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.