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Thread: [Style] put...behind "yourself"?

  1. #1
    simile is offline Junior Member
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    Question [Style] put...behind "yourself"?

    Hi, while correcting students' translation sentences, there is a an expression "put your failure behind you." Some of the students wrote "put your failure behind yourself." Do you think the use of "yourself" an acceptable writing style? I check the Longman Dictionary. Under the entry of "behind," there is only sentences with the expression of "put... behind you," nothing like that of "...yourself."
    Last edited by simile; 15-Oct-2012 at 12:44.

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    Default Re: [Style] put...behind "yourself"?

    Quote Originally Posted by simile View Post
    Do you think the use of "yourself" an acceptable writing style? I
    No
    simile, Rover_KE, emsr2d2 and 1 others like this.
    Context is important. Please provide enough for us to be able to deal effectively with your question.
    Your thread title should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed.
    If you just want to know the meaning of a word, try OneLook Dictionary Search first.


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    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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    Default Re: [Style] put...behind "yourself"?

    You will come across yourself used like this, but is there any good reason for it? I am afraid that I don't like the use of myself as a supposedly posh or upmarket way of saying me. When I hear things like please inform myself or my colleagues, I shudder. I pride myself, can hurt myself but never put my failures behind myself.
    emsr2d2 and simile like this.

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    Default Re: [Style] put...behind "yourself"?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tdol View Post
    You will come across yourself used like this, but is there any good reason for it? I am afraid that I don't like the use of myself as a supposedly posh or upmarket way of saying me. When I hear things like please inform myself or my colleagues, I shudder. I pride myself, can hurt myself but never put my failures behind myself.
    I am sure that myself and the other moderators are with you on that.
    simile and Rover_KE like this.
    Context is important. Please provide enough for us to be able to deal effectively with your question.
    Your thread title should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed.
    If you just want to know the meaning of a word, try OneLook Dictionary Search first.


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    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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    Default Re: [Style] put...behind "yourself"?

    Just about, myselfer.

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    Default Re: [Style] put...behind "yourself"?

    Yeah, but...

    This one has "you" as the implied subject and "you" as the object, which seems to merit the use of the reflexive.
    Give yourself a pat on the back.
    Don't forget to leave one for yourself.

    So why is this one different? I agree it doesn't sound natural, but what is the reason that "behind you" is right and "behind yourself" is not, when "you" is the subject and object?
    I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.

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