Verbs used with a reflexive meaning
Notice that English often uses intransitive verbs where other languages use reflexive forms, for example:
imagine, remember, apologize, move, sit down, wonder
With verbs for the following common actions that you do to yourself, a reflexive pronoun can be used but is usually omitted:
dressing, shaving, washing, bathing, showering
I shaved and went down to breakfast.
(Notice that ‘bath’ and ‘dress’ are rather formal; it is more usual to say take/have a bath and get dressed.) If a reflexive pronoun is used, this suggests that the person found it difficult to do the action:
He’s only three but he can dress himself.
Reflexive pronouns are often used to emphasize that an action is done by one particular person instead of another:
Please don’t wash my cup, I’ll do it myself.
The President himself will attend the meeting.
She was trying to calm Mrs Hogan but I noticed she herself was very upset.
Notice that the combinations ‘by myself’, ‘by herself’ and so on have a special meaning and can be replaced by ‘alone’ or ‘on my own’, ‘on her own’ etc.:
I’ll carry it myself. (I, rather than another person, will carry it)
I can carry it by myself. (I can carry it alone, without another person’s help)
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