Intensive Pronouns: Definition, Examples and Usage

Intensive Pronoun Definition

“An intensive pronoun is used to emphasize or intensify the noun or pronoun that comes before it in a sentence.”

An intensive pronoun is very similar to a reflexive pronoun, but they have different functions. You’ll usually see an intensive pronoun right after the noun or subject it refers to, but it doesn’t always have to be in that exact spot.

Intensive Pronoun Examples

Intensive pronouns refer to the same person or thing that the personal pronoun does.

Here is the list of intensive pronouns to illustrate how they work:

Myself: Used by the speaker or writer to emphasize themselves.
- (I cleaned the entire house myself.)
Yourself: Used to emphasize a single person other than the speaker or writer.
- (You should be proud of yourself for finishing the project.)
Himself: Used to emphasize a male person or animal.
- (The president himself addressed the nation.)
Herself: Used to emphasize a female person or animal.
- (The actress herself accepted the award.)
Itself: Used to emphasize things or animals.
- (The software program runs by itself.)
Ourselves: Used to emphasize the speaker or writer and other people together.
- (Let's congratulate ourselves on a job well done.)
Yourselves: Used to emphasize multiple people other than the speaker or writer.
- (You can help yourselves to more cookies.)
Themselves: Used to emphasize a group of people, animals, or objects.
- (The students themselves organized the event.)

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How to Use Intensive Pronouns in Sentences

An intensive pronoun always accompanies a noun or another pronoun and cannot stand alone as a subject or object.

1. Placement After the Antecedent

Intensive pronouns typically follow the antecedent (the noun or pronoun they refer to) directly.

Example:

She herself loves to bake.
Why don’t you ask the manager himself?

2. Varied Emphasis Based on Placement

The placement of the intensive pronoun affects the emphasis in the sentence.

Example:

"You yourself should lead the team." (Emphasis on the person taking charge)
"You should lead the team yourself." (Emphasis on the action of leading independently)

3. Placement Before the Antecedent

Intensive pronouns can occasionally appear before the antecedent, separated by a comma, providing emphasis similar to when placed directly after.

Example:

Myself, I prefer tea over coffee, but the choice is yours.

Intensive Pronoun Vs Reflexive Pronoun

Reflexive pronouns and intensive pronouns are identical and may look similar, but they serve different purposes in a sentence.

Understanding the difference between reflexive and intensive pronouns helps in using them correctly:

Aspect	Reflexive Pronouns	Intensive Pronouns
Grammatical Function	Reflect the action back onto the subject.	Emphasize or intensify the subject.
Grammatical Function	Essential to the sentence's meaning.	Not essential to the sentence's meaning.
Position in Sentence	Typically comes immediately after the subject or object.	Also appear after the subject or object.
Usage	Used when subject and object are the same.	Used to add emphasis to the subject.
Example	He injured himself during the game.	He himself finished the race.
Example	The cat groomed itself.	The president himself signed the bill.

Test Your Knowledge

Choose the sentence with the correct use of an intensive pronoun to emphasize the subject.

The cat cleaned itself before going to sleep.
The cat cleaned the litter box itself.

Correct - "itself" refers to the cat cleaning its own body.
Incorrect - "itself" here would mean the litter box cleaned itself, which doesn't make sense.

They themselves should complete the project.
They should complete the project themselves.

Correct - "themselves" emphasizes that they should be the ones completing the project.
Also correct - this sentence emphasizes the same idea but with a slightly different structure.

She bought the car herself.
She bought herself a new car.

Correct - "herself" emphasizes that she bought the car independently.
Incorrect - this means she bought a new car for herself, but it emphasizes a different aspect.

In conclusion, intensive pronouns play a crucial role in emphasizing specific subjects or actions in sentences. Understanding their correct usage can enhance clarity and communication in writing.

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Continue Learning

If you want to learn more about academic writing, grammar, and related concepts, check out these blogs.

Grammar	Writing	Citation
Dangl ing Modifiers	Essay Writing	APA format
Homophones	Essay Outline	MLA format
Infinitives	Paraphrasing	Chicago Style
Analogy	Thesis Statement	Harvard Style
Participle	Paragraph	IEEE Citation
Articles in Grammar	Summary	Oxford Referencing
Phrases	Plagiarism	ASA Format
Clauses	Sentence Structure	ACS Citation

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

What are the 10 examples of intensive pronouns?

Myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves, oneself, yourself.

What are the 10 examples of emphatic pronouns?

Emphatic pronouns are the same as intensive pronouns. They include myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves, oneself, and yourself.

What is an intensive pronoun example using itself?

"The cat cleaned itself after playing outside."

In this sentence, "itself" emphasizes that the cat cleaned its own body, highlighting the action performed by the cat on itself.

WRITTEN BY

Caleb S. (Mass Literature and Linguistics)

Caleb S. is an accomplished author with over five years of experience and a Master's degree from Oxford University. He excels in various writing forms, including articles, press releases, blog posts, and whitepapers. As a valued author at MyEssayWriter.ai, Caleb assists students and professionals by providing practical tips on research, citation, sentence structure, and style enhancement.

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