Personal Object Pronouns
* Definition: These pronouns are used as the objects of verbs or prepositions. They receive the action of the verb.
* Examples: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
* I gave him the book. (Him is the object of the verb "gave")
* She spoke to me. (Me is the object of the preposition "to")
Reflexive Pronouns
* Definition: These pronouns reflect back to the subject of the sentence, indicating that the subject is both performing and receiving the action. They usually emphasize that the subject is acting on itself.
* Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
* She hurt herself while playing.
* They built themselves a treehouse.
Intensive Pronouns
* Definition: These pronouns emphasize the noun or pronoun they refer to. They are often used to add extra emphasis, though they aren't technically necessary for the sentence to make sense.
* Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
* The president himself addressed the nation.
* I painted the mural myself.
Key Differences:
* Object pronouns: Receive the action of the verb or preposition.
* Reflexive pronouns: Reflect the action back to the subject.
* Intensive pronouns: Emphasize the subject, but are not essential to the sentence's meaning.
It's important to note:
* Reflexive and intensive pronouns use the same forms. The context of the sentence determines whether it's a reflexive or intensive pronoun.
Examples to Help Distinguish:
* Reflexive: I myself baked the cake. (Emphasis on the subject doing the action)
* Intensive: I baked the cake myself. (Emphasis on the subject, not essential to the sentence)
Hopefully, this clarifies the differences between personal object, reflexive, and intensive pronouns!