Grammar Practice

C Now, read your sentences and check with your teacher C

Зворотні займенники / Reflexive pronouns (myself/yourself etc.)

 

a) The reflexive pronouns are:
singular: myself yourself (one person) himself / herself / itself
plural: ourselves yourselves (more than one person) themselves
 
We use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object are the same:
Tom cut himself while he was shaving, (not 'Tom cut him') - I don't want you to pay for me. I'llpay for myself. - The old lady sat in a corner talking to herself.- Don't get angry. Control yourself! (said to one person) - If you want more to eat, help yourselves, (said to more than one person) - The party was great. We enjoyed ourselves very much.
But we do not use 'myself etc. after bring/ take something with:
- I went out and took an umbrella with me. (not 'with myself)
 
b) We do not use 'myself etc. after feel/relax/concentrate:
- I feel great after having a swim, (not 'I feel myself great') - You must try and concentrate. - It's good to relax.
We do not normally use 'myself etc. after wash/dress/shave:
- I got up, shaved, washed and dressed, (not 'shaved myself etc.) But we say: I dried myself.
Note how we use meet: - What time shall we meet? (not 'meet ourselves/meet us')
 
c) Study the difference between - selves and each other:
- Tom and Ann stood in front of the mirror and looked at themselves. (= Tom and Ann looked at Tom and Ann)
but: Tom looked at Ann and Ann looked at Tom.They looked at each other.You can use one another instead of each other:
- How long have you and Bill known each other(or one another)? - Sue and Ann don't like each other (or one another).
 
d) We also use myself etc. in another way. For example:
- 'Who repaired your bicycle for you?' 'Nobody. I repaired it myself.' I repaired it myself = I repaired it, not anybody else. We use myself here to emphasise I. Here are some more examples: - I'm not going to do it for you. You can do it yourself. - Let's paint the house ourselves. It will be much cheaper. - The film itself wasn't very good but I liked the music.
- I don't think Tom will get the job. Tom himself doesn't think he'll get it.
(or 'Tom doesn't think he'll get it himself.')

 

Exercise 1. Insert the necessary form of the verb to be.

1. I ... ... a student next year. 2. My father ... not a teacher, he ... a scientist. 3. My books ... on the table yesterday. Where ... they now? 4. ... you ... at school tomorrow? – Yes, I ... . 5. Where ... you yesterday? – I ... in the cinema. 6. Peter ... not ... at home tomorrow. 7. I ... ill last month. I ... not ill now. 8. ... your parents at home yesterday. – No, they ... at work. 9. My grandfather ... not ... at home next week. 10. When my granny ... young, she ... an actress. 11. I ... at home now, but I ... in Kyiv tomorrow. 12. We ... pupils ten years ago.

 

Exercise 2. Put in the following forms of be (am, are, is) into the gaps. Do not use short/contracted forms.

Example: He __ a boy.
Answer: He is a boy.

 

1) My mother in the kitchen. 2) The pupils not at school today. 3) Maria's grandmother from Brazil. 4) I a football fan. 5) It Sunday today. 6) They in the car. 7) His pencil case at home. 8) you from Sheffield? 9) I not your friend. 10) Hey John! We here.