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Grammatica
Pronouns A2 B1

Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns

Use myself-type pronouns for same-subject actions and each other for two-way relationships.

We vertalen de uitleg...
Voorlopig zie je de originele Engelse les.
Visuele uitleg

The mirror and the bridge

MIRROR or BRIDGE?

MIRROR = back to the same doer
(doer = the person/people doing the action)

    I  ───────────────►  myself
       action returns

    I cut myself.

BRIDGE = across to another person

    Maya ─────────────► Leo
    Leo  ─────────────► Maya
          two-way action

    Maya and Leo text each other every day.

Quick choice:
    back to the doer     →  -self / -selves
    between people       →  each other

If the action comes back to the same doer, use a -self word; if it goes both ways between people, use each other.

Introduction

Back to self or across to another

Reflexive pronouns are the myself family: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves. They usually show that the person or thing affected by the action is the same as the subject: I cut myself. Reciprocal pronouns are each other and one another. They show a two-way relation: Maya and Leo text each other every day. The key question is direction. Does the action come back to the subject, or does it go across between two or more people?
Core Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I cut myself.

Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object are the same person.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

cut myself
reflexive_object
The action returns to the subject I.
Leer als één geheel
Core Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

Maya and Leo text each other every day.

Use each other for a two-way relationship or action.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

text each other
reciprocal_relationship
The action goes both ways between Maya and Leo.
Leer als één geheel
Cognitive metaphor

The mirror and the bridge

A reflexive pronoun is like a mirror. The subject sends out an action, and the action comes back to the same subject: Nora blamed herself for the delay. A reciprocal pronoun is like a bridge. The action crosses between people or groups: Nora and Leo blamed each other after the meeting. If the action goes to a different person and does not come back, use a normal object pronoun or a name instead. This mirror-or-bridge picture solves most choices quickly.
Core Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A2 Neutral

Nora blamed herself for the delay.

The reflexive pronoun works like a mirror: the action comes back to the subject.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

blamed herself
reflexive_object
The subject Nora and the object herself are the same person.
Leer als één geheel
for the delay
reason_phrase
Shows the reason for the blame.
Contrast Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A2 Neutral

Nora and Leo blamed each other after the meeting.

The action crosses between two people, so use each other, not themselves.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

blamed each other
reciprocal_object
Each person blamed the other person.
Leer als één geheel
after the meeting
time_phrase
Gives the time context.
Form variations

The myself family

Reflexive forms agree with the subject. Use I with myself, you with yourself, he with himself, she with herself, it with itself, we with ourselves, plural you with yourselves, and they with themselves. The special point is you, because English uses you for one person and for more than one person. You should be proud of yourself means one listener. You two should be proud of yourselves means more than one listener. Choose the reflexive form from the subject, not from a nearby noun.
Core Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A2 Neutral

You should be proud of yourself.

Choose the reflexive form that agrees with the subject.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

be proud of
evaluation_phrase
A common adjective phrase with of.
yourself
reflexive_complement
Singular you uses yourself.
Leer als één geheel
Contrast Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A2 Neutral

You two should be proud of yourselves.

Use yourselves, not yourself, when you means more than one person.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

You two
plural_subject
Makes you clearly plural.
yourselves
plural_reflexive
Plural you uses yourselves.
Leer als één geheel
Core pattern

Reflexive sentence frames

The main reflexive pattern is subject plus verb plus reflexive object. Use it when the verb needs an object and the object is the subject again: He taught himself to cook. In questions and negatives, the reflexive pronoun stays in the same object position: Did you hurt yourself? I didn't enjoy myself at the party. Some verb phrases are very common with reflexives, such as teach yourself, hurt yourself, introduce yourself, and enjoy yourself. Learn these as useful action frames, not just as separate pronoun forms.
Core Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

He taught himself to cook.

Many verbs can take a reflexive object when someone acts on or for the same person.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

taught himself to cook
reflexive_learning_pattern
He learned without another teacher; himself is the object of taught.
Leer als één geheel
Question Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

Did you hurt yourself?

In questions, the reflexive pronoun stays with the verb pattern.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

hurt yourself
question_reflexive_object
The question asks whether you caused injury to you.
Leer als één geheel
Negative Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I didn't enjoy myself at the party.

Some common reflexive patterns are best learned as chunks, such as enjoy myself.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

didn't
negative_auxiliary
Forms the past negative.
enjoy myself
fixed_reflexive_phrase
Enjoy oneself means have a good time.
Leer als één geheel
at the party
place_time_phrase
Shows where the experience happened.
Sentence xray

Object, emphasis, and useful chunks

A reflexive pronoun can also add emphasis or appear in common preposition chunks. In She made the dress herself, herself means without help or personally; the basic sentence still works without it. In I live by myself, by myself means alone. In Check the answer for yourself, for yourself means personally, with your own eyes or judgment. When the reflexive only adds emphasis, it often comes after the noun it emphasizes or at the end of the clause. Do not confuse this emphasis use with a required object.
Core Grammatica B1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

She made the dress herself.

A reflexive pronoun can add emphasis; it does not always function as an object.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

made the dress
completed_action
The basic action is complete without herself.
herself
emphatic_reflexive
Means without help or personally.
Leer als één geheel
Core Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

I live by myself.

By myself is a common practical chunk meaning alone.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

by myself
alone_chunk
By myself means alone.
Leer als één geheel
Spoken Grammatica B1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

Check the answer for yourself.

For yourself is useful when someone should see, test, or decide personally.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

Check the answer
imperative_action
The main instruction.
for yourself
personal_verification_chunk
For yourself means personally, with your own direct check.
Leer als één geheel
Core pattern

Reciprocal sentence frames

Use each other or one another when two or more people, animals, or groups are connected in both directions. The subject must normally be plural or contain two parts. Each other is the most common everyday choice. One another has the same basic meaning and can sound a little more formal, especially with groups. Each other can also come after a preposition: Do the twins share clothes with each other? Use each other's before a noun for reciprocal possession: We know each other's parents. A negative works normally: They don't trust one another yet.
Question Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

Do the twins share clothes with each other?

Each other can be the object of a preposition.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

the twins
plural_subject
Each other needs two or more participants.
with each other
reciprocal_prepositional_phrase
Shows sharing between the two twins.
Leer als één geheel
Negative Grammatica B1 Woordenschat A2 Neutral

They don't trust one another yet.

One another has the same basic meaning as each other in modern English.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

don't trust
negative_verb
Shows a negative relationship.
one another
reciprocal_pronoun
One another is a reciprocal pronoun, often a little more formal.
Leer als één geheel
yet
time_adverb
Shows the situation may change later.
Core Grammatica B1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

We know each other's parents.

Use each other's before a noun for reciprocal possession or relationship.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

each other's parents
reciprocal_possessive
Shows possession or connection across two people or groups.
Leer als één geheel
Contrast

Themselves or each other

The closest confusion is themselves versus each other. Both can follow a plural subject, but the direction is different. The players blamed themselves after the loss means each player blamed himself or herself, or the group blamed the group. The players blamed each other after the loss means different players blamed different players. Use a reflexive pronoun when the action returns to the same person or group. Use each other or one another when the action crosses between members of the subject.
Contrast Grammatica B1 Woordenschat A2 Neutral

The players blamed themselves after the loss.

Themselves sends the action back to the subject.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

The players
plural_subject
A plural subject can use either themselves or each other, but the meaning changes.
blamed themselves
reflexive_group_meaning
Each player blamed himself or herself, or the group blamed the group.
Leer als één geheel
after the loss
time_context
Gives the situation.
Contrast Grammatica B1 Woordenschat A2 Neutral

The players blamed each other after the loss.

Each other sends the action across the group.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

The players
plural_subject
A plural subject can use a reciprocal pronoun.
blamed each other
reciprocal_group_meaning
The blame moved between different players.
Leer als één geheel
after the loss
time_context
Gives the situation.
Danger zone

Common overuse mistakes

Do not use myself just to sound polite or formal. Mistake: Please call myself later. Corrected: Please call me later. The understood subject is you, so me is the normal object. Also do not add a reflexive after feel when feel means be or seem. Mistake: I feel myself tired. Corrected: I feel tired. English often leaves out the object for routine self-care actions: He shaved. Adding a reflexive there is possible only when the object is important, unusual, or contrasted with someone helping.
Mistake Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

Please call myself later.

Myself is not a polite replacement for me when the subject is not I.

Corrected Grammatica A2 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

Please call me later.

Use an object pronoun when the subject and object are different.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

call me
normal_object_pronoun
The understood subject is you, so the object is me, not myself.
Leer als één geheel
later
time_adverb
Says when to call.
Exception Grammatica B1 Woordenschat A1 Neutral

He shaved.

English does not always use a reflexive pronoun for actions done to your own body.

Bouwstenen

Lees de zin in woordgroepen, niet woord voor woord.

shaved
no_object_self_care
Routine self-care often uses no reflexive object in English.
Leer als één geheel
Summary

Fast decision guide

Choose by asking four quick questions. If the object is the same person or thing as the subject, use a myself-type pronoun. If two or more people do the action to, for, or with one another, use each other or one another. If the pronoun is only a normal object and the subject is different, use me, you, him, her, it, us, or them. If the pronoun only means personally or without help, use the reflexive as emphasis, often at the end.
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