.
11. Find an editor who demonstrates patience.
12. Eliminate unnecessary words from your writing.
13. Review your earlier work and see how you’ve grown.
14. Don’t be afraid to say what you mean in what you write.
15. Make sure you do adequate research on your topic.
16. Don’t delay writing. Get it done now.
How to Improve Your Grammar
1 .Learning the Basics of Grammar
Know the parts of speech. These are the types of words that make up the language, and they are
nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, and
sometimes articles.[1] To put sentences together properly, you must understand what the parts of
speech are and how they function in sentences.
2.Recognize points of view. In terms of grammatical person, English has three points of view,
and each of those can be either singular or plural. The points of view are: singular or plural first-
person, singular or plural second-person, and singular or plural third-person. The appropriate
pronouns are:

 First-person singular: I
 Second-person singular: you
 Third-person singular: he (masculine) / she (feminine) / it (neuter)
 First-person plural: we
 Second-person plural: you
 Third-person plural: they

3.Use proper word order. English sentences are structured following the subject–verb–object
order (such as “Andrea ran to the door,” not “Run to the door Andrea”). In general, articles come
before adjectives, and adjectives come before the nouns they modify. Modifiers should always
be placed as close to their nouns as possible. For instance:

 Frank (subject) quickly (adverb) mailed (verb) the (article) long (adjective) letter
(object).

4.Conjugate verbs properly. English technically only conjugates the present (“I like”) and past
tenses (“I liked”), meaning that English verbs are only inflected (have different forms or
endings) for these tenses. However, other verb tenses, such as the future (“I will like”), are
created with the help of mood, words that denote time (such as “tomorrow”), and auxiliary
(helping) words and verbs

5.Punctuate sentences properly. Punctuation is an important part of language, because it

indicates starts, stops, pauses, and relationships. Capitalize the first letter of every sentence, and
the first letter of all proper nouns (the names of people and places). The main punctuation marks
in English—and their basic uses—are:

 Commas separate thoughts, ideas, elements, and independent clauses.

 Periods indicate the end of a sentence.
 Semi-colons join independent clauses in a single sentence, or separate elements in a list.
 Colons introduce items in a list, explanations, or definitions.
 Question marks indicate that a question was posed.
 Exclamation points show emphasis, imperatives, or declarations.
 Apostrophes demonstrate possession or create contractions.
  Quotation marks indicate that you are directly quoting someone else’s words.
 Hyphens join separate words into compound words, modifiers, and numbers.
 Dashes create a pause, interrupt a sentence, or add parenthetical information.
 Parenthesis add additional information, references, or citations.

Part 2

Practicing Grammar
1.Read a variety of material. Improve your grasp of grammar by learning how other authors
use language. Focus on reading different genres and styles of writing, such as classic literature,
textbooks, science-fiction, science books, biographies, blogs, essays, and article.

2.Pay attention to how other speakers talk. Listen to how other people construct sentences,
where they place words in sentences, how they say common phrases, and the vocabulary they
use. English has many rules and exceptions, so don’t be afraid to ask questions if you have any.

3.Play word and grammar games. There are many online games and applications you can download on
your computer or phone that will test your grammar skills in a fun way.[5] Since these games are
educational, they’ll often provide explanations for wrong answers so you can learn from your mistakes.

4.Practice writing every day. Improve your grammar by writing and practicing any new rules
or words you've learned. Keep a journal, write short stories, or even just email back and forth
with friends or family. Concentrate on improving any problem areas you might have or mistakes
you often repeat.
Part 3

Avoiding Common Mistakes

1.Learn the difference between confusing words. English has a lot of words that look, sound,
and/or are spelled the same, even if they have very different meanings. These homographs
(words that are spelled the same), homophones (words that are pronounced the same),
heteronyms (words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently), and homonyms (words
that are spelled and pronounced the same) cause a great deal of confusion, and result in common
errors.

2.Use punctuation properly. Improper punctuation can mean that the meaning you’re trying to
convey can be confused or lost. There are many punctuation-related errors that can occur in
English.
3.Use the active voice. In an active construction, the subject is the thing that performs the action;
in a passive construction, the subject is acted upon by an outside force. While there’s nothing
wrong with the passive voice, it’s less forceful and can make sentences unclear. Therefore, you
should use the active voice more often, but it’s acceptable to use the passive voice from time to
time, especially to emphasize something.

4.Use reflective pronouns properly. The reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself,
himself/herself/itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. These pronouns can be used
reflexively or intensively. Reflexive pronouns are only used as the object in a sentence, and only
when that object is the same as the subject. Intensive pronouns are used to add emphasis to a
sentence and reinforces that the subject performed the action. To tell the difference, remember
that if the pronoun can be removed from the sentence and it still makes sense, the pronoun is
being used intensively.

Reader Approved

How to Improve Your Grammar

Five Parts:Learning the Basics of GrammarPracticing GrammarAvoiding Common
MistakesFinding Reliable ResourcesImproving GrammarCommunity Q&A

Grammar is the system that structures a language, and every language has its own guidelines.
But grammar isn’t so much about rules as it is the conventions that determine how we speak and
write, and it includes things like spelling, inflecting words for different purposes, and the way
words are arranged to form sentences. While it’s good to remember that languages are living
things that constantly change, it’s also important to know that proper grammar is still necessary
for communication. Luckily, there are plenty of resources available to help people who want to
improve their grammar.

Part 1

Learning the Basics of Grammar

Know the parts of speech. These are the types of words that make up the language, and they
are nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, and
sometimes articles.[1] To put sentences together properly, you must understand what the parts
of speech are and how they function in sentences.

o Nouns are the elements that usually perform the action in a sentence, such as a person,
place, thing, idea, emotion, animal, or event. Nouns include Sally, Paris, sand ,
philosophy , happiness, dog, and birthday.
o Adjectives modify nouns, and describe aspects or characteristics about nouns.
Adjectives include red, funny, lazy, large, and short.
o Pronouns take the place of nouns. There are personal subject pronouns (such as I, she,
and they), personal object pronouns (such as us, you, it, and them), personal possessive
pronouns (such as mine, yours, his, hers, and theirs), and relative pronouns (such as
who, which, that, and whose).
o Verbs indicate actions or states of being, and tell what the noun is doing. Verbs include
run, sing, type, be, and walk.
 o Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, and other adverbs. They
are words like quickly, well, and slowly. These words often end in –ly.
o Prepositions indicate relationships in time, space, or direction. Prepositions include to,
in, on, over, of, and across.
o Conjunctions join nouns, clauses, phrases, and sentences. Coordinating conjunctions link
independent clauses, and they are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so (remember
FANBOYS). Subordinating conjunctions link dependent clauses, and they include
because, if, since, while, and although.
o Interjections are words that indicate emotions. These include oh, hey, ouch, and wow.
They are often followed by exclamation points.
o Articles are used to modify and define nouns. The is a definite article, and a and an are
the indefinite articles.
2.

Recognize points of view. In terms of grammatical person, English has three points of view, and
each of those can be either singular or plural. The points of view are: singular or plural first-
person, singular or plural second-person, and singular or plural third-person. The appropriate
pronouns are:

o First-person singular: I
o Second-person singular: you
o Third-person singular: he (masculine) / she (feminine) / it (neuter)
o First-person plural: we
o Second-person plural: you
o Third-person plural: they
3.

Use proper word order. English sentences are structured following the subject–verb–object
order (such as “Andrea ran to the door,” not “Run to the door Andrea”). In general, articles
come before adjectives, and adjectives come before the nouns they modify. Modifiers should
always be placed as close to their nouns as possible. For instance:

o Frank (subject) quickly (adverb) mailed (verb) the (article) long (adjective) letter (object).
4.

Conjugate verbs properly. English technically only conjugates the present (“I like”) and past
tenses (“I liked”), meaning that English verbs are only inflected (have different forms or endings)
for these tenses. However, other verb tenses, such as the future (“I will like”), are created with
the help of mood, words that denote time (such as “tomorrow”), and auxiliary (helping) words
and verbs. Using the verb “to go” as an example, some of the main tenses in English are:[2]

o Simple present (uninflected verb, or verb + s/es in third person): I go, you go, he/she/it
goes, we go, you go, they go.
o Present continuous (aka progressive) (am/is/are + present participle): I am going, you
are going, he/she/it is going, we/you/they are going.
o Present perfect (has/have + past participle): I have gone, you have gone, he/she/it has
gone, we/you/they have gone.
o Simple past (verb + –ed for regular verbs): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they went (“to go” is
an irregular verb).
o Past continuous (was/were + present participle): I was going, you were going, he/she/it
was going, we/you/they were going.
o Past Perfect (had + past participle): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they had gone.
o Simple future (will + uninflected verb): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they will go.
o Future continuous (will be + present participle): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they will be
going.
o Future Perfect (will have + past participle): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they will have gone.
5.

Punctuate sentences properly. Punctuation is an important part of language, because it

indicates starts, stops, pauses, and relationships. Capitalize the first letter of every sentence,
and the first letter of all proper nouns (the names of people and places). The main punctuation
marks in English—and their basic uses—are:

o Commas separate thoughts, ideas, elements, and independent clauses.

o Periods indicate the end of a sentence.
o Semi-colons join independent clauses in a single sentence, or separate elements in a list.
 o Colons introduce items in a list, explanations, or definitions.
o Question marks indicate that a question was posed.
o Exclamation points show emphasis, imperatives, or declarations.
o Apostrophes demonstrate possession or create contractions.
o Quotation marks indicate that you are directly quoting someone else’s words.
o Hyphens join separate words into compound words, modifiers, and numbers.
o Dashes create a pause, interrupt a sentence, or add parenthetical information.
o Parenthesis add additional information, references, or citations.

Part 2

Practicing Grammar

1.

Read children’s books. While children’s books may not be grammar textbooks, they are
designed to teach the basics of language, including fundamental words and spelling, regular and
irregular nouns and verbs, simple conjugation, and sentence structure. Children aren’t often
explicitly taught the grammar and mechanics of their native tongues, but instead pick them up
by reading and listening to other native speakers.[3]

Read a variety of material. Improve your grasp of grammar by learning how other authors use
language. Focus on reading different genres and styles of writing, such as classic literature,
textbooks, science-fiction, science books, biographies, blogs, essays, and articles.[4] Pay attention
to how sentences are structured, word order, spelling, and creative variations the authors use.

o Try reading aloud so that you also get an idea of how the language sounds in
conversation.
o Keep a dictionary and thesaurus handy while reading.
o Read newspapers as well, listen to news radio, and watch televised news programs
daily.
2.

Pay attention to how other speakers talk. Listen to how other people construct sentences,
where they place words in sentences, how they say common phrases, and the vocabulary they
use. English has many rules and exceptions, so don’t be afraid to ask questions if you have any.

o Try parroting what other people say by repeating it in order to understand how
sentences are formed and to expand your vocabulary.
o Be warned that some English speakers, even native ones, don’t have a grasp of proper
grammar.
3.

Play word and grammar games. There are many online games and applications you can
download on your computer or phone that will test your grammar skills in a fun way.[5] Since
these games are educational, they’ll often provide explanations for wrong answers so you can
learn from your mistakes.

o Libraries, book stores, and online resources will also offer grammar lessons, practice
exercises, and quizzes
4.

Practice writing every day. Improve your grammar by writing and practicing any new rules or
words you've learned. Keep a journal, write short stories, or even just email back and forth with
friends or family. Concentrate on improving any problem areas you might have or mistakes you
often repeat.
 o Don’t rely solely on grammar checkers. For one, they can be wrong. Second, you won’t
learn from your mistakes if you don’t correct work yourself. If you do employ a grammar
check or proofreading services, take the time to look over what changes were made so
that you can learn what you did wrong.

Part 3

Avoiding Common Mistakes

1.

Learn the difference between confusing words. English has a lot of words that look, sound,
and/or are spelled the same, even if they have very different meanings. These homographs
(words that are spelled the same), homophones (words that are pronounced the same),
heteronyms (words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently), and homonyms
(words that are spelled and pronounced the same) cause a great deal of confusion, and result in
common errors. Remembering these common errors will help you avoid frequently made
mistakes.[6] Common mistakes include:

o Confusing it’s (a contraction of it is) and its (a possessive pronoun).

o Mixing up they’re (a contraction of they are), their (a possessive pronoun), and there (an
adverb indicating place).
o Using you’re (a contraction of you are) and your (a possessive pronoun) incorrectly.
o Confusing too (which means in addition), to (a preposition) and two (the cardinal
number that comes after one).
o Not using then (meaning at that time) and than (used to compare) correctly.
o Improperly using lie (meaning to be in a horizontal position) and lay (which means to
place something in a horizontal position).
o Confusing farther (used with physical distance) and further (used with figurative or
metaphorical distance).
2.

2
 Use punctuation properly. Improper punctuation can mean that the meaning you’re trying to
convey can be confused or lost. There are many punctuation-related errors that can occur in
English, including:

o Run-on sentences, where there is no punctuation separating independent clauses in the

same sentence.
o Comma splices, where independent clauses in a sentence are joined with a comma but
without a proper coordinating conjunction.
o Using apostrophes to create plurals (they are used to create contractions or show
possession, not create plurals).
o Improper use of quotation marks, which should only be used to indicate that you are
directly quoting something someone said.
3.

Use the active voice. In an active construction, the subject is the thing that performs the action;
in a passive construction, the subject is acted upon by an outside force. While there’s nothing
wrong with the passive voice, it’s less forceful and can make sentences unclear. Therefore, you
should use the active voice more often, but it’s acceptable to use the passive voice from time to
time, especially to emphasize something. For example, consider how these active and passive
sentences place emphasis on different elements of the sentence:

o The active “I paid the bill” places the emphasis on what the subject did.
o The passive “The bill was paid by me” places the emphasis on who paid the bill.
4.

Use reflective pronouns properly. The reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself,
himself/herself/itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. These pronouns can be used
reflexively or intensively. Reflexive pronouns are only used as the object in a sentence, and only
when that object is the same as the subject. Intensive pronouns are used to add emphasis to a
sentence and reinforces that the subject performed the action. To tell the difference, remember
that if the pronoun can be removed from the sentence and it still makes sense, the pronoun is
being used intensively. However, if the pronoun cannot be removed without altering the
meaning of the sentence, it’s being used reflexively.

o Reflexive: “I pinched myself to see if I was dreaming.”

o Intensive: “She individually picked each gift herself.”
o Reflexive: “He asked himself how he’d feel in that situation.”
o Intensive: “I myself don’t know how I’d react.”