This post is especially for my good friend, mentor and fellow pedant, Ann Hawkins, who claimed on Twitter recently that she would fire anyone who dares to use reflexive pronouns incorrectly.
Reflexive pronouns are those words with ‘self’ in them. Myself. Yourself. Himself. Herself. Themselves.
Think of reflex angles: they’re the ones that go back on themselves. Reflexive pronouns are exactly the same: you need them only when you are referring back to yourself. (See what I did there?)
‘He bought that book for himself’ or ‘I would like one of those for myself’.
‘Please join Mike and me for dinner next Saturday’ is perfectly correct: no need at all for ‘Mike and myself’. (If you’re thinking that should be ‘Mike and I’, see my post about when to use ‘me’ or ‘I’.)
I find the incorrect use of ‘yourself’ particularly butt-clenchingly awful when used by someone who is trying to sell me something.
‘Is this something that would interest yourself?’
Urgh! Even if you were offering me Daniel Craig in his skin-tight, wet shorts, I would be too busy grinding my teeth (and attempting to unclench my butt) to show any interest. Probably.
Some people use reflexive pronouns because they think it makes them sound more intelligent. It doesn’t. It makes them sound pompous.
And what’s more, they’re pissing Ann Hawkins off – and no one wants to do that!
So, watch yourself!