pronoun

itself

itself

The cat cleans itself.

The cat cleans itself.

The problem will solve itself.

The problem will solve itself.

The house itself is small.

The house itself is small.

((as a reflexive object)) placed after a ((verb)) to show the action returns to the subject The machine turns itself off.

((for emphasis)) placed after a ((noun)) to emphasize that noun The city itself is quite old.

Synonyms: none; Function: reflexive pronoun, emphatic pronoun

Comes from the combination of 'it' and 'self'.

Used to refer back to an animal or an inanimate object. Not used for people. 'The company itself is new.'

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.