You can make a sentence clearer by knowing whether “herself” names the person receiving an action or simply adds emphasis. The distinction between reflexive and intensive pronouns helps you edit confidently, even though the two uses look exactly alike. To compare reflexive versus intensive pronouns, examine their jobs in a sentence rather than their spelling.
Reflexive vs intensive pronouns: Start with the job
A reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject and serves as an object or complement in its clause. An intensive pronoun emphasizes a noun or pronoun already present. Both use forms such as myself, yourself, herself, and themselves. Context tells you which function the word performs.
Consider this pair of invented examples:
- “Maya reminded herself to charge the recorder.” The subject, Maya, is also the person receiving the reminder. Here “herself” is a reflexive object of “reminded.”
- “Maya herself charged the recorder.” Maya is the subject; “herself” stresses that she did the charging. It is intensive.
In the first sentence, removing the pronoun leaves “Maya reminded to charge the recorder,” which lacks the person being reminded. In the second, “Maya charged the recorder” remains complete and retains the basic event. What disappears is the emphasis on Maya’s involvement.
Read the action before applying a test
When comparing intensive and reflexive pronouns, identify the subject and verb first. In “The reporters introduced themselves to the editor,” the reporters perform the introductions and are also the people introduced. “Themselves” is the verb’s object. It refers back to the subject and is reflexive.
Now try “The reporters themselves interviewed the mayor.” Remove “themselves,” and the sentence still tells you who interviewed whom. The extra word highlights the reporters, perhaps because someone expected an adviser to conduct the interview. This contrast is the heart of a reflexive vs intensive pronouns comparison: one form fills a role in the clause, while the other adds emphasis to a noun or pronoun.
A reflexive can also be the object of a preposition: “Jordan wrote a reminder to himself.” Jordan is both the writer and the recipient. The preposition “to” introduces the recipient; removing “himself” leaves “to” without its object. Do not confuse this with “Jordan himself wrote a reminder,” where “himself” emphasizes Jordan.
The deletion test is a clue, not a substitute for meaning. Some verbs can appear without an object in other contexts. “She washed herself” can become “She washed,” but the shorter version no longer explicitly names the person washed. In the original, “herself” is still the object. Ask what the word does in the sentence you have, not just whether some shorter sentence is possible.
Compare a personal pronoun
Ordinary personal pronouns such as me, her, and them can also be objects. Their reference changes the meaning:
- “Avery interviewed her.” Here “her” normally refers to another person in the context.
- “Avery recorded herself.” Avery is both the person recording and the person recorded.
- “Avery herself recorded the interview.” Avery did the recording; the pronoun emphasizes Avery.
The reflexive and intensive uses of pronouns share a form, but neither is a general-purpose replacement for an ordinary personal pronoun. In a straightforward sentence, write “The editor spoke to Sam and me,” not “Sam and myself,” when “me” is the object of “to.” You can test the choice by temporarily removing “Sam and”: “The editor spoke to me.”
Match the form to its referent: I pairs with myself, we with ourselves, and plural you with yourselves. Singular they may pair with themself or themselves, depending on the person’s preference and the publication’s style. Cambridge’s grammar guide offers more examples of these forms and their uses.
Practice with a newsroom draft
For each sentence, decide what the bold word does. Then correct the last example.
- “The photographer prepared herself for the interview.”
- “The photographer herself prepared the captions.”
- “The adviser sent the schedule to Leo and myself.” The speaker is not the adviser.
- “The team gave itself a deadline.”
Answers: In 1, “herself” is reflexive: the photographer is the person prepared. It is the object of “prepared.” In 2, it is intensive: the photographer prepared the captions, and the added word emphasizes who did it. In 3, use “Leo and me.” The speaker receives the schedule but is not the subject, so an ordinary object pronoun fits. In 4, “itself” is reflexive because the team is both giver and recipient.
These examples show how intensive and reflexive pronouns depend on the surrounding words. A reflexive vs intensive pronouns exercise becomes easier when you name the subject, trace the action, and then check the pronoun’s role. An intensive vs reflexive pronouns comparison also helps when a sentence sounds awkward: the question is whether the word supplies an object or adds emphasis.
A quick editing check
For a practical comparison of intensive versus reflexive pronouns, follow the sentence in order. Find the subject and verb. Does the -self word receive the action or complete a preposition while referring back to the subject? It is reflexive. Does it emphasize an existing noun or pronoun, with the basic sentence intact when removed? It is intensive. If the person receiving the action is someone else, consider an ordinary personal pronoun and make its reference clear.
