Questions tagged [reflexives]
Questions about reflexive verbs and pronouns
131 questions
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
"Why should one cook their own food" <--- Why can you use "someone" and "they" but not "one" and "they"?
As I understand it, one and someone are both indefinite pronouns. But they get used differently:
Why should someone cook their own food?
Why should one cook one's own food?
While I might sometimes ...
- 496
1
vote
1
answer
69
views
Reflexive pronouns and prepositions of direction [duplicate]
Can you please explain the following?
She dragged it toward her. (Why not: She dragged it toward herself.)
He pulled her against him. (Why not: He pulled her against himself.)
I look around me. (But: ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
509
views
Is it normal to say "Allow myself to introduce myself"?
When Austin Powers says this phrase? Is it considered to be somewhat of an exception to normal use, like with,
Myself is often used where I or me might be expected,
Or was it more abnormal than that,...
user487296
1
vote
1
answer
465
views
Each other’s nose or each other’s noses?
Should it be singular or plural after “each other’s” here.
They touched each other’s nose.
They touched each other’s noses.
Are both correct?
John Lawler notes in another post that each other can ...
- 3,462
3
votes
0
answers
452
views
Research on Verbs that Require/Prohibit Reflexive Pronoun
In Huddleston & Pullum (2002, p. 1483-1499), there are a significant number of rules on how to use the reflexive pronoun in English, especially the verb domain reflexive, which mandates, allows, ...
18
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Did King Charles III use the pronoun "myself" correctly?
In his first televised Christmas message, the King said:
I am reminded of the deeply touching letters, cards and messages which
so many of you have sent my wife and myself and I cannot thank you
...
- 64.9k
1
vote
2
answers
154
views
To dance oneself
LCD Soundsystem sings about Danc(ing) Yrself clean, Sesame Street's muppets sing about Danc(ing) myself to sleep, Alice Cooper about Danc(ing) yourself to death and on its website the British Royal ...
- 113
1
vote
2
answers
689
views
'It's for your good' versus 'It's for your own good'
I'm wondering whether for your good is commonly used in English-speaking countries. For example,
Take the medicine. That's for your good.
If that is not grammatical or idiomatic for some reason, why ...
- 19
0
votes
0
answers
97
views
Can resign be followed by a to-infinitive?
I was looking at Wiktionary's list of catenative verbs and noticed the list was far from exhaustive. I added "deign," and, having finished reading the list, I was trying to think of others ...
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
43
views
Should it be "we animals" or "us animals"? [duplicate]
In the serialization of my book, I have this passage:
Brief introductions were made, although when Albert tried to tell them the names of we animals, they waved him off.
But now I'm wondering ...
0
votes
0
answers
34
views
making video of me answering questions vs making video of myself answering questions [duplicate]
I wonder what the correct use of the following phrase is?
I'm making the video of me answering several questions...
I thought that this was the only way to say it. However, I came up with an ...
- 153
0
votes
0
answers
35
views
Discovering their self and discovering themselves
In adolescence, teenagers discover their self. (as in the “self” with a possessive their)
OR
In adolescence, teenagers discover themselves (reflexive pronoun).
I think both are potentially acceptable. ...
- 728
0
votes
2
answers
503
views
Yourself vs By yourself/On your own
I'm confused with this sentence:
Do they give you the topic or can you choose it [...]
So my book says the correct answer is "yourself".
Is it grammatically incorrect to use "By ...
- 3
5
votes
1
answer
175
views
Why did the writer use "him", instead of "himself"? [closed]
On a visit one evening to Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife, Herman Melville, MobyDick author, told them a story of a fight he had witnessed on an island in the South Seas, in which one of the ...
- 71
2
votes
1
answer
160
views
Why "him" not "himself" [closed]
He felt anger rising inside him.
I saw this sentence in the OED; the definition indicates that "He" and "him" refer to the same person.
Under the circumstances, "himself"...
- 399
2
votes
1
answer
150
views
Are reflexive pronouns typically used in compound objects?
We can all agree that the reflexive pronoun in this sentence is necessary:I bought drinks for myself.
However, I cannot seem to find a definitive answer regarding the following sentence:I bought ...
- 23
-1
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Which reflexive or intensive pronoun should I use for an unknown person (himself, herself or itself)? [duplicate]
I want to reffer to a person whose gender I don't know.
Should I say a person himself/herself or a person itself?
Two examples below:
Reflexive: If someone wants to kill somebody else, then do it him/...
- 101
0
votes
1
answer
35
views
object pronounce "you" or "yourself" preceding primary object [closed]
We would like John and _____ (you/yourself) to come to the party
Regarding the above sentence, I've done quite a fair bit of Googling and still haven't found a substantial and satisfactory ...
- 211
1
vote
3
answers
899
views
Using "himself" in a sentence
In a book, I found this sentence.
Though dead for three years, the ghost of this scoundrel threatened greater harm to Sherlock Holmes than Professor Moriarty himself had done.
In this sentence, is "...
- 113
3
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Is "Me vs Me" grammatically correct? [closed]
What I want to say is that I compete with myself in short.
I was thinking that it could be
Me vs Me
I vs Me
I vs Myself
Which one is grammatically correct?
18
votes
1
answer
4k
views
-sen for -self in English: history and usage
In my class there is a gentleman from the north of England who uses "-sen" instead of "-self" in such words as "himself" ("himsen") and "myself" ("mysen").
As far as I can tell, he always uses "-sen" ...
- 1,851
4
votes
2
answers
352
views
Please put it on the rack above yourself
Why do we say
Could you please put it on the rack above you?
In other words, why is there no reflexive needed here?
Can we also say "above yourself”, that is, use a reflexive pronoun?
- 51
-2
votes
1
answer
4k
views
"By us" vs "by ourselves" [closed]
You can check our privacy policy for more details on how and why data
is collected by our partners and ourselves.
or
You can check our privacy policy for more details on how and why data
is ...
- 97
1
vote
2
answers
55k
views
"Including me" vs "Including myself" [duplicate]
Many of them, including me, have similar thoughts about that.
Many Koreans including myself weren't concerned about them at all.
I'm studying English and wondering how different they are.
Could ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
109
views
Are there verbs that are always reflexive besides "perjure"? [duplicate]
On a recent newscast on CNN, an analyst said,
Trump's lawyers want to avoid questions that might challenge his recollection and lead him to perjure himself.
Hearing this got me to thinking about ...
- 139
3
votes
1
answer
718
views
Is the reflexive pronoun in "he showed me myself" correct?
I heard an actor in a TV series say this:
He showed me myself (or to myself)
Is this slang or correct?
(He was shown a letter by his father earlier that day.)
If any of this is correct, please ...
- 211
1
vote
0
answers
103
views
bear oneself out
This is part of a TED talk "How the blockchain will radically transform the economy":
The last uncertainty that we often face is one of the most open-ended,
and it's reneging. What if you don't ...
- 7,316
2
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Have...going for one/oneself
There's this expression shown in Oxford:
have — going for one
Used to indicate how much someone has in their favour or to their advantage.
Why did she do it? She had so much going for her
In this ...
- 7,316
-1
votes
1
answer
462
views
How can I rephrase this sentence without "itself"? [closed]
I would like to know an alternative to using "itself" in this sentence, not forgoing the emphasis on today - which was added by including it.
"There is nothing that I have, which needs to be ...
- 101
5
votes
6
answers
8k
views
We Indians often say "I finished my homework today itself", which I know is wrong. Which is the correct way to say it?
We use 'itself' to emphasize that the homework was done today, not yesterday. Nor was it delayed till tomorrow. What is the correct way to emphasize the fact that the homework was done today?
- 91
1
vote
2
answers
939
views
Use of reflexive pronoun in an imperative sentence
I'm writing a letter for an attorney. I need to know which sentence is grammatically correct so he doesn't sound uneducated. Which sentence is more in accord with standard English?
Please have ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
135
views
Is there a name for the "impact instead of affect", "myself instead of me" phenomenon? [duplicate]
I'm sure there is much discussion (and lamentation!) on this site about the increasing use of impact as a verb in the place of affect, along with the use of the reflexive pronoun myself when the plain ...
- 51
0
votes
1
answer
307
views
"...questions that ended up creating a great learning experience for myself/me" [closed]
In the following sentence, should "for" be followed by "me" or "myself"?
John began asking questions that ended up creating a great learning experience for myself/me.
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
286
views
You cannot drink it by itself
Is this usage of by itself grammatical? I know it's OK in the following
sentences:
Will the dog be safe left in the car by itself? The door seemed to open
all by itself. The computer shuts off by ...
- 302
3
votes
1
answer
2k
views
"I knew this would interest you as much as it did me"
Is this the correct way to write this sentence? I thought about saying, "I knew this would interest you as much as it did myself", but wasn't sure if 'me' or 'myself' would be correct.
4
votes
2
answers
483
views
All along, all I was running away from was "me" or "myself"? [closed]
All along, all I was running away from was me.
All along, all I was running away from was myself.
Which is (more) correct?
I understand that if the sentence was simply "I was running away from me/...
- 49
1
vote
1
answer
490
views
"I have no sources to back me up" versus "back myself up"
In Latin, it is preferable to use the reflexive pronoun when appropriate. Is this also true of English?
For example, I recently wrote this sentence. "I have no sources to back me up." Would it be ...
- 2,848
0
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Between youself and I
I understand that myself and related pronouns are reflexive. I do not think the sentence:
"As a result of previous correspondence between you and me," sounds correct.
I would like to say "As a result ...
- 31
0
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Is "myself" an interjection? [duplicate]
I know that "myself" is a reflexive pronoun and can also be used for emphasis. When writing something to the tune of "I myself would love to go hiking." Wouldn't it be proper to use it as an ...
2
votes
1
answer
78
views
music can comfort yourself [closed]
My girlfriend and I (both being not native speakers) are arguing little bit about grammar used in this sentence.
"music and painting can comfort yourself and it can reduce your stress"
She wonders ...
- 163
1
vote
2
answers
6k
views
different from them vs. different from themselves
"Some people choose friends who are different from themselves, while others choose friends who are similar to themselves."
"Some people choose friends who are different from them, while ...
0
votes
0
answers
509
views
Word Usage - "Yourself"
Is is correct to use the word yourself as follows in a sentence?
Can you please set up a meeting tomorrow with Tom, Shaun, Rupert and yourself?
1
vote
2
answers
4k
views
When to use I Or Myself as the object of the sentence [closed]
Which is correct?
"I made lunch for my wife and I"
-or-
"I made lunch for my wife and myself"
--I hear both of them used.
- 318
6
votes
1
answer
929
views
Reflexive verbs
This question asks whether some verbs are used only with a reflexive pronouns as their object. The accepted answer lists "absent", "avail", "pride", and "content&...
- 2,564
1
vote
2
answers
140
views
Is "myself" okay in this sentence (grammar, style, etc.)?
I read some other questions about "me" vs. "myself". If I understood the answers right, "me" is correct or preferable in most cases. So my question is, is it okay to use "myself" in the following? ...
- 21.6k
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
"There is a picture of myself on the wall." Can a reflexive pronoun be used without an antecedent like this?
I need an answer for a question that has been bugging me for a while. So, I understand that reflexive pronouns needs to have a subject to refer to, or to be the reflection of. Then lately I've come ...
- 49
1
vote
3
answers
251
views
Sentences of the form "[A] knew this to be [A]'s weakness"
Consider the following sentence:
She knew this to be her weakness.
I've encountered a few sentences of this form in various sources, but none had both pronouns referring to the same subject. E.g.,...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
906
views
Who washes 'whomself'?
When asking a question using a reflexive pronoun which pronoun should be used?
My - and I imagine your - instinct is to use a gender neutral pronoun such as themselves or even more traditionally ...
- 7,135
9
votes
1
answer
407
views
Reflexive pronoun use when subject is a subset of the prepositional object
If a pronoun is in object position in a sentence, you don't normally use the reflexive form of the pronoun -
Sally bought a ticket for him.
unless the subject and object of the sentence are the same ...
- 397
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
"I feel myself unhappy" vs "I feel unhappy"
I feel myself unhappy.
The above sentence strikes me as somewhat peculiar.
What is the difference between "I feel myself unhappy" and "I feel unhappy"?
- 554