Intensive Pronouns: A Complete Guide with Examples

Intensive pronouns are one of the list of pronouns in English that serve to underscore nouns or other pronouns (their antecedents) in a sentence. They do not alter the fundamental meaning of the sentence but only serve to emphasize a noun.

Here is the formula for forming these terms that stands for adding:

• -self to singular pronouns
• -selves to plural pronouns

The complete list of intensive pronouns in English is:

• Myself
• Yourself
• Himself
• Herself
• Itself
• Ourselves
• Yourselves
• Themselves

Detailed examples for each pronoun

The following part of this guide contains intensive pronouns examples along with explanations and sentences demonstrating how these terms can be used in real-life situations and how to differentiate them from reflexive pronouns.

Myself

It is used when the speaker wants to stress that they themselves have done something.

Yourself

It is common to put in a sentence when addressing one person directly, often to stress their responsibility, decision, etc.

Himself

This term refers to a male subject, highlighting importance, authority, surprise, or else, depending on the context and requires the understanding of third-person pronouns.

Herself

Opposite, it is used for a female subject, with similar emphasis on responsibility, achievement, and more.

Itself

Speakers use it to point out a thing, place, concept, often to distinguish it from surrounding factors.

Ourselves

When talking about a group including the speaker or describing collective action without outside help, it is preferable to use this special word.

Yourselves

It speaks directly to a group of people; frequently employed in directives, speeches, or formal correspondence.

Themselves

Refers to a previously mentioned group of people or objects. It highlights their ability to act independently.

As we answered, “What is an intensive pronoun?”, it is time to check on the placement in the sentence. For one to know how to use intensive pronouns effectively, they must have full control of the placement of these terms to sound confident and be understood in the first place.

As per the grammar rules of the English language, intensive pronouns are mainly placed in two places in a sentence, which we will reveal below.

Right after the noun or pronoun (Antecedent)

This pattern emphasizes an antecedent right from the beginning. There is no delay in identifying the subject because the sentence appears forceful. It is typical of writers who want to accentuate precisely who did what.

The structure looks like this:

Subject (noun/pronoun) + intensive pronoun + verb + object/complement

At the end of the sentence or clause

This approach leaves the primary sentence structure unchanged but moves the point of emphasis further down in the phrase. While the fundamental sense remains intact, the prominence is on the idea that the act was performed by the individual alone.

The structure looks like this:

Subject (noun/pronoun) + verb + object/complement + intensive pronoun

Let’s look at the possible situation: a job applicant can say in an interview, “I made the whole portfolio by myself.” In the absence of the word “myself,” the sentence remains neutral. However, the addition of “myself” highlights personal participation which is more valid for the company representatives.

Here are some more common situations that take place in the usage of intensive pronoun sentences:

1. To show surprise/unexpectedness

Used in situations where it would be uncommon for the subject to do the action. This is usually a sign of importance or power as you can see from the samples below:

2. To focus on independence

Marks indicating that the subject did something by himself, highlighting independence or exertion. Prevalent in the workplace, common situations, accomplishments.

3. To contrast distinct people

Points to a distinction between individuals, decisions, or views.

These terms share the same form but the way these pronouns are used changes from one to another. The main thing that distinguishes the two pronouns — the difference between intensive and reflexive — is what they refer to.

A reflexive type is essential because the subject and object are the same person/thing while intensive terms are optional sicne it only strengthens the subject.

The “drop test”

There is an easy method of differentiating between the named terms which is by using the drop test involving omitting the pronoun from the sentence. It may not be enough to memorize intensive pronouns meaning so this is where this method comes into play.

In case the sentence becomes incomplete or fails to make sense without that pronoun, then the pronoun is reflexive. On the other hand, the pronoun will be intensive if the sentence remains complete. Here are some comparison pairs: 

The drop test is effective because reflexive pronouns are always included in the sentence structure, whereas intensive pronouns are never included in it. A reflexive pronoun serves as the object of the verb; otherwise, it serves as an intensive pronoun.

Despite the speaker’s proficiency, they often misuse these constructions in a way that at first glance would imply a sense of formality, naturality or intensity that in reality does not exist.

Mistake 1: Using “myself” instead of “I” or “me”

It is particularly prevalent in business communication. People often opt for myself when they feel it sounds more formal or professional, although it is never used to replace the pronouns “I” and “me” in Standard English.

Mistake 2: Inventing non-existent words

There are those who make up structures that appear to be logical but do not belong in the English language. One may encounter them in regional dialects or colloquial usage, but one must avoid them when learning English grammar rules.

Mistake 3: Using intensive pronouns as the subject

The self-form is not used alone; it should refer back to the noun or pronoun that appears before it.

It is quite easy to make such mistakes since the usage of self-forms sounds more formal than using simple pronouns. But despite this, you should always remember the proper grammatical use of such forms.

Intensive pronouns can appear insignificant as far as sentence additions go; nevertheless, they have a tremendous impact on emphasis and clarity. All along this guide, we have observed that they help underline the performer in the action and convey additional meaning without altering sentence structure.

Knowing when and how to correctly employ these emphatic forms, as well as how they contrast with reflexive pronouns, will help prevent any possible errors. The essential thing about using them is that their placement does not matter as much as their intentional use.

Ultimately, effective writing boils down to controlling emphasis. With proficiency in these tools for emphasizing, you have yet another accurate means of guiding your audience to precisely where you want them to focus their attention.