Reflexive Pronouns
* Function: They reflect the action back to the subject of the sentence. They are essential for the sentence to make sense.
* Placement: They usually come directly after the verb or preposition they refer to.
* Examples:
* "She herself cooked the entire meal." (The pronoun "herself" refers back to "she" and shows that she cooked the meal for herself)
* "The children hid themselves behind the couch." (The pronoun "themselves" refers back to "children" and shows they were hiding from someone else)
Intensive Pronouns
* Function: They emphasize or strengthen the subject of the sentence. They are not essential for the sentence to make sense.
* Placement: They usually come right after the noun or pronoun they emphasize.
* Examples:
* "The president himself delivered the speech." (The pronoun "himself" emphasizes that the president, and not someone else, delivered the speech)
* "I did it myself." (The pronoun "myself" emphasizes that the speaker, and not anyone else, did the action)
How to Tell the Difference
1. Remove the pronoun: If the sentence still makes sense without the pronoun, it's likely an intensive pronoun. If the sentence doesn't make sense, it's likely a reflexive pronoun.
2. Look for emphasis: Intensive pronouns emphasize the subject. Reflexive pronouns don't.
Examples:
* Reflexive: "The cat washed itself." (The sentence wouldn't make sense without "itself")
* Intensive: "The cat washed itself clean." (The sentence would still make sense without "itself", but the pronoun emphasizes that the cat was thorough)
Quick Tip: Think of "myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves" as the "self" pronouns. If the sentence needs the "self" pronoun to make sense, it's reflexive. If the "self" pronoun is just adding emphasis, it's intensive.