What is the difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns?

Reflexive pronouns and emphatic pronouns are identical in spelling and pronunciation: they’re the words ending in -self or -selves (e.g., ‘myself’, ‘themselves’). But they play different grammatical roles:

Reflexive pronouns serve as the object of a transitive verb when the object is the same person or thing as the subject (e.g., ‘I believe in myself‘).
Emphatic pronouns (also called intensive pronouns) are used in combination with another noun or pronoun to place special emphasis on it (‘I myself wrote the code’).

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Types of editing	Available at Scribbr?
Proofreading Correction of superficial mistakes, such as typos, misspellings, punctuation errors and consistency errors.	Yes! This is the “proofreading” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with editing.
Copy editing Focus on grammar, syntax, style, tone and the conventions of the field. The editor also considers the internal logic of the text and flags any obvious contradictions.	Yes! This is the “editing” in Scribbr’s standard service. It can only be selected in combination with proofreading.
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Developmental editing (i.e. content editing, substantive editing) This is the first step of the editing process and applies to very early drafts. The editor helps you structure your ideas, decide what story to tell and find direction for your writing.	No. This kind of editing involves heavy rewriting and restructuring. Our editors cannot help with this.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns?

Questions?

Ask our team

Frequently asked questions

How does the sample edit work?