Writing Better English for ESL Learners

12. I still hope to visit Aunt Vera’sfamily in Spain.


13. Where are the mechanics’tools?

14.The animals’cages need to be cleaned out.

15. No one was aware ofProfessor Phillips’financial problems.

Reflexive Pronouns

A reflexive pronoun is easily identified by the ending -selffor a singular (myself,

yourself, himself, herself, itself ) and -selvesfor a plural (ourselves, yourselves,

themselves). It is the object acted upon by a pronoun subject of the same form.

Look at the following table:

SUBJECT PRONOUN OBJECT PRONOUN REFLEXIVE PRONOUN

I me myself

you (singular) you yourself

he him himself

she her herself

it it itself

we us ourselves

you (plural) you yourselves

they them themselves

If the subject acts upon an object that is a different pronoun, use an object

pronoun. If the subject and object are the same pronoun, use a reflexive pro-

noun. Look at these examples:

I protect you. I protect him. I protect them. I protect myself.

He helps me. He helps her. He helps us. He helps himself.

48 Writing Better English