Page 161 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

R e f l e x i v e p r o n o u n s : h e r s e l f , n i m s e i r ,
herself,
pronouns:
Reflexive
himselt,
t h e m s e l v e s , e t c .
themselves,
etc.
subject and
object of a
or thing,
sentence
refer to the
a
same person
reflexive
we use
When the
When the subject and object of a sentence refer to the same person or thing, we use a reflexive
pronoun as the object rather than a personal pronoun. Compare:
pronoun as the object rather than a personal pronoun. Compare:
and 'her'
her to eat it.
and
('she'
refer to
different people)
9 • ¢ She forced her to eat it. ('she' and 'her' refer to different people) and
She forced
eat
herself to
refer to the same person)
forced
'herself'
('she'
and
it.
• ¢ She forced herself to eat it. ('she' and ‘herself refer to the same person)
She
yourself,
herself,
singular
the
plural
myself,
himself,
are
of reflexive
itself;
forms
pronouns
The singular forms of reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself; the plural
The
(or themself)
Some people use themselves
yourselves,
to refer to
themselves.
forms are ourselves, yourselves, themselves. Some people use themselves (or themself) to refer to
forms are ourselves,
the subject of the sentence, to avoid saying whether the subject is male or female:
the subject of the sentence, to avoid saying whether the subject is male or female:
{or themself)
It is
a situation that no doctor wants to find themselves
in.
• ¢ It is a situation that no doctor wants to find themselves {or themself) in.
We can use reflexive pronouns for emphasis. For example, after an intransitive verb to emphasise
We can use reflexive pronouns for emphasis. For example, after an intransitive verb to emphasise
the subject; after the subject or object (when the verb is transitive) or after the verb (intransitive)
the subject; after the subject or object (when the verb is transitive) or after the verb (intransitive)
emphasise that noun:
a
done without help;
and
after
emphasise
that something is
noun to
to to emphasise that something is done without help; and after a noun to emphasise that noun:
We phoned the plumber and he came himself,
(he didn't send his employees)
) • * We phoned the plumber and he came himself. (he didn't send his employees)
(nobody helped me)
-
ice cream 1 made it myself,
I hope you like the
- • ® • + Thope you like the ice cream —I made it myself. (nobody helped me)
(by her personally)
I was given this book by the author herself,
• * TI was given this book by the author herself. (by her personally)
action.
a certain
use
Compare:
subject caused
reflexive pronouns to emphasise that the
We use reflexive pronouns to emphasise that the subject caused a certain action. Compare:
We
and
it)
He got himself arrested.
did something to cause
He got arrested,
he
(=
•
• * He gotarrested. and * He got himself arrested. (= he did something to cause it)
similar to
meaning
'also':
reflexive pronouns with
a
use
We use reflexive pronouns with a meaning similar to ‘also’:
We
feeling pretty bad myself.
feeling ill.
John said he was
I was
• ¢ John said he was feeling ill. I was feeling pretty bad myself.
reflexive pronoun
are rarely or never used with a
in
English,
but often are in other
Some verbs are rarely or never used with a reflexive pronoun in English, but often are in other
Some verbs
concentrate, get up/hot/tired, lie down, meet, relax,
languages. These include complain,
languages. These include complain, concentrate, get up/hot/tired, lie down, meet, relax,
remember, sit down, wake up:
remember, sit down, wake up:
She concentrated hard on getting the job finished, {not She concentrated herself...)
• ¢ She concentrated hard on getting the job finished, {not She concentrated herself...)
reflexive pronoun when we want to
use
a
verbs we
some
emphasise particularly that
only
With some verbs we only use a reflexive pronoun when we want to emphasise particularly that
With
Compare:
the subject is doing the action. Compare:
the subject is doing the action.
• ¢ She quickly dressed and went down for breakfast, {rather than ...dressed herself...) and
She quickly dressed and went down for breakfast. {rather than ...dressed herself...) and
himself.
from the accident and he is now able to
dress
He's recovering well
• ¢ He's recovering well from the accident and he is now able to dress himself.
shave, undress, wash; acclimatise, adapt; behave, hide, move.
Other verbs like this include
Other verbs like this include shave, undress, wash; acclimatise, adapt; behave, hide, move.
a
not
personal pronoun,
a preposition of place
a
use
reflexive pronoun:
or position we
After a preposition of place or position we use a personal pronoun, not a reflexive pronoun:
After
her.
Jim had the money with him.
• ¢ She put her bag next to to her. • ¢ Jim had the money with him.
She put her bag next
closely
verbs
pronoun when the
and
use
we
reflexive
a
subject
to
their
linked
After prepositions closely linked to their verbs we use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and
After prepositions
object refer to the same thing:
object refer to the same thing:
{not
himself,
him.)
...pleased with
He came out of the interview looking pleased with
• * He came out of the interview looking pleased with himself. {not ...pleased with him.)
+ prepositions like this include be ashamed of, believe in,
care about, do with,
hear
Other verb + prepositions like this include be ashamed of, believe in, care about, do with, hear
Other verb
at,
take
care
of.
after, look
about, look
about, look after, look at, take care of.
meet, repel. With some verbs we have to use with before each other / one another: other. marry,
the
or things
thing to
in which two
describe
same
do the
actions
or more
people
Some verbs describe actions in which two or more people or things do the same thing to the
Some verbs
We use
each
another with these:
other or one
other(s). We use each other or one another with these:
other(s).
another and started to laugh.
looked at each other / one
• ¢
We
We looked at each other / one another and started to laugh.
left out if the meaning is
1992.
('each other' is often
(each other)
in
Peter and Jenny met
• ¢ Peter and Jenny met (each other) in 1992. (‘each other' is often left out if the meaning is
from the
context)
clear
clear from the context)
attract,
avoid,
face, fight, help, kiss,
embrace,
complement,
Other verbs like this include
Other verbs like this include attract, avoid, complement, embrace, face, fight, help, kiss, marry,
repel.
With
verbs we
another:
some
have to use with
other / one
before
each
meet,
scheme
communicate with each
to
from many countries
allows students
The
The scheme allows students from many countries to communicate with each other.
• ¢
include
like this
compete,
coincide,
agree,
contrast,
co-operate,
collaborate,
Other verbs
Other verbs like this include agree, coincide, collaborate, compete, contrast, co-operate,
talk.
quarrel,
disagree, joke, mix,
disagree, joke, mix, quarrel, talk.