Reflexive and emphatic pronouns (self-pronouns)

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

1. Used as reflexive pronouns they show that the subject of the sentence and its object indicate the same person:

Help yourselves!

He wrapped himself in his blanket.

She cooked herself a big meal.

Such verbs as shave, wash, comb, dress, feel, behave, etc nowadays are not usually used with self-pronouns.

Note1. Both reflexive and personal pronouns are found in sentences expressing comparison:

My brother is as tall as myself (me).

2. Used as emphatic pronouns they are translated as сам, сама, само, сами. Emphatic pronouns are used for emphasis. They can be omitted without destroying the meaning of the sentence:

My mother herself opened the door. (… the door herself).

The film itself wasn’t good but I liked the music.

Note 2. Compare myself (emphatic) and by myself (reflexive):

By myself = on my own = alone, without anybody else

I like living by myself.

Did you go on holiday by yourself?

Learner drivers are not allowed to drive by themselves.

But: I repaired the bicycle myself (своими силами).

Demonstrative pronouns

Here refer the pronouns this, these, that, those, such, same. They are all used as noun-pronouns and adjective-pronouns.

1. This (these) refers to what is near in space and time:

Take this pear. It looks very ripe.

Look at this.

I don’t want to go to this party.

That (those) refers to what is farther off.

Do you see those houses in the distance? That’s where we are going.

2. This (these) may refer to what is to follow, that (those) to what precedes:

This is what happened. = I’m going to tell you a story.

That is what happened. (at the end of a story).

3. With nouns indicating time this is used for time which is future or just past, that for time which is clearly past:

I’m going to come to see you this Sunday. (future)

Father had to go to town this morning. (just past)

I remember that I woke up early that morning. (clearly past)

4. That (those) can be used as a prop-word:

He hung his daughter’s portrait beside that of his wife’s.

These poems are not so good as those written by you last year. (= the ones)

The weather this week is no better than that we had last week. (one)

5. That is often used instead of it. That is more emphatic.

How do you like that?

That’s fine!

6. Those may refer to people in phrases like those present (присутствующие), those concerned (заинтересованные):

Those injured in the accident were taken to hospital.

Reciprocal pronouns

Here refer the pronouns each other and one another .

They can both be used when speaking of two persons. When more than two persons are meant only one another is used:

I knew that my two aunts disliked each other.

When he entered the café he noticed the people wink at one another.