Zorg Spacemyself, yourself and each other
The rule
Use a reflexive — myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves — when the person doing the action and the person receiving it are the same: I cut myself, She taught herself to drive. by myself means alone with no help. Use each other when two people do the same thing to one another: They help each other, which is not the same as They help themselves. Careful: English does not make wash, shave, feel or concentrate reflexive — I feel better, never I feel myself better.
subject + verb + …self · by myself = alone · each other = one to the other
Examples
I cut myself on a tin lid.
She taught herself to play the guitar.
They have known each other since school.
I painted the whole room by myself.
Common mistakes
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Wrong: I feel myself much better today.
Right: I feel much better today.
feel is not reflexive in English.
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Wrong: They looked at themselves and smiled at the news.
Right: They looked at each other and smiled at the news.
Two people acting on one another take each other.
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Wrong: He hurt hisself on the ladder.
Right: He hurt himself on the ladder.
The form is himself; hisself does not exist.
Practice questions
Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.
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1Choose the correct sentence.
- She burnt hers on the oven door.
- She burnt she on the oven door.
- She burnt himself on the oven door.
- She burnt herself on the oven door.
Show answer
Answer: D She burnt herself on the oven door.
The reflexive must match the subject.
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2Choose the correct sentence.
- My parents write to theirselves every week.
- My parents write to each others every week.
- My parents write to themselves every week.
- My parents write to each other every week.
Show answer
Answer: D My parents write to each other every week.
Two people writing to one another take each other.
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3Choose the correct sentence.
- The children dressed theirselves this morning.
- The children dressed each other this morning by mistake.
- The children dressed himself this morning.
- The children dressed themselves this morning.
Show answer
Answer: D The children dressed themselves this morning.
Plural subject takes themselves.
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4Choose the correct sentence.
- I made the whole meal by myself.
- I made the whole meal by mineself.
- I made the whole meal by me.
- I made the whole meal by my own self.
Show answer
Answer: A I made the whole meal by myself.
by myself means with no help.
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5Fill in the gap.
Help _____ to more rice.
- yours
- you
- yourself
- youself
Show answer
Answer: C Help yourself to more rice.
The polite offer at a table uses the reflexive.
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6Fill in the gap.
They blamed _____ for the mistake, not the team.
- themselves
- each other
- them
- theirselves
Show answer
Answer: A They blamed themselves for the mistake, not the team.
The blame turns back on the same people.
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7Fill in the gap.
The two brothers phone _____ every Sunday.
- themselves
- each others
- each other
- ourselves
Show answer
Answer: C The two brothers phone each other every Sunday.
Each phones the other, so each other.
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8Fill in the gap.
Did you fix the tap _____?
- yours
- themselves
- youself
- yourself
Show answer
Answer: D Did you fix the tap yourself?
For emphasis on who did it, the reflexive follows the object.
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9Put the words in the right order.
We enjoyed ourselves at the wedding
Show answer
Answer: We enjoyed ourselves at the wedding.
enjoy needs an object, and here it is the reflexive.
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10Put the words in the right order.
They have helped each other for years
Show answer
Answer: They have helped each other for years.
each other is two words and never takes an -s.
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