Reflexive Pronouns:
* Function: The object of a verb or preposition refers back to the subject of the sentence.
* Meaning: The action of the verb is directed back to the subject.
* Examples:
* "She hurt herself." (The action of hurting is directed back to "she.")
* "He bought himself a new car." (The action of buying is directed back to "he.")
* "We told ourselves it would be alright." (The action of telling is directed back to "we.")
Intensive Pronouns:
* Function: Emphasize or strengthen a noun or pronoun that already appears in the sentence.
* Meaning: Adds emphasis to the subject.
* Examples:
* "I did it myself." (Emphasizes that the speaker did it personally.)
* "The queen herself opened the ceremony." (Emphasizes that it was the queen specifically who opened the ceremony.)
* "They built the house themselves." (Emphasizes that they built it without help.)
Key Difference:
* Reflexive pronouns are essential to the grammatical structure of a sentence. Without them, the sentence wouldn't make sense.
* Intensive pronouns are optional. The sentence would still be grammatically correct without them, though it would lack the added emphasis.
Here's a trick to remember:
* Reflexive pronouns reflect the subject back to the verb or preposition.
* Intensive pronouns intensify the subject.