Intensive and Reflexive Pronouns

Active learning helps students distinguish intensive and reflexive pronouns because these small but powerful words require hands-on practice to master. When students manipulate sentences, test their effects, and construct their own examples, they move from memorizing forms to recognizing genuine grammatical functions.

• 7th Grade
• English Language Arts
• 4 activities
• 12 min–20 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify intensive and reflexive pronouns in sentences.
2. Differentiate the grammatical function of intensive pronouns from reflexive pronouns.
3. Construct sentences using intensive pronouns to add emphasis to a noun or pronoun.
4. Construct sentences using reflexive pronouns to indicate the subject is also the object of the action.
5. Evaluate the necessity of an intensive pronoun by removing it from a sentence.

Ready-to-Use Activities

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Pronoun Removal Test

Present sentences containing "-self" pronouns. Students apply the removal test: read the sentence without the pronoun and decide whether meaning is lost. If the sentence still makes sense, the pronoun is intensive; if meaning changes, it is reflexive. Pairs compare results and justify their decisions.

Prepare & details

How does an intensive pronoun emphasize a noun or pronoun?

Facilitation Tip: During the Think-Pair-Share, circulate and listen for the moment pairs realize a pronoun is removable but not replaceable.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 20 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Sentence Construction Challenge

Post eight sentence frames around the room, each requiring either an intensive or reflexive pronoun. Students circulate, complete each frame, and add a brief explanation of their choice. Review answers as a class and address any disagreements.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between the function of a reflexive pronoun and an intensive pronoun.

Facilitation Tip: For the Gallery Walk, post sentences at student height and provide sticky notes so peers can add corrections or emphatic rewrites.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Trading Cards

⏱ 15 min·Small Groups

Sorting Activity: Intensive or Reflexive?

Groups receive a set of sentence cards and sort them by pronoun function. They must also identify the noun or pronoun the "-self" form refers to. Groups then swap sets and check each other's sorting decisions.

Prepare & details

Construct sentences that correctly use both intensive and reflexive pronouns.

Facilitation Tip: In the Sorting Activity, give each pair a single sentence at a time to prevent rushing and encourage close reading.

Setup: Standard seating for creation, open space for trading

Materials: Blank trading card template, Colored pencils/markers, Reference materials, Trading rules sheet

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Trading Cards

⏱ 12 min·Individual

Quick Write: Original Sentences

Students write four original sentences -- two using intensive pronouns correctly and two using reflexive pronouns correctly. They then exchange papers with a partner who checks each sentence using the removal test and gives brief written feedback.

Prepare & details

How does an intensive pronoun emphasize a noun or pronoun?

Setup: Standard seating for creation, open space for trading

Materials: Blank trading card template, Colored pencils/markers, Reference materials, Trading rules sheet

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Start by modeling the removal test aloud so students hear how reflexive pronouns keep sentences complete while intensive pronouns do not. Avoid teaching these pronouns as a list; instead, focus on the reasoning behind each use. Research shows that students benefit from repeated exposure to authentic sentences rather than isolated drills.

What to Expect

Students will confidently label, construct, and explain sentences that use intensive and reflexive pronouns correctly. They will also self-correct common errors and justify their choices with evidence from sentence structure and meaning.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Sorting Activity, watch for students who label all '-self' pronouns as reflexive.

What to Teach Instead

Have them read each sentence aloud after removing the pronoun—if the sentence breaks, it is reflexive; if it still makes sense, it is intensive. Direct them to mark removal outcomes on the sorting sheet.

Common Misconception

During the Quick Write, watch for students who use 'myself' in place of 'I' or 'me' for politeness.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt them to read their sentences aloud with 'I' or 'me'—if it sounds natural, they should revise. Provide a mini-chart of correct subject/object pronoun pairs to reference.

Common Misconception

During the Think-Pair-Share, watch for students who assume intensive pronouns always follow the subject.

What to Teach Instead

Give them a sentence like 'The president herself gave the award to the team itself,' and ask them to identify which nouns are being emphasized. Have them highlight the emphasized words and link them to the intensive pronouns.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After the Sorting Activity, give students a list of 10 mixed sentences. Ask them to underline reflexive pronouns and circle intensive pronouns. Include four sentences with intentional errors for students to identify and correct.

Exit Ticket

After the Quick Write, ask students to write one sentence using a reflexive pronoun correctly and one using an intensive pronoun correctly. Collect these to verify understanding of both functions before moving on.

Peer Assessment

After the Gallery Walk, have students write two sentences, one with a reflexive pronoun and one with an intensive pronoun. They exchange papers with a partner, who must identify which sentence is which and explain the grammatical reason for each choice.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to create three sentences that deliberately misuse reflexive pronouns, then correct each other’s errors.
• If students struggle, provide a scaffolded worksheet with sentence stems and blanks for pronouns.
• For deeper exploration, invite students to research how intensive pronouns are used in speeches or literature, then present examples.

Key Vocabulary

Pronoun	A word that takes the place of a noun or noun phrase. Examples include he, she, it, they, myself, ourselves.
Reflexive Pronoun	A pronoun that refers back to the subject of the sentence, indicating the subject performs an action upon itself. It is essential to the sentence's meaning. Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
Intensive Pronoun	A pronoun ending in -self or -selves that is used to add emphasis to another noun or pronoun in the sentence. It is not essential to the sentence's meaning and can be removed. Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
Subject	The noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb in a sentence.
Object	The noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb in a sentence.