What Is a Reflexive Pronoun? Rules and Examples

Have you ever said, “I taught myself guitar”? Or maybe, “She looked at herself in the mirror”? If you have, you’ve used a reflexive pronoun without even knowing it!

In this post, you’ll learn what reflexive pronouns are and how to use them. You’ll see easy examples, learn common rules, and practice with fun exercises. By the end, you’ll know how to use reflexive pronouns like a pro!

What Is a Reflexive Pronoun?

A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same person or thing. It means the action goes back to the person who does it.

Example:
I taught myself to cook.
(In the above example, “I” is the subject and “myself” goes back to “I”)

Reflexive pronouns are made by adding “-self” for one person and “-selves” for more than one.

They have two main jobs:

1. To show that the action goes back to the subject. 
2. To give emphasis 

List of Reflexive Pronouns in English

Here’s a quick and clear list of all reflexive pronouns:

Reflexive Pronoun vs Emphatic Pronoun

Sometimes reflexive pronouns are used not to reflect but to emphasize the subject.
When used this way, they’re called emphatic pronouns.

Example Comparison:

So, both reflexive and emphatic pronouns look the same but function differently in a sentence.

Rules and Uses of Reflexive Pronouns

To use reflexive pronouns well, you must know their simple rules. Let’s look at each one with easy examples.

1. When the Subject and Object Are the Same

We use a reflexive pronoun when the doer and the receiver of the action are the same.

Pattern:
Subject + Verb + Reflexive Pronoun

Examples:

• I cut myself while cooking. 
• She taught herself French. 
• The dog cleaned itself. 

This is the most common use. The action “reflects” back to the subject.

2. After Some Verbs and Prepositions

Some verbs and prepositions need a reflexive pronoun because the action goes back to the subject.

Common verbs: enjoy, hurt, introduce, teach, blame, prepare, express, pride, avail

Examples:

• We enjoyed ourselves at the party. 
• He blamed himself for the mistake. 
• She prepared herself for the test. 
• They introduced themselves to the new teacher. 

3. To Add Emphasis

Sometimes, we use reflexive pronouns to stress who did the action.
Here, the action does not reflect back — it just adds focus.

Examples:

• The manager himself approved the project. 
• I myself saw the event. 
• The president herself joined the meeting.
  

Notes:
If you remove the reflexive pronoun, the sentence still makes sense. That means it’s used for emphasis, not reflection.

4. To Show Independence

Use reflexive pronouns to show that someone does something alone or without help.

Examples:

• I did it all by myself. 
• The child can dress himself now. 
• We built the treehouse ourselves. 

5. Avoid Common Mistakes

Some learners use reflexive pronouns where they are not needed.
Don’t do that!

 Wrong: My mother and I went shopping.
  Right: My mother and I went shopping.

Reflexive pronouns can’t replace subjects or normal objects.
They only reflect the subject.

100 Example Sentences of Reflexive Pronouns

Below are 100 examples categorized by pronoun types.

Reflexive Pronoun: Myself 

1. I cut myself while slicing bread. 
2. I taught myself to play the guitar. 
3. I told myself to stay calm. 
4. I prepared myself for the worst. 
5. I can express myself clearly. 
6. I bought myself a new phone. 
7. I treated myself to ice cream. 
8. I hurt myself during practice. 
9. I saw myself in the mirror. 
10. I reminded myself of the rules. 

Reflexive Pronoun: Yourself 

1. You should be proud of yourself. 
2. You can help yourself to snacks. 
3. Don’t blame yourself for everything. 
4. Did you enjoy yourself at the concert? 
5. You need to take care of yourself. 
6. You should express yourself freely. 
7. You hurt yourself while running, didn’t you? 
8. You’ll find yourself in trouble if you lie. 
9. You can’t do it all by yourself. 
10. You introduced yourself very well. 

Reflexive Pronoun: Himself 

1. He hurt himself playing football. 
2. He looked at himself in the mirror. 
3. He taught himself Spanish online. 
4. He blamed himself for the failure. 
5. He cooked himself dinner. 
6. He cut himself accidentally. 
7. He praised himself too much. 
8. He defended himself bravely. 
9. He congratulated himself on the success. 
10. He introduced himself to everyone. 

 Reflexive Pronoun: Herself 

1. She taught herself to draw. 
2. She hurt herself on the stairs. 
3. She looked at herself in the mirror. 
4. She blamed herself for missing the bus. 
5. She dressed herself quickly. 
6. She prepared herself for the exam. 
7. She told herself it would be okay. 
8. She congratulated herself for finishing early. 
9. She bought herself a new dress. 
10. She enjoyed herself at the beach. 

Reflexive Pronoun: Itself

1. The cat licked itself clean. 
2. The door closed itself suddenly. 
3. The computer restarted itself. 
4. The machine turned off itself. 
5. The company reinvented itself after the crisis. 
6. The toy repaired itself magically. 
7. The snake coiled itself around the branch. 
8. The system updated itself overnight. 
9. The organization prides itself on innovation. 
10. The car parked itself perfectly. 

Reflexive Pronoun: Ourselves 

1. We taught ourselves to code. 
2. We introduced ourselves to the host. 
3. We hurt ourselves during training. 
4. We enjoyed ourselves at the picnic. 
5. We reminded ourselves of our goals. 
6. We can handle it ourselves. 
7. We congratulated ourselves on the win. 
8. We expressed ourselves clearly. 
9. We entertained ourselves with games. 
10. We blamed ourselves for the delay. 

Reflexive Pronoun: Yourselves 

1. You all should be proud of yourselves. 
2. Did you enjoy yourselves last night? 
3. You introduced yourselves beautifully. 
4. Please make yourselves comfortable. 
5. You prepared yourselves well for the event. 
6. You can’t blame yourselves forever. 
7. You told yourselves the truth, right? 
8. You managed yourselves without help. 
9. Help yourselves to the food. 
10. You should express yourselves more. 

Reflexive Pronoun: Themselves 

1. They introduced themselves to the team. 
2. They hurt themselves climbing the wall. 
3. They taught themselves to dance. 
4. They congratulated themselves after the show. 
5. They organized themselves into groups. 
6. They dressed themselves in costumes. 
7. They found themselves in danger. 
8. They reminded themselves of their mission. 
9. They enjoyed themselves thoroughly. 
10. They blamed themselves for the loss. 

Mixed Examples

1. I can take care of myself just fine. 
2. Don’t talk to yourself out loud! 
3. He told himself to stay calm. 
4. She saw herself on television. 
5. The bird freed itself from the cage. 
6. We congratulated ourselves on finishing early. 
7. You should be kind to yourselves. 
8. They taught themselves everything they know. 
9. I hurt myself with a sharp knife. 
10. She bought herself flowers. 
11. He looked at himself with pride. 
12. The cat cleaned itself after eating. 
13. We told ourselves not to give up. 
14. They found themselves lost in the city. 
15. You can help yourself to coffee. 
16. She reminded herself of her promise. 
17. I introduced myself to the class. 
18. We entertained ourselves during the storm. 
19. He cut himself shaving. 
20. They blamed themselves for forgetting the keys. 

Reflexive Pronoun Exercises with Answers

Ready to test your understanding? Try these exercises before checking the answers below.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct reflexive pronoun

1. I made ___ a cup of coffee. 
2. She taught ___ to play piano. 
3. The dog scratched ___. 
4. We introduced ___ to our new neighbors. 
5. You should take care of ___. 
6. He blames ___ for the mistake. 
7. The children enjoyed ___ at the park. 
8. They organized ___ into teams. 
9. I cut ___ while chopping vegetables. 
10. You all should be proud of ___. 

Answers

1. myself 
2. herself 
3. itself 
4. ourselves 
5. yourself 
6. himself 
7. themselves 
8. themselves 
9. myself 
10. yourselves 

Exercise 2: Identify whether the reflexive pronoun is used correctly

Write “✅ Correct” or “❌ Incorrect” for each sentence.

1. She looked at herself in the mirror. 
2. Myself went to the store yesterday. 
3. He hurt himself while playing basketball. 
4. You should blame yourself for this. 
5. The cat cleaned themselves. 
6. We taught ourselves to swim. 
7. The teacher and myself went to the meeting. 
8. They introduced themselves to the audience. 
9. She herself cooked the dinner. 
10. It fixed itself automatically. 

Answers

1. ✅ Correct 
2. ❌ Incorrect → “I went to the store yesterday.” 
3. ✅ Correct 
4. ✅ Correct 
5. ❌ Incorrect → “The cat cleaned itself.” 
6. ✅ Correct 
7. ❌ Incorrect → “The teacher and I went to the meeting.” 
8. ✅ Correct 
9. ✅ Correct (emphatic use) 
10. ✅ Correct 

Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Option

(Select the reflexive pronoun that best completes each sentence.)

1. He prepared (himself / hisself) for the speech. 
2. We enjoyed (ourselves / ourself) at the festival. 
3. The baby fed (itself / himself). 
4. You must respect (yourself / yourselves). 
5. They blamed (themself / themselves) for being late. 

Answers

1. himself 
2. ourselves 
3. itself 
4. yourself / yourselves (depends on singular/plural “you”) 
5. themselves 

FAQs about Reflexive Pronouns

1. What is the rule of reflexive pronouns?

The rule is simple: use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object are the same person or thing.
Example: She taught herself Spanish.

2. How do you teach reflexive pronouns?

Start with personal pronouns (I, you, he), then show how reflexive forms are created by adding -self or -selves.
Use visuals, examples, and games—like matching pronouns to their reflexive forms (myself, yourself, himself).

3. What is the reflexive relation rule?

It’s the grammatical rule that the action of the verb reflects back on the subject.
Example: He hurt himself while running.

4. What are the 4 basic reflexive pronouns?

The four most commonly used reflexive pronouns in basic English are:
myself, yourself, himself, herself.
However, in total, there are eight ( “themself” for singular they).

5.How do you teach pronouns step by step?

1. Start with personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, we, they). 
2. Move to possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers). 
3. Introduce reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, themselves).
   
   

6. How do you use reflexive pronouns in a sentence?

Place the reflexive pronoun after the verb or preposition when the subject does something to itself.
Examples:

• I cut myself while cooking. 
• She looked at herself in the mirror. 
• We enjoyed ourselves at the party. 

Conclusion

Reflexive pronouns are not hard once you learn them. They just show that the action goes back to the person doing it. When you say “I taught myself” or “They congratulated themselves,” you are using English like a pro!