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Activities: “What are reflexive verbs in English?”

By: Anna Classing
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our English Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

Activity 1: Reflexive or non-reflexive?

Fill in the gaps in the sentences with a reflexive verb or a normal (non-reflexive) verb.

forgive myself
google yourself
embarrassed himself
let herself down
poison itself
recognize herself
judging yourself
surprised herself
forgive me
google you
embarrassed him
let her down
poison it
recognize her
judging you
surprise her

  1. Don’t add so much fertilizer when you water my plant, you’ll .

  2. I'm not , I’m just trying to understand why you made that mistake.

  3. Oliver forgot the lyrics during the performance and really .

  4. I don’t think I can for stepping on my cat’s tail!

  5. If you want to see the information about you that is on the web, just .

  6. Mia because she got an A+ on the test when she expected a B.

  7. I am not sure Eva is ever going to , I seriously when I overslept and missed her play.

  8. Don’t buy me lilies! One of my cats might eat them and .

  9. My dad was so mad! I really when I pranked him in front of the whole family.

  10. That makeup changed Charlotte so much that she could barely .

  11. Stay positive, and stop all the time!

  12. Tom never remembers my mom’s birthday, so when he forgot again this year, that did not .

  13. Joan looks so different! I didn’t with that new haircut and new hair color.

  14. Patricia was disappointed that the dinner that she worked very hard on was too salty. She was sure it would be delicious, but she really .

  15. I tried to , but there is really nothing about you online.

Activity 2: Reflexive pronoun or no reflexive pronoun?

In each sentence below decide whether the sentence is correct or if it needs a reflexive pronoun to make sense.

  • After you went to the pool, you got in the shower, and washed the chlorine out of your hair.

    You showered after swimming.

  • Before the Halloween party, Betty put on a panda costume.

    She dressed up as a panda.

  • Harry was feeling very sad.

    He tried to comfort by eating an ice cream sundae.

  • Dad and I were playing catch and the ball rolled under the stairs.

    Dad had to bend down to get the ball.

  • This year, I was alone for Christmas.

    I entertained by watching a Hallmark Christmas movie.

  • It was a beautiful morning yesterday.

    I got up early to go fishing.

Activity 3: Describe the picture

The verbs below all change their meanings when they are reflexive. Look at the pictures and use the given verb to write a sentence about what is happening.

  • verb: enjoy oneself

    sentence:

    A crowded concert. It is dark, but there are rainbow stage lights. People are holding up their phones to record the stage.

    e.g. We really enjoyed ourselves at the show last night. / They are enjoying themselves at the concert.

  • verb: help oneself

    sentence:

    A breakfast buffet. There is a good spread of bagels and pastries, some paper plates, coffee and tea, and a vase of tulips on a white table.

    e.g. The breakfast table was all set up, so we helped ourselves to some coffee and donuts. / Are you hungry? Help yourself!

    → We generally use the verb help yourself with to + object, unless it is a command or suggestion.

  • verb: behave oneself

    sentence:

    A man with cool hair is sitting at a table holding croissant and a cream-colored dog is sitting next to him begging for some of the food. The man is talking to the dog.

    e.g. His dog knows how to behave himself to earn some food. / “I will give you some if you behave yourself!”

  • verb: find oneself

    sentence:

    A man with a beard stands at the top of a mountain and looks at the view. It is a sunny day and the mountains are green, with grass and pine trees.

    e.g. He found himself while he was traveling. / When he looked up from the trail, found himself at the top of the mountain!

  • verb: repeat oneself

    sentence:

    A photo of a pre-teen girl and her mother by a kitchen table with breakfast food. The girl is sitting with her feet on the table and her laptop on her lap. She appears to be arguing with her mother, who is standing behind the table and looks annoyed.

    e.g. “Do I need to repeat myself? Get your feet off the table!” / Her mother had to repeat herself three times before she took her feet off the table

  • verb: apply oneself

    sentence:

    A man with a beard is wearing work clothes and is using a power tool to sew a seam into a leather belt.

    e.g. He applied himself for years, and eventually became the best tailor in the country.

  • verb: see oneself

    sentence:

    A job interview. A man in an office is sitting at a desk, looking over some paperwork while a woman on the other side of the desk is smiling.

    e.g. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” / She can see herself getting this job!

  • verb: explain oneself

    sentence:

    A calico and white cat is standing on the kitchen counter, looking guilty.

    e.g. “What are you doing on the kitchen counter, Fitz? Explain yourself!” / That cat will need to explain himself!

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