Intensive Pronouns

[The French]

Good afternoon teachers,

It's again 'The French' I have read somewhere that I can meet 'intensive pronouns' in English.

I know a lot of kind of pronouns but this sort of pronouns is unknown for me. Maybe somebody or someone can show me the way.

Thanks.

[konungursvia]

Myself, yourself.

[The French]

Myself, yourself.

Are you not mixed or mistaken with the reflexive pronouns?

Thanks.

[konungursvia]

Maybe. These are both, I believe.

[The French]

Maybe. These are both, I believe.

Hi fast man,

perhaps you're right but I am not able to confirm you or 'unconfirm" your answer.

Hope a teacher give us the solution about the grammar rule, if it exists.

Thanks.

[Barb_D]

Hi The French,
Here's a quick article on this subject.

They are the same words, but they are used differently.

See the difference:
Oops. I meant to forward you this e-mail, but I accidentally forwarded back to myself instead. (Here myself is the object.)
I wrote this myself. (Here myself add that intensity to emphasize that no one else did it or helped me).

[The French]

Hi Barb D,

Your explanation is clear for me. If I summarize, intensive pronouns are reflexive pronouns used to underline what the subject has done by itself.

Thanks for your reply. (sorry for my mistakes do not hesitate to correct me).

[Barb_D]

I think that's close enough.

Other ways to use them:

"John" is supposed to choose a team leader. Everyone knows that John himself would actually be the best choice, but he thinks it would be wrong to appoint himself.

You: Come on, John. You know that you yourself are the best choice.
John: Maybe, but it would look bad if I chose myself.

Do you see how in your statement, the "yourself" is intensive, but in his response, the "myself" is reflexive? (You can remove "yourself" from your sentence and it still works, but if you remove "myself" from his, it does not.)

(On an unrelated note, I'm not sure if "you yourself IS the best choice" or "you yourself ARE the best choice" is correct, but that's another issue that someone else may be able to help with.)