Reflexive and emphatic pronouns – Exercise

State which pronouns in the following sentences are reflexive and which are emphatic.

1. Susie hurt herself.

2. I will do it myself.

3. The minister himself said this.

4. We often deceive ourselves.

5. I myself heard the remark.

6. The boys hid themselves behind the door.

7. They have got themselves into a mess.

8. The old woman poisoned herself.

9. We enjoyed ourselves during the picnic.

10. The cat chocked itself.

11. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

12. He has landed himself in great trouble.

13. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

14. Some people are so full of themselves.

15. I cannot bring myself to do it.

Answers

1. herself: reflexive

2. myself: emphatic

3. himself: emphatic

4. ourselves: reflexive

5. myself: emphatic

6. themselves: reflexive

7. themselves: reflexive

8. herself: reflexive

9. ourselves: reflexive

10. itself: reflexive

11. itself: reflexive

12. himself: reflexive

13. yourself: reflexive

14. themselves: reflexive

15. myself: reflexive

Notes

When compound personal pronouns (myself, himself, herself, yourself etc.) are used as the object of a verb and refer to the same person or thing as that is denoted by the subject of the verb, they are called reflexive pronouns.

When compound personal pronouns are used for the sake of emphasis they are called emphatic pronouns.