Intensive Pronouns-What is an intensive pronoun?

Intensive pronouns are similar to reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, ourselves, yourselves, yourselves, yourselves, yourselves), but they serve no grammatical function in a sentence. Instead, it strengthens and emphasizes the subject of the sentence (known as the antecedent of the pronoun).

use strong pronouns in sentences
When using an aggregate pronoun to emphasize a sentence, it is usually placed after the preceding pronoun or the direct object of the verb. for example:
– “The surgeon general himself will oversee the operation.”
– “They themselves indicated that the transactions might be illegal.”
– “He did it himself, much to his father’s surprise.”
– “We designed the album artwork ourselves.”
When using an intensive pronoun to add emphasis to a sentence, place it after the direct object, as in:
– “I can operate the TV remote control myself, thank you.”
– “Hank, our son can do this project by himself.”
Distinguishing between intensive and reflexive pronouns
Although intensified pronouns and reflexive pronouns are visually the same, there are clear differences between them. Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject of a sentence receives the action of the sentence, that is, when the subject of a verb is also the object of the same verb. for example:
– “I saw myself in the mirror.”
– “She asked herself if it was worth the hassle.”
– “The actor played himself in the film about his life.”
All of these sentences use reflexive pronouns to indicate that the subject of the verb is also the recipient of the action.
However, if you want to specifically emphasize who performs the subject’s action on another object, use an intensive pronoun. Therefore, strong pronouns are not grammatically essential to the meaning of the sentence. For example, consider her two sentences:
– “John played the tuba.”
– “John played the tuba himself.”
As you can see, the addition itself has nothing to do with the logical meaning of the sentence. In both cases it was Johannes who played the tuba. However, by adding the strong pronoun itself to the second sentence, it signals to the reader or listener that it is somehow noteworthy or noteworthy that it was John who played the tuba and not someone else.

Quiz

1. Intensive pronouns are identical to what other kind of pronoun?

a) indefinite pronouns
b) relative pronouns
c) reflexive pronouns
d) reciprocal pronouns

2. What is the function of intensive pronouns in a sentence?

a) To add emphasis to the role of the subject
b) To add emphasis to the role of the direct object
c) To indicate that the subject is also the object of the verb
d) To indicate that the object of the verb is also the object complement

3. Where does an intensive pronoun typically occur in a sentence?

a) Immediately after the subject of the sentence
b) Immediately after the main verb of the sentence
c) Immediately after the direct object of the verb
d) A & B
e) B & C
f) A & C
g) All of the above

4. Which of the following sentences uses an intensive pronoun?

a) “I could really see myself competing in a triathlon someday.”
b) “After much consideration, he decided to write himself out of the will.”
c) “She did herself a disservice by not renegotiating her contract.”
d) “He wrote the music himself to avoid extra copyright costs.”