what is the difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns??????

Hello,

I would like to explain the difference between the two with the help of examples.

 

We use a reflexive pronoun when we want to refer back to the subject of the sentence or clause. Reflexive pronouns end in “-self" (singular) or “-selves” (plural).

 

There are eight reflexive pronouns, namely myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves.

 

Few instances of the same are:

·  He was ashamed of himself after his misconduct at school;

·  Please help yourselves;

·  Infants are unable to look after themselves; etc.

Emphatic pronouns, on the other hand, are used to just emphasise the action of the subject. For instance,

1.  He himself ordered the birthday cake;

2.  I consulted the property dealer myself, etc.

 

Kindly note that an emphatic pronoun can be removed from the sentence and the core meaning would not be affected. A reflexive pronoun, on the other hand, is vital. The sentence wouldn’t make complete sense or wouldn’t seem logical if you remove the reflexive pronoun.

 

Compare:
He himself cut the cake. He cut the cake.
He cut himself. He cut …what?

 

Thus, I hope the above explanations and the instances helped you understand the difference between the two.