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Myself, themselves, and each other, where Vietnamese uses a different strategy entirely.
Why you specifically
Trong tiếng Anh, đại từ phản thân dùng để chỉ lại chính chủ ngữ của câu hoặc mệnh đề: I → myself, you → yourself/yourselves, he → himself, she → herself, it → itself, we → ourselves, they → themselves. Khi chủ ngữ và tân ngữ là cùng một người/vật, tiếng Anh thường phải dùng đại từ phản thân: I hurt myself, She taught herself English. Tiếng Việt thường không có một hình thức riêng tương đương như vậy, nên người học hay bỏ sót hoặc dùng nhầm me, him, her, them. Ngoài ra, by yourself, on your own còn mang nghĩa “một mình, tự mình, không có ai giúp”. Còn each other dùng cho hai người hoặc hai vật tác động qua lại lẫn nhau. Không dùng each other để thay cho đại từ phản thân. Cũng không dùng reflexive pronoun chỉ vì trong tiếng Việt ý đó được hiểu ngầm.
The rule
Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the same clause: I → myself, you → yourself/yourselves, he → himself, she → herself, it → itself, we → ourselves, they → themselves. Use them when the subject and object are the same person or thing, or when you mean “alone” in phrases like by yourself and on your own. Use each other for two people or things doing something to one another. Do not use a reflexive pronoun when a normal object pronoun is needed, and do not use it just because Vietnamese often leaves this relationship unstated.
The trap
I cut me when I was cooking.
I cut myself when I was cooking.
Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and the object are the same person. Vietnamese often leaves this idea implicit, but English usually needs myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, or themselves.
She bought her a new phone.
She bought herself a new phone.
After many verbs, English uses a reflexive pronoun when the person does the action for their own benefit. Vietnamese often does not use a special pronoun here.
The children taught them to swim.
The children taught themselves to swim.
When the subject does the action alone, use a reflexive pronoun, not a simple object pronoun.
Tom and Anna helped themselves with the homework.
Tom and Anna helped each other with the homework.
Use each other for two people giving mutual action. Do not use a reflexive pronoun for this meaning.
Prove it
14 drills
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