THE
INTENSIVE PRONOUNS
Definition: Those ending
in –self or –selves and that serve to emphasize their
antecedents. These are almost identical to reflexive pronouns, but rather than
just referring back to the subject of the sentence they work to reinforce the
action. In many cases, the sentence would still make sense without the
intensive pronoun.
Intensive pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
Intensive pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
For example:
Jesse wondered
aloud whether he himself was the only one seeing what was
happening.
Maria knew that
she herself could make a positive impact on the world, if only
she put her mind to it.
You yourself can
easily transform your body: All it takes is a proper diet and plenty of
exercise.
The team knew
that they themselves were responsible for playing their best.
We ourselves are
the ones who make the greatest impact upon the world we live in.
Notice how the
intensive pronoun is working to emphasize the statement. The sentence would
still technically be correct without the intensive pronoun, but it adds some
important context to its meaning.
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