Grade 5 English Pronouns – Reflexive Pronouns Notes
Pronouns — Reflexive Pronouns
Subject: English | Level: Age 10 (Kenya)
Reflexive pronouns are words we use when the person doing the action (the subject) is the same person receiving the action (the object). They often end with -self or -selves.
myself
yourself / yourselves
himself
herself
itself
ourselves
themselves
- I washed myself after football. ⚽️
- Amina taught herself to read English. 📚
- Juma cut himself while peeling potatoes (be careful!). 🥔
- The baby closed its eyes by itself. 👶
- We painted the classroom ourselves during Harambee. 🖌️
- Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and the object are the same person or thing. (e.g., She dressed herself.)
- Do not use reflexive pronouns as the subject. Wrong: "Myself will go." Correct: "I will go."
- Use yourself for one person and yourselves for more than one person. (Kenyan classroom: "You all" → "yourselves")
- Reflexive pronouns can also add emphasis: "The teacher herself came to help us."
- 1. I did my homework by _______. (I did it alone)
- 2. The dog cleaned _______ after the rain.
- 3. You (one friend) should be proud of _______!
- 4. We cooked dinner all by _______.
- 5. The children hurt _______ while playing at the field.
- 6. The teacher herself visited the market. (Which pronoun shows emphasis?)
Try these on your own, then check the answers below.
- a) Myself will carry the bag. → _______
- b) He looked at myself. → _______
- c) They told yourself to be quiet. → _______
1. she
2. we
3. it
A. ourselves
B. herself
C. itself
Write 1→, 2→, 3→ with A, B, C.
Write one sentence about helping in the home or school using a reflexive pronoun. Example: "Mama cooked by herself." Try to use names you know: "Ms. Wanjiru checked the books herself."
- Fill in the blanks: 1. myself 2. itself 3. yourself 4. ourselves 5. themselves 6. herself
- Corrections:
- a) I will carry the bag.
- b) He looked at me.
- c) They told themselves to be quiet.
- Matching: 1→B, 2→A, 3→C
- Use reflexive pronouns only when the subject and object are the same.
- Remember: yourself (one), yourselves (many).
- Use the pronoun for emphasis: "The principal herself arrived early."
Good work! Practice with names and places you know — like your school, home, or market. 😊