Line英会話クラス

Lesson Plan January 20, 2023

Topic: Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns

In this lesson we will be looking at how to use possessive and reflexive pronouns in everyday English.

Section A

We use possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns to show that something belongs to someone. We use possessive adjectives before a noun, and we can use possessive pronouns instead of nouns or noun phrases.

Subject pronoun / Possessive adjective / Possessive pronoun

• I / my / mine

• You / your / yours (singular)

• He / his / his

• She / her / hers

• It / its / its

• We / our / ours

• You / your / yours (plural)

• They / their / theirs

Section B

Reflexive pronouns are often used when the object is the same as the subject. For example “she saw herself in the mirror”, she and herself refer to the same person.

Subject pronoun / Reflexive pronoun

• I / myself

• You / yourself (singular)

• He / himself

• She / herself

• It / itself

• We / ourselves

• You / yourselves (plural)

• They / themselves

Study these sentences below which show different ways of using reflexive pronouns.

As an object

• Did you enjoy yourself at the party?

• He accidentally hit himself with a golf club.

After prepositions

• Look at that strange man talking to himself.

• Did you build your website by yourself? (= alone, without help)

To emphasize the subject of a sentence

• I made this dish myself.

• We will get there ourselves.

To emphasize a thing or person (especially someone famous)

• I had lunch with the president himself!

• The singer herself was at the party.

Important notes

• We do not use reflexive pronouns after verbs which describe things people usually do for themselves, such as wash, shave, dress etc.

  • We only use reflexives with these verbs for emphasis

    • My teenage son dressed for the wedding, and my youngest who is three years old dressed himself.

• We use personal pronouns, not reflexives, after prepositions of place

  • Who is that behind you? (NOT behind yourself)

Lesson Notes

• Komae is mostly flat, so it’s easy to get around the city by bicycle. (= travel within the city)

• I use my bike to go to the supermarket, the home centre, or just to ride around. (= to (ride, walk etc) without destination or purpose)

• It’s and its have the same pronunciation, but the meanings are different

• It’s = it is

• Its = shows possession

• Look at that cat. It’s sitting on its tail. (= The cat is sitting on the tail that which belongs to it)

• Steve’s doing Steve’s laundry. (= Steve is doing the laundry which belongs to Steve)

• You are our guests, so please make yourselves at home.

• You and guests are plural, so we use yourselves

• You can pour yourself a glass of wine while you wait for me.

• Here, you is singular, so we use yourself

• We do not use a reflexive pronoun after feel / relax / concentrate / meet

• I feel nervous. I can’t relax.

• You must try and concentrate on your work. (NOT concentrate yourself)

• What time should we meet? (NOT meet ourselves, NOT meet us)

• In another person’s shoes; (phrase) in another person's situation or position

• If I’d been in your shoes I would have left that party.