English Language Arts
Grade 11
15 min
Choose between personal and reflexive pronouns
Choose between personal and reflexive pronouns
What you'll learn
- Identify personal pronouns (I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it, we, us, they, them) in a sentence with 80% accuracy.
- Explain the difference between a personal pronoun and a reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) using at least two complete sentences.
- Choose the correct personal or reflexive pronoun to complete a sentence with 75% accuracy on a worksheet.
- Apply the knowledge of personal and reflexive pronouns to rewrite 3 simple sentences, replacing nouns with appropriate pronouns.
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Differentiate between the grammatical functions of personal and reflexive pronouns in complex sentences.
Identify the antecedent for any given pronoun and determine if a reflexive pronoun is required.
Correct common errors in pronoun usage, particularly the misuse of 'myself' in compound subjects and objects.
Apply the rules of pronoun agreement and function to their own analytical and synthesis essays.
Analyze how an author's specific choice between a personal and reflexive pronoun can reveal character motivation or thematic emphasis.
Distinguish between reflexive and intensive pronouns and explain the purpose of each.
Have you ever heard someone say, 'The teacher gave the assignment to my friend and myself'? 🤔 It sounds formal,...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Personal PronounA pronoun that takes the place of a noun, referring to a specific person or thing. They change form based on their grammatical function (subject, object, or possessive).In 'She gave the book to him,' 'She' is a subject pronoun and 'him' is an object pronoun.
Reflexive PronounA pronoun ending in '-self' or '-selves' that refers back to the subject of the clause. It acts as an object (direct or indirect) and indicates that the subject is performing an action upon itself.Hester Prynne reminded herself of her public shame. ('herself' refers back to the subject, 'Hester Prynne').
AntecedentThe noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to. A pronoun must have a clear antecedent.Gatsby thr...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Reflexive Rule: Same Subject & Object
Use a reflexive pronoun only when the subject and the object of the verb are the same person or thing.
If the person doing the action is also the person receiving the action, the object must be a reflexive pronoun. If the subject and object are different entities, you must use a personal pronoun.
The Compound Object Rule
In a compound object (e.g., 'between you and me'), always use an object pronoun (me, him, her, us, them), not a subject pronoun (I, he, she, we, they) or a reflexive pronoun (myself, himself).
A simple test is to remove the other part of the compound object. For example, in 'The secret is between Jay and (I/me/myself),' you would not say 'The secret is between myself.' You would say...
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Challenging
In an analysis of Arthur Miller's *The Crucible*, a student writes: 'John Proctor redeems himself not for the town, but for his own conscience.' How does the author's choice of the reflexive pronoun 'himself' reinforce a central theme of the play?
A.It suggests Proctor's actions are selfish and do not benefit anyone else.
B.It emphasizes the theme of individual integrity, as the act of redemption is internal and self-directed.
C.It functions as an intensive pronoun, highlighting that only Proctor could perform this act.
D.It creates ambiguity, leaving it unclear whether Proctor's redemption is genuine.
Challenging
You are editing a synthesis essay. Which revision of the following sentence most effectively uses a pronoun to emphasize a historical figure's deliberate self-creation and isolation? Original: 'Benjamin Franklin crafted a public persona that was both relatable and admirable.'
A.Benjamin Franklin crafted for himself a public persona that was both relatable and admirable.
B.public persona was crafted by him that was both relatable and admirable.
C.Benjamin Franklin himself crafted a public persona that was both relatable and admirable.
D.Benjamin Franklin crafted a public persona for him that was both relatable and admirable.
Challenging
Compare the effect of the pronoun choice in these two sentences: 1. 'The poet isolated himself from society to write.' 2. 'Society isolated him from its circles.' How does the shift from a reflexive to a personal pronoun alter the characterization of the poet?
A.Sentence 1 suggests the poet is a victim, while Sentence 2 suggests he is a willing recluse.
B.Both sentences characterize the poet as antisocial, but the first is more active and the second is more passive.
C.The shift has no significant effect on characterization; both describe a state of isolation.
D.Sentence 1 portrays the poet as an agent of his own isolation (an act of will), while Sentence 2 portrays him as a passive recipient of society's exclusion.
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Choose between personal and reflexive pronouns is a Grade 11 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Choose between personal and reflexive pronouns?
You'll be able to: Identify personal pronouns (I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it, we, us, they, them) in a sentence with 80% accuracy; Explain the difference between a personal pronoun and a reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, herself….
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This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.