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Difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns: Some pronouns can look exactly the same but are used in a different way, just like Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns. Words like myself, yourself, or themselves, but did you know they can play a different role in sentences? For example, in the sentence ‘She completed the project herself,’ the word ‘herself’ is used for emphasis, while in ‘She hurt herself while playing,’ it is used reflexively to indicate that the action reflects back on the subject.
The main difference between reflexive pronouns and emphatic pronouns is, reflexive pronouns are used when someone does something to themselves. Emphatic pronouns are used to stress or highlight who did the action. Let’s understand the difference between Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns and when to use them to make your sentence clear and more powerful.
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Definition of Reflexive Pronouns
Words that end in -self or -selves are known as reflexive pronouns, and they are used in sentences when the subject and the object are the same.
Examples of Reflexive Pronouns
Here are the reflexive pronouns in English, along with examples:
- Myself
- Yourself
- Himself
- Herself
- Itself
- Ourselves
- Yourselves
- Themselves
Examples of Reflexive Pronouns in Sentences
- I hurt myself while playing football.
- You should be proud of yourself.
- He taught himself how to play the guitar.
- She looked at herself in the mirror.
Also Read: Reflexive Pronoun Exercise (Class 3 to 8) with PDF
Definition of Emphatic Pronouns
Pronouns like myself, herself, you, etc., that come right after the noun they refer to in order to convey emphasis are known as emphatic pronouns.
An emphatic pronoun is defined in English grammar as ‘a pronoun like myself or themselves, emphasising a noun phrase.’
Examples of Emphatic Pronouns
- Myself
- Yourself
- Himself
- Herself
- Itself
- Ourselves
- Yourselves
- Themselves
Examples of Emphatic Pronouns in Sentences
- I myself completed the entire project.
- She herself opened the door.
- The principal himself gave the award.
- We ourselves cooked the dinner.
Also Read: Pronoun Exercise with Answers: PDF Available
What is the Difference Between Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns?
See the difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns with their examples that help you understand and learn about both pronoun types.
| Reflexive Pronouns | Emphatic Pronouns |
| Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object of the sentence are the same. That means the person doing the action is also receiving the action. | Emphatic pronouns are used to emphasise the subject of the sentence. They show who exactly performed the action and add stress or clarity. |
| They indicate that the action is directed back to the doer. Without these pronouns, the sentence may lose its intended meaning or sound incomplete. | They add emphasis to the subject but do not change the core meaning of the sentence. The sentence remains grammatically correct even if the emphatic pronoun is removed. |
| Common examples of Reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves | Common examples of Emphatic pronouns are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves |
| Usually follows the verb or the preposition when it acts as the object of the action. For instance, ‘She blamed herself for the mistake.’ | Generally placed immediately after the subject or at the end of the clause for emphasis. For example, ‘He himself admitted his mistake.’ |
| Without reflexive pronouns, the sentence might become unclear or lose its reflexive nature. For example, ‘She prepared herself for the exam’ is different from ‘She prepared for the exam.’ | Removing the emphatic pronoun only reduces the emphasis but keeps the sentence meaningful. For example, ‘I myself cooked dinner’ can be simply stated as ‘I cooked dinner.’ |
| Used when the subject performs an action that directly affects itself. For instance, ‘The cat cleaned itself.‘ | Used to stress the importance of the subject in performing the action. For example, ‘The CEO herself delivered the presentation.’ |
Difference Between Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns Exercise
Here are two exercises to help you understand the difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns.
Exercise 1: Choose the correct pronoun form (reflexive or emphatic) and fill in the blanks with the correct pronoun. Choose from the following:
Pronouns to choose from: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
- I need to finish this project ________ by tomorrow.
- She told ________ she would not attend the meeting.
- The dog washed ________ after playing outside.
- The children ________ cleaned up the mess they made.
- John ________ fixed the car, no help needed.
- We should enjoy ________ at the party tonight.
- The team ________ won the championship after a tough season.
- You should believe in ________ and your abilities.
Answer Key:
- myself
- herself
- itself
- themselves
- himself
- ourselves
- themselves
- yourself
Exercise 2: Identify whether the pronoun is reflexive or emphatic. Read the sentences below and identify if the pronoun is reflexive or emphatic.
- He himself solved the problem.
- I will finish the work myself.
- She hurt herself while hiking.
- They enjoyed themselves at the concert.
- We ourselves will handle the presentation.
- The teacher spoke to the students herself.
- The cat cleaned itself after eating.
- You yourself asked for this!
Answer key:
- Emphatic
- Emphatic
- Reflexive
- Reflexive
- Emphatic
- Emphatic
- Reflexive
- Emphatic
FAQs
A pronoun used to introduce a relative clause is called a relative pronoun. Which, that, who, and whom are the primary relative pronouns in English. These words are not only employed as relative pronouns; they can also serve as other elements of speech.
A possessive pronoun is one that is used to express possession, such as ‘This hat is mine.’ The possessive pronouns in English are whose, mine, ours, yours, his, hers, and theirs.
A pronoun is a word that you use to refer to someone or something when you don’t need to use a noun, usually because they have already been mentioned. ‘It,’ ‘she,’ ‘something,’ and ‘myself’ are some examples.
The planning and structuring of reflexive writing requires the use of rhetorical methods, such as defining your aim, comprehending your audience, and developing a main point, stance, or thesis, even if it may appear to be a story.
The English reflexive pronouns are myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, themselves, and oneself.
Related Reads
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