Reflexive Pronouns

Área Lectura y Escritura

Resultados de aprendizaje
Conocer el uso de los pronombres reflexivos en inglés.
Aplicar los pronombres reflexivos en textos escritos.

Contenidos
1. Pronombres reflexivos: myself, yourself, themselves …

Debo saber

- Verbos en infinitivo
- Pronombres personales
Reflexive Pronouns
A reflexive pronoun indicates that the person who is making the action of the verb is also the
recipient of the action. At the beginning, this might sound strange so we will check a couple of
examples:

- He is looking at himself.

- They are enjoying themselves.

Check more examples:

- I looked at myself in the mirror.

- He cut himself with a knife.
- She fell off her bike, but she didn’t hurt herself.
- Please help yourself (one person)
- Please help yourselves (two or more people)
- We had a good holiday. We enjoyed ourselves.
- They had a nice time. They enjoyed themselves.

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In order to know the use of each reflexive pronoun we must check the personal pronoun we are
referring to:

I  Myself

He  Himself

She  Herself

You  Yourself (singular) – Yourselves (plural)

We  Ourselves

They  Themselves

Remember that reflexive pronoun is not the same as object pronouns. Check and compare:

Me / him / them etc. Myself / himself / themselves etc.

She is looking at him. He is looking at himself

Different person Same person

- You never talk to me. - Sometimes I talk to myself.

- I didn’t pay for them. - They paid for themselves.
- I’m sorry. Did I hurt you? - Be careful. Don’t hurt yourself.

Check the meaning of the expression by myself / by yourself etc. = alone.

- I went on holiday by myself. (= I went alone).

- ‘Was she with friends?’ ‘No, she was by herself.’

Each other

- Kate and Helen are good friends. They know each other well.

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 (= Kate knows Helen / Helen knows Kate)

Exercises
1. Complete the sentences with myself/yourself etc.

1. He looked at himself in the mirror.

2. I’m not angry with you. I’m angry with _____________________.
3. Karen had a good time in Australia. She enjoyed _______________________.
4. My friends had a good time in Australia. They enjoyed _______________________.
5. I picked up a very hot plate and burnt ________________.
6. He never thinks about other people. He only thinks about ____________________.
7. I want to know more about you. Tell me about ______________ (one person).
8. Goodbye! Have a good trip and look after __________________! (Two people).

2. Write sentences with by myself / by yourself etc.

1. I went on holiday alone. I went on holiday by myself.

2. When I saw him, he was alone. When I saw him, he ____________________________.
3. Don’t go out alone. Don’t _________________________________________________.
4. I went to the cinema alone. I ______________________________________________.
5. My sister lives alone. My sister _____________________________________________.
6. Many people live alone. Many people _______________________________________.

3. Write sentences with each other.

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 4. Complete the sentences. Use:

Each other or ourselves / yourselves / themselves or us / you / them

1. Paul and I live near each other.
2. Who are those people? Do you know them?
3. You can help Tom, and Tom can help you. So you and Tom can help __________________.
4. There’s food in the kitchen. If you and Chris are hungry, you can help _________________.
5. We didn’t go to Emily’s party. She didn’t invite _________________.
6. When we go on holiday, we always enjoy ____________________.
7. Mary and Jane were at school together, but they never see ___________ now.
8. Diane and I are very good friends. We’ve known ______________ for a long time.
9. ‘Did you see Sam and Laura at the party?’ Yes, but I didn’t speak to __________________.
10. Many people talk to ____________________ when they’re alone.

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 Key
1. Complete the sentences with myself/yourself etc.

1. Himself
2. Myself
3. Herself
4. Themselves
5. Myself
6. Himself
7. Yourself
8. yourselves

2. Write sentences with by myself / by yourself etc.

1. I went on holiday by myself.

2. When I saw him, he was by himself.
3. Don’t go out by yourself.
4. I went to the cinema by myself.
5. My sister lives by herself.
6. Many people live by themselves.

3. Write sentences with each other.

1. They like each other.

2. They can’t see each other.
3. They phone each other a lot.
4. They don’t know each other.
5. They’re/ they are sitting next to each other.
6. They gave each other presents / a present.

4. Complete the sentences. Use:

1. Each other
2. Them
3. Each other
4. Yourselves
5. Us
6. Ourselves
7. Each other
8. Each other
9. Them
10. Themselves

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Primera Edición - 2016
En caso de encontrar algún error, contáctate con PAIEP-USACH al correo: lecturayescritura.paiep@usach.cl
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