Reflexive Pronouns – Guide with Examples for ESL Learners

Reflexive pronouns might look tricky at first, but they’re actually easy once you get the hang of them. In this guide, you’ll learn what reflexive pronouns are, how to use them correctly, and see clear examples to help you feel more confident.

What is a reflexive pronoun?

A reflexive pronoun is a type of pronoun used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same. It shows that the action is reflected back to the person or thing doing it. Reflexive pronouns are an important part of English grammar and are often used in everyday communication.

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of a sentence. They’re easy to spot because they end in either ‘self’ or ‘selves’. Let’s start by learning them.

Reflexive Pronouns List

So, here’s a list of all the reflexive pronouns you need to learn.

Subject Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun
I	myself
you (singular)	yourself
he	himself
she	herself
it	itself
we	ourselves
you (plural)	yourselves
they	themselves

Singular and Plural Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns can be singular or plural, and it’s easy to tell which is which. If a reflexive pronoun ends in self, it is singular. If it ends in selves, it is plural. The subject and the object must always match in number and person for the sentence to be correct.

For example, we say herself when the subject is singular, but themselves when the subject is plural. Keeping the subject and reflexive pronoun in agreement is an important part of using them correctly.

Here’s some more examples:

I hate myself.
You hate yourself.
He hates himself.
She hates herself.
It hates itself.
We hate ourselves.
You hate yourselves.
They hate themselves.

Why Reflexive Pronouns Are Essential in a Sentence

An important point to remember is this: if you remove the reflexive pronoun from a sentence, it won’t make sense. I’ll show you what I mean…

Let’s look at the sentence:
“I’ve given a few more hours to finish the invoices.”

Given who a few more hours? The sentence doesn’t make sense without a reflexive pronoun.

Let’s include the reflexive pronoun, and it will become a perfectly functioning sentence.

For example:
I’ve given myself a few more hours to finish the invoices.

Reflexive and Non-reflexive Pronouns

Sentences can use either reflexive or non-reflexive pronouns, depending on whether the subject and object are the same or different.

For example:

We blame ourselves.
Here, the subject and object are the same, so the sentence uses a reflexive pronoun.
We blame them.
In this sentence, the subject and object are different, so a non-reflexive pronoun is used.

Understanding this difference helps you use reflexive pronouns correctly in your sentences.

Here’s a few more examples for you.

Reflexive Pronouns	Non-reflexive Pronouns
We blame ourselves.	We blame them.
She taught herself.	She taught him.
They prepared themselves.	They prepared us.
I reminded myself.	I reminded you.
He hurt himself.	He hurt him.
You should be proud of yourselves.	You should be proud of them.

reflexive and non-reflexive pronouns example.

Reflexive Pronoun Examples

Below are some reflexive pronoun examples to help you understand how they work in real life. Each example comes with a relatable, real-life picture to make it even easier to remember. Take a look and see how reflexive pronouns reflect the action back to the subject!

I’m so proud of myself.