Not so long ago we were talking about reflexive pronouns. Today we’re going to talk about intensive pronouns. They look the same but differ in function.
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The Forms of Intensive Pronouns
So, to start with, let’s recap on the forms of reflexive pronouns. Just keep in mind that these are also the forms of intensive pronouns. Here they are:
singular
| 1st person | myself |
| 2nd person | yourself |
| 3rd person masculine gender | himself |
| 3rd person feminine gender | herself |
| 3rd person neuter gender | itself |
plural
| 1st person | ourselves |
| 2nd person | yourselves |
| 3rd person | themselves |
The Difference Between Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns
So, now that we know that reflexive and intensive pronouns don’t differ in form, what do they actually differ in? Well, the difference is in how they function.
As you remember, reflexive pronouns are used as objects if the object and the subject refer to the same entity. Have a look at these examples:
Britta is looking at herself in the mirror.
She’s thinking to herself: ‘I look damn good!’
She really likes herself.
In all these examples the subject is Britta or she. The reflexive pronoun herself refers to the same entity, or person, as the subject. So, we could say that Britta is looking at Britta, or that Britta likes Britta, but to avoid this awkward repetition, we use reflexive pronouns for the objects.
Intensive pronouns, on the other hand, do not function as the object of the verb. They just emphasize the role of the subject, or sometimes of the object. This is why they are also called emphatic pronouns in some sources. The subject or object they emphasize is called their antecedent. Let’s see how it works in practice.
Here’s an example where the difference is very clear. The two sentences below are identical in form, but they differ in meaning.
The princess played herself. (reflexive, she played the role of the princess she actually was in the movie about her life)
The princess played herself. (intensive, she played some role, not specified here, and she did it in person although it could have been played by a real actress instead)
In the first sentence we have a reflexive pronoun. In the second sentence we have an intensive pronoun.
Intensive Pronouns That Emphasize the Subject
In the most common scenario we use intensive pronouns to emphasize the role of the subject. If the subject does something in person, without the assistance of others, you can use an intensive pronoun. Intensive pronouns are usually placed after their antecedents or after the direct object of the verb. Have a look:
The president himself [= in person] offered her the job.
He himself [= not anybody else] interviewed her.
Yes, he did it himself [= not someone else on his behalf, as it probably is the case with other candidates].
The interview itself [= regardless of any other stuff that might have been interesting too] was very interesting.
Intensive Pronouns That Emphasize the Object
Intensive pronouns may also emphasize the object of the verb. Here are some examples:
I think I just saw the president himself [= not anybody else].
That’s great. Last year on vacation I saw the king and his wife themselves [= the real king and queen].
I once managed to talk to the pope himself [= yeah, this one and only pope]!
Meaning of Intensive Pronouns
Intensive pronouns do not add any new meaning to their antecedents except drawing our attention to the fact that for some reason it’s noteworthy that the antecedent did something in person. Apart from that, the meaning of the sentence will remain the same if we remove the intensive pronoun. Naturally, this isn’t the case with reflexive pronouns.
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