Study this example:
George cut himself when he was shaving this morning.
We use myself/yourself/himself etc. (reflexive pronouns)
when the subject and object are the same:
subject -> (George) cut (himself). <- object
The reflexive pronouns are:
singular: myself yourself (one person) himself/herself/itself
plural: ourselves yourselves (more than one person) themselves
* I don't want you to pay for me. I'll pay for myself. (not 'I'll pay for me')
* Julia had a great holiday. She enjoyed herself very much.
* Do you sometimes talk to yourself? (said to one person)
* If you want more to eat, help yourselves. (said to more than one person)
Compare:
* It's not our fault. You can't blame us.
* It's our own fault. We blame ourselves.
Note that we do not use myself/yourself etc. after 'bring/take something with ...':
* It might rain. I'll take an umbrella with me. (not 'with myself')
We do not use myself etc. after concentrate/feel/relax/meet:
* You must try and concentrate. (not 'concentrate yourself')
* 'Do you feel nervous?' 'Yes, I can't relax.'
* What time shall we meet? (not 'meet ourselves', not 'meet us')
We normally use wash/shave/dress without myself etc.:
* He got up, washed, shaved and dressed. (not 'washed himself' etc.)
But we say 'I dried myself'.
Study the difference between -selves and each other:
* Tom and Ann stood in front of the mirror and looked at themselves. (= Tom and Ann looked at Tom and Ann)
but * Tom looked at Ann; Ann looked at Tom. They looked at each other.
You can use one another instead of each other:
* How long have you and Bill known one another? (or ... known each other)
* Sue and Ann don't like each other. (or ... don't like one another)
We also use myself/yourself etc. in another way. For example:
* 'Who repaired your bicycle for you?' 'Nobody. I repaired it myself.'
'I repaired it myself' = I repaired it, not anybody else. Here, myself is used to emphasize I (=it makes it stronger). Some more examples:
* I'm not going to do it for you. You can do it yourself. (= you, not me)
* Let's paint the house ourselves. It will be much cheaper.
* The film itself wasn't very good but I liked the music.
* I don't think Sue will get the job. Sue herself doesn't think she'll get it. (or Sue doesn't think she'll get it herself.)
EXERCISES
82.1 Complete each sentence using myself/yourself etc. with one of these verbs (in the correct form): blame burn cut enjoy express hurt put
1. George _cut himself_ while he was shaving this morning.
2. Bill fell down some steps but fortunately he didn't --- badly.
3. It isn't her fault. She really shouldn't ---.
4. Please try and understand how I feel --- in my position.
5. They had a great time. They really ---.
6. Be careful! That pan is very hot. Don't ---.
7. Sometimes I can't say exactly what I mean. I wish I could --- better.
82.2 Put in myself/yourself/ourselves etc. or me/you/us etc.
1. Julia had a great holiday. She enjoyed herself.
2. It's not my fault. You can't blame ---.
3. What I did was very wrong. I'm ashamed of ---.
4. We've got a problem. I hope you can help ---.
5. 'Can I take another biscuit?' 'Of course. Help ---!'
6. Take some money with --- in case you need it.
7. Don't worry about Tom and me. We can look after ---.
8. I gave them a key to our house so that they could let --- in.
9. When they come to visit us, they always bring their dog with ---.
82.3 Complete these sentences. Use myself/yourself etc. only where necessary, Use one of these verbs (in the correct form): concentrate defend dry feel meet relax shave wash
1. Martin decided to grow a beard because he was fed up with _shaving._
2. I wasn't very well yesterday but I --- much better today.
3. She climbed out of the swimming pool and --- with a towel.
4, I tried to study but I just couldn't ---.
5. If somebody attacks you, you need to be able to ---.
6. I'm going out with Chris this evening. We're --- at the station at 7.30.
7. You're always rushing around. Why don't you sit down and ---?
8. There was no water, so we couldn't ---.
82.4 Complete the sentences with -selves or each other.
1. How long have you and Bill known _each other?_
2. If people work too hard, they can make ---ill.
3. I need you and you need me. We need ---.
4. In Britain friends often give --- presents at Christmas.
5. Some people are very selfish. They only think of ---.
6. Nora and I don't see --- very often these days.
7. We couldn't get back into the house. We had locked --- out.
8. They've had an argument. They're not speaking to --- at the moment.
9. We'd never met before, so we introduced --- to ---.
82.5 Complete the answers to the questions using myself/yourself/itself etc.
1. Who repaired the bicycle for you? Nobody. I repaired it myself.
2. Did Brian have his hair cut by a hairdresser? No, he cut ---.
3. Do you want me to post that letter for you? No, I'll ---.
4. Who told you that Linda was getting married? Linda ---.
5. Can you phone John for me? Why can't you ---?
82.1
2 hurt himself
3 blame herself
4 Put yourself
5 enjoyed themselves
6 burn yourself
7 express myself
82.2
2 me 3 myself 4 us
5 yourself 6 you 7 ourselves
8 themselves 9 them
82.3
2 feel 3 dried herself
4 concentrate 5 defend yourself
6 meeting 7 relax 8 wash
82.4
2 themselves
3 each other
4 each other
5 themselves
6 each other
7 ourselves
8 each other
9 ourselves to each other
82.5
2 He cut it himself.
3 I'll post it myself.
4 Linda told me herself. or Linda herself told me.
5 Why can't you phone him yourself? or ... do it yourself?
