Wednesday, November 10, 2010

EngQuizzitive-CET-18 (grammar) : Reflexive pronouns : Answers

We use a reflexive pronoun when we want to refer back to the subject of the sentence or clause. Reflexive pronouns end in "-self" (singular) or "-selves" (plural).

There are eight reflexive pronouns:
singular  : myself
                yourself
                himself,
                herself
                itself
plural :  ourselves
            yourselves
            themselves

Answers
  1. They recommend this book even though they themselves have never read it.
  2. Can you help yourself/yourselves ? [both 1 and 2]
  3. Rahul and Priya , if you want more milk , help yourselves.
  4. The lion can defend itself.
  5. I wrote this poem myself.

8 comments:

  1. mam, can't v put himself instead of itself in the 4th sentence since the gender of the lion is well known

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  2. ok so there is a lion n a lioness so y we cant refer to him according to his gender over here in second last sentence???????

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  3. Dear Smriti and Prianca,

    Generally when the gender of the animal is not known or mentioned the pronoun used to indicate an animal is 'it'.Hence the answer is itself.

    eg.The dog wagged its tail.

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  4. Hi
    why in question 2, yourselves is an answer? even though there is only one subject.Is it so, because that one subject can be any one ?

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  5. Hi,

    Have a slight doubt. A male and a female dog, both are called dog. But a male lion is called as lion and female lion is called as lioness. So i guess both the answers should be correct Itself/himself in this case. thanks

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  6. Male dog- dog,
    Female dog- bitch

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  7. mam in verbal grammar book ..its said that anything which describes strength is said to have a masculine image ..then can it be like
    The lion can defend himself .?

    --RUCHI

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  8. In can you help yourself, is the idea conveyed in its plural form?

    ReplyDelete