Reflexive pronouns

1. Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject forms of personal pronouns:
1. We didn’t decorate it ourselves. Someone else did it for us.
2. We often use reflexive pronouns when the subject and the object of the verb refer to the same person or thing:
1. He cut himself on the broken glass
2. Mary looked at herself in the mirror
3. We can use reflexive pronouns for emphasis:
1. The director of the company wrote to us himself to apologize for the bad service
4. We use reflexive pronouns with 'by' to mean ‘alone’ or ‘without any help’:
1. Why don’t you go by yourself? (= Why don't you go alone?)
2. The children made the beds by themselves (= The children made the beds without any help)
5. We sometimes use reflexive pronouns instead of personal pronouns for politeness:
1. Our charitable work relies on the generous support of people like yourself