Reflexive Pronouns | Varsity Tutors

Section 1

Where Did These Words Come From?

People have been talking for a very, very long time. As they talked, they needed words to talk about themselves. Imagine trying to say "I made this for I" — that sounds funny, right? That's why special words were made!

Long, Long Ago

People spoke old languages called Old English and Latin. They already had words like "self" to talk about themselves.

Hundreds of Years Ago

English speakers started putting words together. They mixed "my" + "self" to make "myself". Cool, right?

Today

Now we have eight reflexive pronouns that we use every day. You probably say some of them without even thinking about it!

So here's the big question: when do you use words like myself and herself? That's exactly what we'll learn today!

Section 2

What Are Reflexive Pronouns?

A reflexive pronoun is a special word that points back to the person doing something. It ends in -self or -selves. You use it when the same person does the action AND receives the action.

For example: "I made myself a sandwich." Who made the sandwich? I did. Who got the sandwich? I did! The word "myself" bounces right back to "I" — like a ball bouncing off a wall!

Ends in -self or -selves

One person? Use -self (myself, herself). More than one? Use -selves (ourselves, themselves).

Points Back

The reflexive pronoun always points back to someone already in the sentence. It's like an echo!

Same Person Twice

The person doing the action and the person getting the action are the same.

Can't Stand Alone

You can't start a sentence with "Myself went to school." It needs a buddy like "I" first!

✦ Key Takeaway

Think of a reflexive pronoun like looking in a mirror. When you look in a mirror, you see yourself. The word "yourself" bounces right back to YOU — just like your reflection bounces right back at you in a mirror!

Section 3

See How It Works!

Look at this picture. It shows how a reflexive pronoun bounces back to the person in the sentence — just like a mirror reflection!

See the curved arrow? It goes from "myself" all the way back to "I". That's what makes it a reflexive pronoun — it reflects back, just like a mirror!

Section 4

How Reflexive Pronouns Work

Every reflexive pronoun has a buddy — a regular pronoun that it matches with. You always need the buddy first! Here's how to pick the right one:

The Matching Rule

pronoun + self/selves = reflexive pronoun

Example: her + self = herself | our + selves = ourselves

Here is the most important thing to remember: the subject (who does the action) and the reflexive pronoun must match. If she is doing it, use herself. If we are doing it, use ourselves. They are best friends!

Each pronoun has one special reflexive buddy. When you see "I" in a sentence, the reflexive pronoun must be "myself." When you see "they," it must be "themselves." They always stick together!

Section 5

All 8 Reflexive Pronouns

There are exactly eight reflexive pronouns in English. Some are for one person, and some are for more than one person. Let's see them all!

Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun	Example Sentence
I	myself	I drew a picture of myself.
you (one person)	yourself	You should be proud of yourself!
he	himself	He tied his shoes by himself.
she	herself	She read the book to herself.
it	itself	The cat cleaned itself.
we	ourselves	We painted the picture ourselves.
you (more than one)	yourselves	Did you all make that yourselves?
they	themselves	They built the fort themselves.

✦ Key Takeaway

Here's a neat trick! For one person, add -self. For more than one person, add -selves. Think of it like shoes: one foot gets one shoe (self), but two feet need a pair (selves)!

Section 6

Let's Try One Together!

Let's fill in the blank in this sentence step by step:

She made a birthday card for ______.

Step 1 — Find the SubjectWho is doing the action? The word "She" is the subject. She is the one making the card.

Step 2 — Ask: Who Gets the Card?Who is the card for? It's for the same person — she! She made it for herself, not for someone else.

Step 3 — Pick the Right BuddyThe subject is "she," so the matching reflexive pronoun is "herself." Remember, she + self = herself!

Step 4 — Write the SentenceThe answer is: "She made a birthday card for herself." Great job! 🎉

Section 7

Right Way vs. Wrong Way

Sometimes kids mix up reflexive pronouns. That's okay — let's look at what's right and what's wrong so you don't get tricked!

❌ Wrong	✅ Right	Why?
Myself went to school.	I went to school.	"Myself" can't be the subject. Use "I" instead!
He hurt hisself.	He hurt himself.	"Hisself" is not a real word. Always say himself.
They did it theirselves.	They did it themselves.	"Theirselves" is not right. Use themselves.
I made herself lunch.	I made myself lunch.	"I" goes with "myself," not "herself."

✦ Key Takeaway

Watch out for tricky words like "hisself" and "theirselves" — they might sound okay, but they are not real English words. The real words are himself and themselves. Think of them as the "official" team players — no imposters allowed! 🛡️

Section 8

What Will You Learn Next?

Now you know reflexive pronouns. Awesome! As you grow as a reader and writer, you will learn about even more kinds of pronouns.

What You Know Now	What You'll Learn Later
Reflexive pronouns (myself, herself, ourselves…)	Intensive pronouns — same words but used differently! "I myself baked the cake" (for emphasis)
Matching the pronoun to the subject	Pronoun-antecedent agreement — making sure ALL pronouns match
Using "self" and "selves"	Possessive pronouns — mine, yours, his, hers, theirs

The same eight words you learned today (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) can also be used as intensive pronouns in 3rd and 4th grade. For now, just remember how they bounce back to the subject!

Section 9

Practice Time! 🎯

Try these five problems. Click "Show Answer" when you're ready to check!

PROBLEM 1 — WHAT IS IT?

What is a reflexive pronoun?

PROBLEM 2 — PICK THE RIGHT WORD

Fill in the blank: "He dressed ______ for school." (a) herself (b) himself (c) myself

PROBLEM 3 — FIND THE PRONOUN

Read this sentence: "We taught ourselves how to make paper airplanes." Which word is the reflexive pronoun, and which word is its buddy?

PROBLEM 4 — FIX THE SENTENCE

This sentence has a mistake: "The dog scratched hisself behind the ear." Can you fix it?

PROBLEM 5 — THINK ABOUT IT

Read these two sentences. Which one uses a reflexive pronoun correctly? Explain why. A: "Myself and my friend went to the park." B: "I poured myself a glass of water."

Summary

Let's Remember Everything!

Today you learned about reflexive pronouns — special words that end in -self or -selves and point back to the subject of the sentence, just like a mirror! The eight reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.

Remember: each reflexive pronoun has a buddy pronoun it must match (I → myself, she → herself, they → themselves). A reflexive pronoun can never be the subject of a sentence all by itself. And watch out for fake words like "hisself" and "theirselves" — they are not real! Keep practicing, and soon you will use reflexive pronouns like a pro! 🌟