Workshop on Reflexive and Reciprocal Pronouns

1. Reflexive and Reciprocal
Pronouns and Verbs
Wederkerende en Wederkerige
voornaamwoorden en werkwoorden

2. Reciprocal Pronouns (Wederkerig) Reflexive Pronouns (Wederkerend)
myself
yourself
himself / herself
itself
ourselves
yourselves
themselves
each other (2 people)
one another (3 or
more people)

3. Underline the reciprocal or reflexive
pronouns. Then draw an arrow to the subject
the pronouns refers to.

4. Reflexive Pronouns 1
• Use when the subject and object are the same
person.
– Hanna looked at herself in the mirror.
– I can’t help myself! I love chocolate!
• If you give orders, use yourself or yourselves
– Be careful. Don’t hurt yourself, Timmy.
– Push yourselves, guys! Play hard!
– Help yourself to some food.

5. Reflexive Pronouns 2
• You can use reflexive pronouns to emphasize
the noun.
– I myself love chocolate.
– English itself is very difficult. There are so many
rules!
• Be + (-self) = act in the normal way.
– She shouldn’t be nervous! She should be herself.
• By + (-self) = alone
– That’s sad! Jima always eats by himself.

6. Practice Examples
1. When we do “self-talk,” we talk to
_________. Sara and Tom talk to __________
in different ways.
2. Sara works out and keeps ________ fit. She
tells _______ that her problems will get
better.
3. Tom spends all his time at home by _______.
He doesn’t allow ____________ to have a
good time. He doesn’t blame the problem
__________. Tom’s doctor said, “Treat
__________ better, Tom!”
Complete the
sentences with the
correct reflexive
pronouns:
myself
yourself
yourselves
ourselves
themselves
itself
herself
himself

7. Practice Examples
1. When we do “self-talk,” we talk to
_________. Sara and Tom talk to __________
in different ways.
2. Sara works out and keeps ________ fit. She
tells _______ that her problems will get
better.
3. Tom spends all his time at home by _______.
He doesn’t allow ____________ to have a
good time. He doesn’t blame the problem
__________. Tom’s doctor said, “Treat
__________ better, Tom!”
ourselves themselves
herself
herself
himself
himself
itself
yourself
Complete the
sentences with the
correct reflexive
pronouns:
myself
yourself
yourselves
ourselves
themselves
itself
herself
himself

8. Reciprocal Pronouns
• Use reciprocal pronouns when the subject and
object are the same people, but you’re
referring to the two-way relationship.
– 2 people:
• Tom and Sara work with each other.
– 3 or more people:
• Work in a group. Help one another.
• When my family had dinner, we told one another about
our jobs.

9. Practice Examples
• Sara is calm, but Tom is stressed out.
Tom and Sara have very different
reactions from _________. When
they talk to _________, they are very
different.
• At work, Sara is comfortable with her
co-workers. They help ___________.
Tom is very stressed at work. He and
his co-workers do not work well with
_____________.
Complete the
sentences with the
correct reciprocal
pronouns:
each other
one another

10. Practice Examples
• Sara is calm, but Tom is stressed out.
Tom and Sara have very different
reactions from _________. When
they talk to _________, they are very
different.
• At work, Sara is comfortable with her
co-workers. They help ___________.
Tom is very stressed at work. He and
his co-workers do not work well with
_____________.
Complete the
sentences with the
correct reciprocal
pronouns:
each other
one another
each other
each other
one another
one another

11. NOTICE!
• Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns
have opposite meanings.
– Tom and Sara helped themselves.
– Tom and Sara helped each other.

12. What’s the difference?
I did it by myself: I did it on my own,
without any help
I did it myself: I did it; the myself is strictly
superfluous (overbodig), but is used to
emphasise that it was me and not anyone
else

13. ourselves
myself
yourself
be + - self = be normal

14. each other
myself
ourselves
herself
themselves
ourselves
by + - self = alone
repeats to emphasize
the subject

15. wederkerend in het Nederlands, niet in het Engels
Bijvoorbeeld: zich concentreren - to concentrate en dus niet:
*to concentrate oneself
Zo ook:
• zich aankleden – to dress
• zich aanpassen – to adapt
• zich afvragen – to wonder
• zich ergeren – to be annoyed
• zich gedragen – to behave
• zich haasten – to hurry
• zich herinneren – to remember
• zich inschrijven – to register
• zich melden – to report
• zich veroorloven – to afford
• zich voelen – to feel

16. Het Engels heeft niet veel zuiver wederkerende
werkwoorden: werkwoorden die alleen wederkerend
gebruikt worden. Hieronder vindt u er een paar.
• to absent oneself from = wegblijven van
(bijzonder formeel)
• to busy oneself with = ergens mee in de weer zijn
• to content oneself with = genoegen nemen met
• to pride oneself on = zich beroepen op, zich
bogen op

17. Veel werkwoorden kunnen wel of niet wederkerend
gebruikt worden. Hieronder vindt u er een paar:
• to deny oneself (jezelf onthouden van)
• to distance oneself from (afstand doen van)
• to enjoy oneself (zich vermaken)
• to express oneself (zich uitdrukken)
• to kid oneself (idiomatic) (jezelf voor de gek houden)
• to repeat oneself (jezelf herhalen)