Reflexive Pronouns: A2 Exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. I cut ___ while I was chopping onions. → myself

The subject and the object are the same person, so a reflexive is required.

2. Help ___ to more cake, everyone. → yourselves

Everyone here means more than one person, so the plural form is used.

3. She taught ___ to play the piano. → herself

The teacher and the learner are the same person.

4. The two brothers help ___ with the farm work. → each other

The help goes between them, so each other is correct.

5. Which sentence is correct? → I feel tired.

Feel is one of the verbs English never uses with a reflexive.

6. He lives ___ in a small flat by the river. → by himself

By + reflexive means alone or without company.

7. They blamed ___ for the mistake. → themselves

Themselves is the plural third-person form; theirselves does not exist.

8. Did you paint the kitchen ___ ? → yourself

Addressing one person, and the emphatic use means without help.

9. The door closed ___ in the wind. → itself

Objects and things have no gender, so the reflexive form is itself.

10. We enjoyed ___ enormously at the festival. → ourselves

Enjoy takes a reflexive in English, and we is plural.

11. Which sentence means they wrote letters to one another? → They wrote to each other.

Each other shows the action crossing between two people.

12. I made ___ a sandwich before leaving. → myself

The person making and the person receiving are the same.

13. Be careful — you'll hurt ___ on that step. → yourself

Addressing one person, so the singular reflexive is used.

14. The manager ___ apologised to the customer. → himself

The emphatic reflexive stresses that it was the manager in person.

15. Which verb does NOT take a reflexive pronoun in English? → concentrate

Concentrate stands alone: I need to concentrate, not I concentrate myself.

16. The children dried ___ after swimming. → themselves

Each child dried their own body, so the reflexive is used.

17. She walked home ___ at two in the morning. → by herself

By + reflexive means alone.

18. Introduce ___ to the group, please. → yourself

In an imperative, the understood subject is you, so the reflexive is yourself.

19. Which sentence is wrong? → He shaved hisself.

Hisself is not an English word; the correct form is himself.

20. Ali and Nur have known ___ since school. → each other

The knowing goes in both directions, which is what each other expresses.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. I burnt ___ on the oven door. → myself

The subject and the object are the same person.

2. Please help ___ to the biscuits, Maria. → yourself

One person is being addressed, so the singular form is used.

3. He introduced ___ to the whole class. → himself

Himself is the third-person masculine reflexive.

4. The two neighbours often lend ___ tools. → each other

The lending goes in both directions, so each other is required.

5. We booked the whole trip ___ without an agency. → ourselves

The emphatic reflexive stresses that nobody else was involved.

6. She lives by ___ in a cottage near the sea. → herself

By + reflexive means alone.

7. The cat washed ___ in a patch of sun. → itself

Animals and objects take itself.

8. Did you children enjoy ___ at the party? → yourselves

More than one person is addressed, so the plural form is needed.

9. They blamed ___ for missing the deadline. → themselves

Themselves is the plural third-person reflexive.

10. I taught ___ to cook from a book. → myself

The teacher and the learner are the same person.

11. The president ___ opened the new library. → himself

The emphatic reflexive stresses that it was done in person.

12. Be careful with that saw or you'll injure ___. → yourself

One person is addressed, and the harm returns to them.

13. Ana and Berk have written to ___ every week for years. → each other

The letters travel between them, so the mutual form is required.

14. He made ___ a strong coffee and sat down. → himself

The person making and the person receiving are the same.

15. We should be proud of ___ after that result. → ourselves

After a preposition, the reflexive is still required when it refers to the subject.

16. The machine switches ___ off after ten minutes. → itself

Machines and objects take itself.

17. Did she really build that shed by ___ ? → herself

By + reflexive means without help.

18. They found ___ in a very difficult position. → themselves

Find takes a reflexive when the subject discovers their own situation.

19. I'd like to see it for ___ before deciding. → myself

For + reflexive means personally, with your own eyes.

20. The team congratulated ___ after the final whistle. → each other

The congratulations went between the players, not from each one to themselves.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Report an injury you caused to your own body. → I hurt myself playing football.

Report an injury you caused to your own body.

2. Describe somebody learning without a teacher. → She taught herself Italian in a year.

Describe somebody learning without a teacher.

3. Invite a group to start eating. → Please help yourselves to the food.

Invite a group to start eating.

4. Describe two friends exchanging post. → They sent each other birthday cards.

Describe two friends exchanging post.

5. Say a man watched a film alone. → He went to the cinema by himself.

Say a man watched a film alone.

6. Report a good time at a celebration. → We enjoyed ourselves at the wedding.

Report a good time at a celebration.

7. Describe a wet animal after a walk. → The dog dried itself on the carpet.

Describe a wet animal after a walk.

8. Give advice to one colleague. → Introduce yourself to the new manager.

Give advice to one colleague.

9. Report a group accepting responsibility. → They blamed themselves for the delay.

Report a group accepting responsibility.

10. Describe a small act of self-care. → I made myself a cup of tea.

Describe a small act of self-care.

11. Describe mutual admiration in sport. → The two teams respect each other.

Describe mutual admiration in sport.

12. Ask whether somebody worked without help. → Did you paint this room yourself?

Ask whether somebody worked without help.

13. Describe an automatic system in a house. → The heating turns itself on at six.

Describe an automatic system in a house.

14. Emphasise that one person did all the work. → She cooked the whole meal herself.

Emphasise that one person did all the work.

15. Describe realising you had gone the wrong way. → We found ourselves completely lost.

Describe realising you had gone the wrong way.

16. Report a small accident in a bathroom. → He cut himself shaving this morning.

Report a small accident in a bathroom.

17. Describe two people sharing heavy work. → They helped each other with the boxes.

Describe two people sharing heavy work.

18. Encourage one person after an attempt. → Be proud of yourself for trying.

Encourage one person after an attempt.

19. State a preference for journeys taken alone. → I prefer travelling by myself.

State a preference for journeys taken alone.

20. Praise a group of young guests. → The children behaved themselves all afternoon.

Praise a group of young guests.