Exercises

81.1 Write new sentences using the structure in Section A (a friend of mine etc.).

1. I am writing to _one of my friends._ _I'm writing to a friend of mine._

2. We met _one of your relations._ We met a ---

3. Henry borrowed _one of my books._ Henry ---

4. Ann invited _some of her friends_ to her flat. Ann ---

5. We had dinner with _one of our neighbours._

6. I went on holiday with _two of my friends._

7. Is that man _one of your friends? _

8. I met _one of lane's friends_ at the party.

81.2 Complete the sentences using my own/your own etc. + one of the following:

business ideas money private jet parliament room television

1. I don't want to share a room. I want _my own room._

2. I don't watch television with the rest of the family. I've got --- in my room.

3. Sue doesn't need to borrow from me. She's got ---.

4. Julia is fed up with working for other people. She wants to start ---.

5. Henry is extremely rich. He's got ---.

6. You can give him advice but he won't listen. He's got ---.

7. The Isle of Man is an island off the coast of Britain. It is not completely independent but it has ---.

81.3 Complete the sentences using my own/your own etc.

1. Why do you want to borrow my car? Why can't you use your own car?

2. How can you blame me? It's not my fault. It's ---.

3. He's always using my ideas. Why can't he use ---?

4. Please don't worry about my problems. You've got ---.

5. I can't make her decisions for her. She must make ---.

81.4 Complete the sentences using my own/your own etc. Choose one of these verbs:

bake cut make write

1. Brian never goes to the hairdresser. He usually _cuts his own car? _

2. Mary doesn't often buy clothes. She usually ---.

3. Paul is a singer. He sings songs written by other people but he also ---.

4. We don't often buy bread from a bakery. We ---.

81.5 Complete the sentences using on my own/by myself etc.

1. Did you go on holiday on _your own? _

2. I'm glad I live with other people. I wouldn't like to live on ---.

3. The box was too heavy for me to lift by ---.

4. 'Who was Tom with when you saw him? ' 'Nobody. He was by ---.'

5. Very young children should not go swimming by ---.

6. I don't think she knows many people. When I see her, she is always by ---.

7. I don't like strawberries with cream. I like them on ---.

8. Do you like working with other people or do you prefer working by ---.

9. We had no help decorating the flat. We did it completely on ---.

10. I went out with Sally because she didn't want to go out on ---.

UNIT 82. Myself/yourself/themselves etc.

A. Study this example:

George cut himself when he was shaving this morning.

We use myself/yourself/himself etc. (reflexive pronouns)

when the subject and object are the same:

subject -> (George) cut (himself). < - object

The reflexive pronouns are:

singular: myself yourself (one person) himself/herself/itself

plural: ourselves yourselves (more than one person) themselves

* I don't want you to pay for me. I'll pay for myself. (not 'I'll pay for me')

* Julia had a great holiday. She enjoyed herself very much.

* Do you sometimes talk to yourself? (said to one person)

* If you want more to eat, help yourselves. (said to more than one person)

Compare:

* It's not our fault. You can't blame us.

* It's our own fault. We blame ourselves.

Note that we do not use myself/yourself etc. after 'bring/take something with...':

* It might rain. I'll take an umbrella with me. (not 'with myself')

B. We do not use myself etc. after concentrate/feel/relax/meet:

* You must try and concentrate. (not 'concentrate yourself')

* 'Do you feel nervous? ' 'Yes, I can't relax.'

* What time shall we meet? (not 'meet ourselves', not 'meet us')

We normally use wash/shave/dress without myself etc.:

* He got up, washed, shaved and dressed. (not 'washed himself' etc.)

But we say 'I dried myself'.

C. Study the difference between -selves and each other:

* Tom and Ann stood in front of the mirror and looked at themselves. (= Tom and Ann looked at Tom and Ann)

but * Tom looked at Ann; Ann looked at Tom. They looked at each other.

You can use one another instead of each other:

* How long have you and Bill known one another? (or... known each other)

* Sue and Ann don't like each other. (or... don't like one another)

D. We also use myself/yourself etc. in another way. For example:

* 'Who repaired your bicycle for you? ' 'Nobody. I repaired it myself.'

'I repaired it myself' = I repaired it, not anybody else. Here, myself is used to emphasize I (=it makes it stronger). Some more examples:

* I'm not going to do it for you. You can do it yourself. (= you, not me)

* Let's paint the house ourselves. It will be much cheaper.

* The film itself wasn't very good but I liked the music.

* I don't think Sue will get the job. Sue herself doesn't think she'll get it. (or Sue doesn't think she'll get it herself.)