4.2.3: Reflexive and Reciprocal Pronouns
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Reflexive Pronouns |
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A reflexive pronoun (ending in -self or -selves) is used when the subject and the object are the same person. The reflexive pronoun points back to the subject of the sentence. Specific verbs use the reflexive pronoun. |
| SUBJECT IS THE SAME PERSON |
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I fed myself. (singular) We fed ourselves. (plural) |
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She fed herself. (sng.) He fed himself. (sng.) |
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You fed yourself. (sng.) You fed yourselves. (pl.) |
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They fed themselves. (pl.) Everyone fed themself¹. (sng.) |
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It fed itself. (e.g., animal of unknown gender) |
¹themself is an unusual form that occurs after a singular indefinite pronoun (everyone, everybody, each, etc.). Using them is a way of getting around specifying gender (himself, herself) and selves is changed to singular self. Everyone should take care of themself. (See Carey blog listed in Works Cited below.)
Reflexive Pronouns with "by"
From: Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
Watch the video for an overview of Reflexive pronouns:
Reflexive Pronouns With Verbs and Verb Phrases
Express what someone does to or feels about oneself
Reflexive Verbs and Verb Phrases
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He believes in himself. |
He hurt himself. |
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She blames herself. |
He introduced himself. |
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He cut himself. |
He excused himself. |
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She enjoys herself. |
They painted the house themselves. |
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He feels sorry for himself. |
He pinched himself. |
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She helps herself. |
They marketed themselves well. |
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He is pleased with himself. |
He is proud of himself. |
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He takes care of himself. |
He works for himself. |
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She talks to herself. |
They wished themselves good luck. |
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He teaches himself. |
She encouraged herself to keep working. |
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She tells herself not to worry. |
He is comfortable with himself. |
Practice 1
Write in the correct reflexive pronoun.
1. The actress was proud of _____________ when she won an Oscar award.
2. Jack was pleased with _______________
3. They blamed _______________ for losing the game.
4. You can build it _______________ if you follow the directions.
5. The mouse hurt ____________ when it took the cheese.
6. I quickly dressed ____________ and then went to the kitchen.
7. My roommate works at home, so he spends the day by _______________
8. I was proud of _______________ for getting an "A" on my test.
9. She went to the movies by ________________
10. We fixed the sink _________________ instead of calling a plumber.
Each other vs. One another
Express a reciprocal relationship
Each other vs. One another
| EACH OTHER |
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| RECIPROCAL —TWO |
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Sophie loves Jim and Jim loves Sophie. ⇒ Sophie and Jim love each other. (refers to subject) Sophie and Jim each love the other. Each person loves the other person. |
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Occasionally, they get angry at each other. (refers to subj. pronoun) Occasionally, they each get angry at the other. Occasionally, each gets angry at the other. |
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We have to protect them from each other. (refers to obj. pronoun) We have to protect each of them from the other. |
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Sophie and Jim² believe that each other is wrong. (refers to subject of the main clause) *Each other is wrong. (missing antecedent) |
| RECIPROCAL—TWO OR MORE |
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Our family loves each other. After a fight, each person apologizes to the others. |
Each other like all pronouns refers back to a noun that comes before it (an antecedent). However, because it is a reciprocal pronoun, it refers to two nouns or a group noun. It expresses what one person feels toward or does for the other; the other feels or does the same in return.| ONE ANOTHER |
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| RECIPROCAL—TWO |
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Sophie loves Jim and Jim loves Sophie. ⇒ Sophie and Jim love one another¹. ~One person loves another person. (unclear meaning) |
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Occasionally, they get angry at one another. ~One person gets angry at another. (unclear meaning) |
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We have to protect them from one another. |
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*Sophie and Jim believe one another³ is wrong. *One another is wrong. |
| RECIPROCAL—TWO OR MORE |
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Our family loves one another. After a fight, everyone apologizes to one another. |
One another expresses the same idea of reciprocity ("one and another"). However, some people use each other for two people and one another for more than two. Other people use each other and one another in the same contexts. This difference is disputed (not accepted by all.)*not used / ~unclear meaning, awkward usage, requires a particular context
reciprocal (Adj) – given, done, felt in return, mutual (A-B and B-A)
¹Each other, one another: "Two people look at each other, More than two look at one another. Either phrase may be used when the number is indefinite: We help each other. We help one another." —Associated Press (2016)
²"Sophie and Jim" are antecedents of "each other". That is to say that the nouns/names are mentioned first so that we know who "each other" refers to.
³One another ("one and the other") This expression is not used as the subject of a clause, nor is it used as the subject of a subordinate clause. However, the expression "each other" does occur, perhaps informally, as the subject of a subordinate clause. They think that [each other is cheating].
(Huddleston 17 §4)
See Grammar Notes below regarding the disputed usage of each other and one another.
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From: Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International
Practice 2
Complete the sentence with a reciprocal or reflexive pronouns.
- My sister and I helped _________________ yesterday. I helped her with her homework, and she helped me with mine.
- “Help _________________________! Take what you want, I hope you enjoy the food!”
- Neighbors should learn to help ______________________.
- Bruna talks to _________________ while she is cooking dinner.
- Have you ever hurt __________________ while you were riding a bike?
- He made __________________ a delicious sandwich when he returned from work.
- My husband and I are architects so we built our house________________________.
- People around the world should love and respect____________________ because we are all brothers and sisters.
- They gave __________________ a hug when they said goodbye.
- “Hi Mary! Did you enjoy _____________________ at the club?”
- Peter and Vitoria love _____________________; they have been in love for many years.
Practice 3
Fill in the blanks with "each other," "one another," "themselves," or "ourselves":
- During the team-building exercise, the students had to trust and support ________________.
- The children helped ________________ by sharing their toys and playing together.
- The volunteers took care of _________________ by wearing appropriate safety gear and following guidelines.
- We all gave ____________________ gifts for Christmas.
- My husband and I enjoyed _______________________ on our trip to the beach.
- The women looked at __________________ in the mirror as they put on their makeup.
- It’s important for friends to listen to _________________ and offer support during difficult times.
- The students were able to solve the problem by working with _______________ and sharing ideas.
- In the group discussion, everyone should contribute and listen to _________________ to ensure a productive conversation.
- They don’t need any help. They can do it ______________________.