Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns

Which of the following words is a correct reflexive or intensive pronoun?

• hisself

• themselfs

• ourselves

• her's

Answer explanation

Pronouns ending in '-self' or '-selves' are reflexive or intensive. 'Ourselves' is the correct plural form for 'we', while 'hisself' and 'themselfs' are nonstandard forms.

Complete the sentence: I was so proud that I finished the entire puzzle by _____.

• meself

• me

• myself

• I

Answer explanation

The reflexive pronoun must agree with the subject 'I'. 'Myself' is the correct pronoun to refer back to the subject 'I', especially after a preposition like 'by'.

True or False: The word 'theirselves' is the correct pronoun to use when referring to a group of people.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The correct plural reflexive/intensive pronoun for 'they' is 'themselves'. 'Theirselves' is a common but nonstandard and incorrect form.

In the sentence, 'The chef herself decorated the cake,' what is the purpose of the word 'herself'?

• To show the chef decorated the cake for someone else

• To add emphasis to the subject 'chef'

• It is the main subject of the sentence

• To show the chef accidentally decorated the cake

Answer explanation

This is an intensive pronoun, used to emphasize that the chef, and no one else, did the action. It can be removed without changing the sentence's basic meaning.

Complete the sentence: The team members decided to organize the victory party _____.

• himself

• itself

• themselves

• ourselves

Answer explanation

The pronoun must agree with the plural antecedent 'team members'. 'Themselves' is the correct plural pronoun to match the subject.

Why is the pronoun 'himself' essential in the sentence, 'He taught himself how to play guitar'?

• It emphasizes who taught him

• It shows the action of the verb 'taught' reflects back on the subject 'He'

• It can be removed and the sentence will still make sense

• It is the subject of the sentence

Answer explanation

'Himself' is a reflexive pronoun here, acting as the direct object. It is essential because the person doing the teaching and the person being taught are the same.

True or False: If you can remove a pronoun ending in '-self' from a sentence and the sentence's basic meaning doesn't change, it is a reflexive pronoun.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

If a '-self' pronoun can be removed, it is an intensive pronoun used for emphasis. A reflexive pronoun is essential to the meaning of the sentence and cannot be removed.

Complete the sentence: My dog, Buster, somehow managed to let _____ out of the backyard.

• himself

• itself

• themselves

• yourself

Answer explanation

The antecedent is 'My dog, Buster'. Since the dog is named and referred to as 'he', the correct reflexive pronoun is 'himself'. 'Itself' could be used for an unnamed animal.

Which sentence uses 'herself' as an intensive pronoun, not a reflexive one?

• She bought a new video game for herself.

• The singer herself wrote the lyrics to the song.

• My mom reminded herself to pick up milk.

• After the long hike, she gave herself a break.

Answer explanation

In this sentence, 'herself' just adds emphasis to 'singer' and can be removed. In the other options, 'herself' is the object of a verb or preposition and is essential to the sentence's meaning.

Complete the sentence: In case of a fire drill, you and your classmates need to get _____ out of the building quickly.

• yourself

• himself

• yourselves

• themselves

Answer explanation

The subject is 'you and your classmates', which is plural. The correct plural reflexive pronoun for a group that includes 'you' is 'yourselves'.