MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH

Before doing this activity you may need to read the text you will find at the end


  SmartMemo
Emphatic pronouns: Myself, yourself...
Focus Grammar
Description Using emphatic pronouns to emphasize the subject of the sentence.
Instructions 1- Look at the cue and try to express that idea using an emphatic pronoun. 2- Move your mouse over the black button to check your answer. 3- If you were right, click on the green button, if wrong, click on the red.
 
Item Match Comments
She designs all her clothes (nobody else does it) She designs all her clothes herself
Vicky painted her house (she didn't hire painters or anyone) Vicky painted her house herself
This car belonged to Elvis Presley (wow, it was Elvis's car!) This car belonged to Elvis Presley himself
The manager welcomed us to the hotel (oh, I felt important) The manager himself welcomed us to the hotel
The president will come to speak to us (wow, that's serious, the president!) The president himself will come to speak to us
I cleaned all the house (nobody helped me) I cleaned all the house myself
My friend came to rescue me (he didn't send other people) My friend came to rescue me himself
She will do it (without help) She will do it herself
My little daughter baked this cake (yes, and she is only 8 years old!) My little daughter herself baked this cake
I built this boat (I didn't buy it and nobody helped me) I built this boat myself
The cat opened the box (nobody helped him) The cat opened the box himself also: itself
(you probably will say: himself if you love cats or its your pet)
Little Katie ties her shoes (she can do it without help) Little Katie ties her shoes herself
My mother convinced everybody to sign the complain (yeah, that's my mother!) My mother herself convinced everybody to sign the complain
It was John dancing at the party (but John doesn't like dancing!) It was John himself dancing at the party
Santa Claus gave me the present. (Wow, Santa in person!) Santa Claus himself gave me the present
If you want things right, you have to do it (don't let other people do it) If you want things right, you have to do it yourself
My friend came to rescue me (I'm impressed and very proud he did) My friend himself came to rescue me
The cat opened the door (wow, but it's so difficult!) The cat itself opened the door
Are you going to cook? (you are not going to tell other people to do it?) Are you going to cook yourself?
I heard the lie (nobody told me) I heard the lie myself
Total number of items: 20
This is an activity from Multimedia-English www.multimedia-english.com
 

Myself, yourself, himself, etc can be reflexive pronouns, to express that the subject and the object of the sentence is the same:

I cut my nails   (I cut, my nails are cut)
I cut myself   (I cut, I am cut, I+I=myself)

(see more about reflexive pronouns here)


But he same pronouns can be used simply to emphasize the subject for some reason. We use the emphatic pronouns in two different situations:

yes, that  person, strange but true.

- The King himself came to the festival (yes, the king in person!)
- I opened the door and saw the President himself
- The manager himself spoke to me
- Do you know who lives there? Robert Redford himself!
- I heard someone talking on the radio and suddenly I realized it was dad himself!

exactly that person (and not any other) and that person alone (without help)

- The house itself is very nice, but the garden is too small
- John himself was there at the party
- Her brother came to take her home himself
- Look, I did it myself
- Don't worry, she will do it herself (she, not you or anybody else)

Tendency: We often put the pronoun right after the subject when we express some kind of surprise

Kevin himself organized the party (I'm impressed he did)
Kevin organized the party himself (it was Kevin, nobody else)