What is the difference between Reflexive and Emphatic pronouns?

Answer: Reflexive pronouns reflect the action back onto the subject while emphatic pronouns emphasize the identity or role of the subject within a sentence.

Reflexive pronouns and emphatic pronouns share similar forms but serve different purposes in language.

Reflexive Pronouns:

• Function: Reflect the action of the verb back onto the subject.
• Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
• Usage: Used when the subject and object of a sentence refer to the same entity.
• Example: “She washed herself.”

Emphatic Pronouns:

• Function: Emphasize or intensify a noun or pronoun in a sentence.
• Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
• Usage: Used to add emphasis to the identity of the subject.
• Example: “I myself witnessed the event.”

In summary, while reflexive pronouns reflect the action back onto the subject, emphasizing the self-directed nature of the action, emphatic pronouns intensify or emphasize the identity of the subject within a sentence. The key distinction lies in their roles – reflexive pronouns reflect the action back, while emphatic pronouns emphasize the identity or role of the subject.