Emphasizing Pronouns

The words that intensify or highlight nouns/pronouns

Emphasizing pronouns (also called intensive pronouns) are identical in form to reflexive pronouns but serve to reinforce a preceding noun or pronoun. They add emphasis without changing the sentence's core meaning.

  • Forms: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
  • Key test: The pronoun can be removed without altering grammatical correctness

Core Characteristics

  • Non-essential: Provide emphasis but aren't grammatically required
  • Position flexibility: Can appear immediately after the noun or at sentence end
  • Subject reference: Always refer back to the subject
  • No verb complementation: Unlike reflexives, they don't complete a verb's meaning
  • Punctuation: Often set off by commas when mid-sentence

The Emphasizing Pronoun System

1. First Person Pronouns

Singular (myself):
  • "I myself witnessed the accident." (immediate emphasis)
  • "I will handle it myself." (end position)
Plural (ourselves):
  • "We ourselves prepared the entire meal."
  • "We built this house ourselves."

2. Second Person Pronouns

Singular (yourself):
  • "You yourself said it was impossible."
  • "Can you do this yourself?"
Plural (yourselves):
  • "You yourselves are responsible for this decision."
  • "Enjoy yourselves, everyone!" (Note: Here it's reflexive, showing how form overlaps)

3. Third Person Pronouns

Singular (himself/herself/itself):
  • "The CEO himself approved the proposal."
  • "The device turns off itself after inactivity." (Reflexive use - contrast with: "The device itself is faulty." where it's emphatic)
Plural (themselves):
  • "The authors themselves attended the reading."
  • "They painted the mural themselves."

Grammatical Functions

1. Subject Emphasis

  • "She herself designed the prototype." (Highlights subject's personal involvement)
  • "The president himself will give the address."

2. Object Emphasis

  • "I spoke to the director herself." (Not an assistant)
  • "They interviewed the inventor himself."

3. Contrastive Focus

  • "The assistant signed the document, not the manager himself."
  • "We want to hear from you yourself, not your spokesperson."

4. Surprise or Importance Marker

  • "Shakespeare himself might have struggled with this sonnet."
  • "The queen herself attended the humble village fair."

Special Usage Cases

1. With Proper Nouns

  • "Professor Jones herself will proctor the exam."
  • "I met Taylor Swift herself at the event."

2. In Parenthetical Expressions

  • "The treaty, signed by the leaders themselves, brought peace."
  • "This theory, developed by Einstein himself, revolutionized physics."

3. For Sarcastic Emphasis

  • "My brother himself forgot my birthday." (Expressing disappointment)
  • "The expert himself couldn't solve the problem."

4. In Legal/Formal Contexts

  • "I, the undersigned myself, attest to these facts."
  • "The defendant himself entered the plea."

Common Errors & Corrections

1. Misuse as Subject:
  • ❌ "Myself will handle the situation." → ✅ "I myself will handle it." or "I will handle it."
2. Reflexive vs. Emphatic Confusion:
  • ❌ "She prepared herself a meal." (reflexive) vs. ✅ "She herself prepared the meal." (emphatic)
3. Redundant Usage:
  • ❌ "The teacher himself himself said so." → ✅ "The teacher himself said so."
4. Missing Antecedent:
  • ❌ "Himself completed the work." → ✅ "He himself completed the work."

Practice Exercises

1. Identify Emphatic vs. Reflexive Use

  1. "She cut herself while cooking." (reflexive)
  2. "The mayor herself cut the ribbon." (emphatic)

2. Rewrite with Emphasizing Pronouns

  1. "The principal (not the secretary) made the announcement." → "The principal himself made the announcement."
  2. "I personally guarantee the results." → "I myself guarantee the results."

3. Correct the Errors

  1. ❌ "Myself believe this is true." → ✅ "I myself believe this is true."
  2. ❌ "They themselves cleaned the room themselves." → ✅ "They themselves cleaned the room."

Historical & Comparative Notes

Old English Origins:
  • Formed from possessive pronouns + "self" (e.g., "mīn self" → "myself")
  • Originally used only for emphasis; reflexive function developed later
Cross-Linguistic Comparison:
  • Spanish: Uses "mismo/a" as separate adjective ("yo mismo" = I myself)
  • German: "selbst" follows the pronoun ("ich selbst" = I myself)
  • French: "-même" suffix ("moi-même" = myself)