Peculiarities of The Use of Peculiarities of The Use of The Reflexive PronounsThe Reflexive Pronouns

English GrammarEnglish GrammarEPh-13EPh-13

Natalya DumanskaNatalya Dumanska

The object of the individual task: The object of the individual task: reflexive pronouns.reflexive pronouns.The subject: peculiarities of the use of The subject: peculiarities of the use of the reflexive pronouns.the reflexive pronouns.The aim: to find out peculiarities of the The aim: to find out peculiarities of the use of the reflexive pronouns.use of the reflexive pronouns.The task: using the scientific literature, The task: using the scientific literature, to show the topicality of this problem, to show the topicality of this problem, to study in which cases do we use to study in which cases do we use reflexive pronouns.reflexive pronouns.

Reflexive pronoun is a pronoun Reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that shows that the action of the that shows that the action of the verb is occurring to the subject verb is occurring to the subject

of the sentence.of the sentence.

e.g. I washed myself e.g. I washed myself

e.g. He looks at himself in the e.g. He looks at himself in the mirrormirror ..

Reflexive pronouns have the Reflexive pronouns have the categories of person, number and categories of person, number and

gender in the third person singular.gender in the third person singular.

1st person

2nd person

3rd person

Singular myself yourself himself, herself,

itself

Plural ourselves yourselves themselves

The use of the reflexive pronouns:The use of the reflexive pronouns:

1.We use reflexive pronouns as the direct object or 1.We use reflexive pronouns as the direct object or indirect object of the verb when we want to say that indirect object of the verb when we want to say that

the object is the same person or thing as the the object is the same person or thing as the subject of the verb in the same clause:subject of the verb in the same clause:

e.g. John taught himself.

e.g. She tried to claw and wriggle herself up the eight-inch riser to the second step but could’nt make it. (p.30)

2.Most transitive verbs can take a 2.Most transitive verbs can take a reflexive pronoun:reflexive pronoun:

e.g. I blame myself for not paying attention.

e.g. In a shy but gentlemanly way, this tall, slim man introduced himself and began the usual preliminaries of a job interview. ( p. 391)

3.We can use reflexive pronouns at the 3.We can use reflexive pronouns at the end of a clause to emphasize that end of a clause to emphasize that

someone did something without any someone did something without any help from anyone else:help from anyone else:

e.g. He is doing his e.g. He is doing his homework himself.homework himself.

4.We use reflexive pronouns after 4.We use reflexive pronouns after nouns or pronouns to emphasize the nouns or pronouns to emphasize the person or thing that we are referring person or thing that we are referring

to:to:

e.g. I myself have never read the book.

e.g. … I myself one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor. (p.213)

5.After be and related verbs such as feel, 5.After be and related verbs such as feel, look, seem reflexive pronouns can be used look, seem reflexive pronouns can be used to describe feelings, emotions and states.to describe feelings, emotions and states.

e.g. I do not know what’s the matter with me. I’m not myself today.

e.g. He heard the sound, felt the blow, felt himself falling forward, and his hand closed on the living-room curtains, the shards and fragments of glass showering on to the floor. ( p. 78 )

6.We can use reflexive pronouns with “ by ” 6.We can use reflexive pronouns with “ by ” to say that someone does something to say that someone does something without any help from other people:without any help from other people:

e.g. He carried this buckets by himself.

e.g. I got a herd of over a hundred of a canyon by myself and drove them down to the river with the aid of one dog. (p.133)

7.We can also use “ on my own”, on 7.We can also use “ on my own”, on your own, and so on, to say that your own, and so on, to say that

someone is alone or does something someone is alone or does something without any help:without any help:

e.g. We were in the park on our own.e.g. We were in the park on our own.

8.We can use “ all” for emphasis:8.We can use “ all” for emphasis:

e.g. Did you put those shelves up all by e.g. Did you put those shelves up all by

yourself?yourself?

We don’t use reflexive We don’t use reflexive pronouns:pronouns:

1. There are a number of verbs in English 1. There are a number of verbs in English with which we rarely or never use reflexive with which we rarely or never use reflexive pronouns.pronouns. They include : adapt, behave, complain, They include : adapt, behave, complain, concentrate, get up, hide, meet, move, concentrate, get up, hide, meet, move, relax, sit down.relax, sit down.2. After a preposition of place or location we 2. After a preposition of place or location we use a personal pronoun and not a reflexive use a personal pronoun and not a reflexive pronoun.pronoun.

e.g. He put the backpack next to him.e.g. He put the backpack next to him.

ConclusionConclusionSo, reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that shows that So, reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that shows that

the action of the verb is occurring to the the action of the verb is occurring to the subject of the sentence. subject of the sentence.

We use reflexive pronouns in such cases:We use reflexive pronouns in such cases:1.As the direct object or indirect object of the verb 1.As the direct object or indirect object of the verb

when we want to say that the object is the when we want to say that the object is the same person or thing as the subject of the same person or thing as the subject of the verb in the same clause.verb in the same clause.

2.With transitive verbs.2.With transitive verbs.3. At the end of a clause to emphasize that 3. At the end of a clause to emphasize that

someone did something without any help from someone did something without any help from anyone else.anyone else.

4. After nouns or pronouns to emphasize the 4. After nouns or pronouns to emphasize the person or thing that we are referring to.person or thing that we are referring to.

5. After be and related verbs such as feel, look, 5. After be and related verbs such as feel, look, seem to describe feelings, emotions and seem to describe feelings, emotions and states.states.

6. With “ by ” to say that someone does something 6. With “ by ” to say that someone does something without any help from other people.without any help from other people.

The list of literatureThe list of literature• Alexeyeva I. Theoretical English Grammar Course. –

Vinnytsya: Nova Knyha, 2007. – 328p.• Collins Cobuild. Student’s Grammar. Moscow, AST

“Astrel”,2003. 255p.• Ganshina M.A., N.M. Vasilevska. English Grammar. –

Higher School.Publishing House.547p.• Houghton Mifflin English “Grammar and

Composition”. Boston. – 1984. 632p.• Kauschanska V.L. English Grammar. –

Moscov,2000. – 318p.• Parashchuk V. “English Grammar. Upper

Intermediate”.– Vinytsja. – 2002. 238 p.• Thomson A.J. ,Martinet A.V. “A Practical English

Grammar”.Oxford University Press. 383 p.