Verbs where the object refers back to the subject: reflexive verbs

PRODUCTIVE FEATURE 3.27 If an action usually involves two different people but you want to talk about a case where the same person is involved twice, you can use a reflexive pronoun as the object of a clause. For example, it is usual to blame someone else if something goes wrong, but you can say 'I blame myself for what happened' if you are the only person involved in the blaming.

Although a few verbs are typically used with reflexive pronouns, you can actually use a reflexive pronoun as the object of any transitive verb, when the meaning allows you to do so.

I blame myself for not paying attention.

She freed herself from my embrace.

After the meeting, he introduced himself to me.

I had decided to kill myself.

Don't deceive yourself.

We Americans must ask ourselves several questions.

The insect, in effect, is eating itself.

This is a productive feature of English. Productive features are explained in the Introduction.

Reflexive pronouns are explained in paragraphs 1.115 to 1.122.

3.23 Note that the verbs 'busy', 'content', and 'pride' are true reflexive verbs they must be used with a reflexive pronoun.

He had busied himself in the laboratory.

Conrad and I contented ourselves with expressing our relief.

He prides himself on his tidiness.

3.29 Another small group of verbs can only take an object which refers to a person when the object is a reflexive pronoun. For example, you can 'express an opinion' and you can 'express yourself', meaning that you can put ideas into words, but you cannot 'express a person'.

Professor Baxendale expressed himself very forcibly.

She enjoyed herself enormously.

He applied himself to learning how Parliament worked.

Here is a list of verbs which take a reflexive pronoun as their object when you refer to a person:

apply compose

distance enjoy

excel exert

express strain

3.30 Some verbs which normally do not have objects, because they involve only the performer of the action, can have a reflexive pronoun as their object if you want to emphasize that the subject is doing something that affects himself or herself. You can therefore say 'Bill washed himself' rather than 'Bill washed'.

I always wash five times a day.

Children were encouraged to wash themselves.

I stood in the kitchen while he shaved.

He prefers to shave himself before breakfast.

Ashton had behaved abominably.

He is old enough to behave himself like a gentleman.

The Eskimoes are adapting to change.

You've got to be willing to adapt yourself.

Here is a list of verbs which have senses in which you can use a reflexive pronoun for emphasis:

acclimatize adapt behave

dress hide move

readjust shave undress

wash

3.31 Note that reflexive pronouns are not used as much in English as in some other languages when talking about actions that you do to yourself.

As mentioned above, you would usually say 'I washed' rather than 'I washed myself' in English. Sometimes a noun group with a possessive is used instead. For example, you would say 'I combed my hair' rather than 'I combed myself'.

3.32 Note that refine verbs are not used in the passive.