IXL | Is the pronoun reflexive or intensive?

Is the pronoun in bold reflexive or intensive?

Have you ever noticed that you mutter to yourself when you're concentrating?

reflexive

intensive

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question

Is the pronoun in bold reflexive or intensive?

Have you ever noticed that you mutter to yourself when you're concentrating?

reflexive

intensive

key idea

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence or clause in which they appear. They are always objects of a verb or preposition.

Did Sarah save any of the cookies for herself?

The reflexive pronoun herself refers back to the subject, Sarah, and it is the object of the preposition for.

Intensive pronouns emphasize, or intensify, the noun or pronoun they refer to. They can refer to any noun or pronoun in the sentence, not just a subject. Intensive pronouns are used for emphasis only — they are not objects of verbs or prepositions.

No one else was home, so I brought in the groceries myself.

The intensive pronoun myself emphasizes the pronoun I.

After waiting in line all afternoon, we were finally able to meet the queen herself.

The intensive pronoun herself emphasizes the noun queen.

One way to tell if a pronoun is reflexive or intensive is to try replacing it with an object pronoun, like me, her, or us. If you can replace it with an object pronoun and still have a complete sentence, it is reflexive. If you can't, it is intensive.

Did Sarah save any of the cookies for herself?

Did Sarah save any of the cookies for him?

You can replace herself with the object pronoun him and still have a sentence. This tells you that the pronoun is reflexive.

No one else was home, so I brought in the groceries myself.

No one else was home, so I brought in the groceries her.

You can't replace myself with the object pronoun her. The second sentence doesn't work. This tells you that the pronoun is intensive.

solution

The pronoun yourself refers to the subject you. You can replace yourself with an object pronoun, so it is a reflexive pronoun.

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