As a follow-up to an earlier post on reflexive pronouns, which focused more on meaning, I’d like to take the time and examine word order with reflexive pronouns. When do these pronouns have a fixed position and when do we have a choice about their placement? Do you yourself wonder about this? Or have you already found all the answers yourself? (Wink. Wink.)Let’s start with the basic use of reflexive pronouns where the subject does some kind of action to or for oneself. (a) I hurt myself when I picked up the heavy box. (b) I looked at myself in the mirror and fixed my hair.Here we see reflexive pronouns as the direct object (a) and the object of a preposition (b). The word order is fixed: SVO (I hurt myself) and SVA (I looked at myself).We can also use reflexive pronouns as indirect objects regardless of whether we use a preposition or not. Both of the following examples use the pattern SVOO:(c1) I made pot of tea for myself.(c2) I made myself a pot of tea. Here we have the usual flexibility of putting a prepositional phrase at the end of the clause (c1) or placing the indirect before the direct object (c2). Then we move on to emphasis. Reflexive pronouns can emphasize the subject with different nuances in meaning. (d) The teacher herself had doubts about syntax. (Meaning “even the teacher”)(e) I didn’t know the answer myself. (Meaning “even I”)Biber et al recognize that separation of the reflexive pronoun from the subject (e) is possible and preferred in conversation. However, if it’s an object that’s being emphasized, then the reflexive pronoun must directly follow it.(f) I have every book in that series, and I met the author herself at a conference. (Meaning “the one and only”)This emphasis is reserved for people of importance. (g) The President himself called each family and made sure they were all right. (Meaning “He personally made those calls.”)Emphasizing that the subject is alone or can do something alone may require the preposition “by.”(h) I like spending time by myself. (Meaning “alone”)(i) I don’t need help painting the living room. I can do it (by) myself. (Meaning “on my own” or “without help)With or without “by,” the reflexive pronoun is placed at the end of the clause.With multiple prepositional phrases, we can follow the usual guideline: manner > place > time. (j) I like to walk by myself in the woods. (k) I was able to fix the sink (by) myself after some video tutorials.What do you think are the biggest challenges of reflexive pronouns? In and of themselves, pronouns are not a hard concept to understand. But when is grammar without a context? The various meanings and nuances likely post the greatest challenge. Just try to explain why I used “in and of themselves”! Sources:Biber D. et al. (2002). Longman student grammar of spoken and written English. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.Greenbaum S. and Quirk R. (1995). A student’s grammar of the English language. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited.Related posts:Understanding Uses of Reflexive Pronouns (2017)Classroom practice with reflexive pronouns (PDF – 2017)Student Stumper 1: Reflexive Pronouns (2009)
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