A2pronoun1K

Themselves

UK /["/ðəmˈselvz/"]/US /["/ðəmˈselvz/"]/

Definition

used when people or animals performing an action are also affected by it

In simple words: the people being talked about do something on their own

Examples

They seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The children were arguing amongst themselves.
They've bought themselves a new car.
There wasn't anyone who hadn't enjoyed themselves.
They themselves had had a similar experience.
Don and Julie paid for it themselves.
They wanted to spend the evening by themselves.
They did the cooking by themselves.

Usage notes

Used when the subject and the object of the verb are the same. Appropriate in both spoken and written English but more common in neutral contexts.

Grammar pattern

reflexive pronoun usage

Memory hint

Think of 'them' as a group and they can do things 'by themselves'!

Collocations

manage themselves
enjoy themselves
clean themselves

Synonyms

by themselves
on their own
independently

Antonyms

others
another
different people

Common mistakes

Using 'themself' instead of 'themselves', which is not standard.
Confusing with 'their' as a possessive pronoun.
Omitting 'themselves' in sentences where it's needed for clarity.