Reflexive verbs are those where the action reflects back on the subject, using reflexive pronouns such as myself or yourself. Ergative verbs are those that exhibit a unique flexibility in allowing the subject of an intransitive sentence to be the same as the object of a transitive one. Read on for a deeper understanding of each.
Reflexive verbs
A reflexive verb is a verb where the subject performs an action on itself, meaning the subject and the object of the verb are the same person or entity. In other words, the subject of the verb does something to itself, and this is indicated by a reflexive pronoun.
Reflexive pronouns in English:
Myself – 1st person singular (I)
Yourself – 2nd person singular (You)
Herself – 3rd person singular feminine (She)
Himself – 3rd person singular masculine (He)
Itself – 3rd person singular object (It)
Ourselves – 1st person plural (We)
Yourselves – 2nd person plural (You)
Themselves – 3rd person plural (They)
*Oneself – Indefinite or general subject (One)
*(Oneself is used when referring to a general, indefinite subject “one” meaning anyone or any person in general, rather than a specific individual.)
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same. They end in -self (singular) or -selves (plural).
For more on reflexive pronouns and other pronouns, please see the linked article.
Examples of reflexive verbs
Wash
- I washed myself.
The subject I performs the action on myself, which is the same person.
Dress
- She dressed herself.
The subject she performs the action on herself.
Enjoy
- They enjoyed themselves at the party.
They, the plural subject, find pleasure in themselves during the event.
Reflexive verbs in other languages
There is nothing unique to English about these verbs. Many other languages also use reflexive pronouns, including Slavic, Germanic and Romance languages. However, reflexive verbs are more common in other languages and can have specific reflexive forms. Slavic languages have the most, followed by Romance languages, with Germanic languages having the fewest.
- Spanish: Me lavo (I wash myself)
- French: Je me lave
- German: Ich wasche mich
- Italian: Mi lavo
- Portuguese: Eu me lavo
- Dutch: Ik was me
English, although classified as a Germanic language, has even fewer reflexive verbs than the other Germanic languages.
Distinguishing reflexive verbs
A verb is reflexive when the action is directed back to the subject. It contrasts with normal transitive verbs, where the action is directed towards something or someone else:
- Non-reflexive: She washed the car.
The action is directed towards “the car,” not the subject herself.
- Reflexive: She washed herself.
The action is directed toward the subject herself.
- Non-reflexive: He loves her.
- Reflexive: He loves himself.
Further common reflexive verbs in English
English has relatively few reflexive verbs compared to other languages, with somewhere between 30 and 50, and they often have non-reflexive counterparts.
Here are the most common, but keep in mind that some of these verbs can also be used non-reflexively, depending on the context:
- Blame oneself
- Wash oneself
- Dress oneself
- Enjoy oneself
- Introduce oneself
- Hurt oneself
- Cut oneself
- Pride oneself
- Prepare oneself
- Teach oneself
- Convince oneself
- Relax oneself
- Look after oneself
- Apply oneself
- Express oneself
- Hide oneself
- Occupy oneself
- Restrain oneself
- Behave oneself
- Amuse oneself
- Avenge oneself
- Sit oneself down
- Put oneself
- Distance oneself
- Control oneself
- Admire oneself
- Rid oneself
Ergative verbs
Ergative verbs are a type of verb that can be used both transitively (with a direct object) and intransitively (without a direct object), where the subject of the intransitive form corresponds to the object of the transitive form. In other words, the action of the verb can either affect something else or occur by itself.
For more on transitive and intransitive verbs, please read the linked article.
Examples of ergative verbs
In the following examples, the transitive verbs describe actions that are done to something else; the verb is directly affecting (being done towards or upon) the object of the sentence. The intransitive verbs do not require an object but rather happen on their own.
Break
- Transitive: She broke the vase. (The subject “she” performs the action on the object “vase”.)
- Intransitive: The vase broke. (The vase undergoes the action without an external agent performing it.)
Open
- Transitive: He opened the door. (The subject “he” opens the object “door”.)
- Intransitive: The door opened. (The door opens on its own.)
Melt
- Transitive: She melted the chocolate. (The subject “she” causes the chocolate to melt.)
- Intransitive: The chocolate melted. (The chocolate melts by itself.)
Burn
- Transitive: She burned the toast.
- Intransitive: The toast burned.
Drop
- Transitive: He dropped the glass.
- Intransitive: The glass dropped.
Grow
- Transitive: They grew tomatoes in the garden.
- Intransitive: The tomatoes grew quickly.
Shrink
- Transitive: She shrank the jumper in the wash.
- Intransitive: The jumper shrank.
Boil
- Transitive: She boiled the water.
- Intransitive: The water boiled.
Turn
- Transitive: He turned the page.
- Intransitive: The page turned easily.
Collapse
- Transitive: The engineer collapsed the bridge during demolition.
- Intransitive: The bridge collapsed.
Cook
- Transitive: She cooked the vegetables.
- Intransitive: The vegetables cooked quickly.
Increase
- Transitive: The company increased production.
- Intransitive: Production increased.
Start
- Transitive: She started the car.
- Intransitive: The car started.
Characteristics of ergative verbs:
- Object-subject relationship: the object of the transitive sentence becomes the subject of the intransitive sentence.
- Same verb form: the verb stays the same whether it is used transitively or intransitively.
- Natural process: often, the intransitive use of an ergative verb describes a natural process that happens without an external agent.
Non-ergative verbs:
Not all verbs are ergative. The following verbs exemplify subjects that do not become the object. In addition, the meaning of the verbs change when one uses them (or attempts to use them) intransitively:
- Transitive: I will send you the details.
- False intransitive: The details sent.
- Transitive: He told me a secret.
- False intransitive: The secret told.
- Transitive: He asked for directions.
- False intransitive: The directions asked.
- Transitive: She sent an email yesterday.
- False intransitive: The email sent.
- Transitive: They offered us a chance.
- False intransitive: The chance offered.
- Transitive: She teaches English.
- False intransitive: English teaches.
- Transitive: He brought her a coffee.
- False intransitive: The coffee brought.
- Transitive: I lent you my pen.
- False intransitive: The pen lent.
Observe that the intransitive sentences above are completely incorrect, nonsensical and ungrammatical?
Conclusion
There is an interesting relationship between reflexive verbs and ergative verbs:
Reflexive verbs involve an action where the subject performs it on itself. Ergative verbs can be used both transitively (with a direct object) and intransitively (without a direct object), where the subject of the intransitive form corresponds to the object of the transitive form.
- Reflexive verbs always involve the same participant as both the subject and the object, while ergative verbs involve a shift where the object of the transitive use becomes the subject in the intransitive use.
- Reflexive verbs use reflexive pronouns to indicate the subject is acting upon itself. The verb form remains the same whether it is reflexive or not. Ergative verbs maintain the same verb form but can be used in both transitive and intransitive constructions, changing the relationship between the subject and the object.
- Reflexive verbs are specific in that they explicitly state that the action is performed on the subject itself, whereas ergative verbs describe actions that may naturally transition from affecting something else to happening on their own, often without specifying who is performing the action in the intransitive form.
While both reflexive and ergative verbs involve a relationship between actions and participants, they address different grammatical phenomena. Reflexive verbs focus on actions where the subject and object are the same, whereas ergative verbs describe verbs that can shift their subject-object relationships depending on their use.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Börjars, Kersti, and others. Introducing English Grammar, 2nd edn (Routledge, 2010)
Burton-Roberts, Noel. Analysing Sentences: An Introduction to English Syntax, 4th edn (Routledge, 2016)
Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 3rd edn (Cambridge University Press, 2019)
Hewings, Martin, and others. Cambridge English Grammar and Vocabulary for Advanced (Cambridge University Press, 2015)
Huddleston, Rodney, and others. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Cambridge University Press, 2002)
Parrott, Martin. Grammar for English Language Teachers, 2nd edn (Cambridge University Press, 2011)
Quirk, Randolph, and others. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, reprint edn (Pearson, 2011)
New Hart’s Rules: The Handbook of Style for Writers and Editors (Oxford University Press, 2005)
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