I blame myself for not paying attention.
She freed herself from my embrace.
After the meeting, he introduced himself to me.
Why not buy a book and teach yourself?
Don’t deceive yourself.
We must ask ourselves several questions.
Every country has the right to defend itself.
Reflexive pronouns are explained in paragraphs 1.111 to 1.118.
true reflexive verbs
3.27 Note that the verbs busy, content, and pride are true reflexive verbs: they must be used with a reflexive pronoun.
He had busied himself in the laboratory.
Many scholars contented themselves with writing textbooks.
He prides himself on his tidiness.
3.28 Another small group of verbs only take an object that refers to a person when the object is a reflexive pronoun. For example, you can express an opinion and you can express yourself (meaning that you can put ideas into words), but you cannot express a person.
Professor Baxendale expressed himself very forcibly.
She enjoyed herself enormously.
He applied himself to learning how Parliament worked.
Here is a list of verbs that take a reflexive pronoun as their object when you refer to a person:
apply
compose
distance
enjoy
excel
exert
express
strain
reflexive pronouns used for emphasis
3.29 Some verbs that normally do not have objects, because they involve only the performer of the action, can have a reflexive pronoun as their object if you want to emphasize that the subject is doing something that affects himself or herself. You can therefore say Bill washed himself rather than Bill washed.
I always wash five times a day.
Children were encouraged to wash themselves.
I stood in the kitchen while he shaved.
He prefers to shave himself before breakfast.
Ashton had behaved abominably.
He is old enough to behave himself.
Successful companies know how to adapt to change.
You’ve got to be willing to adapt yourself.
Here is a list of verbs that have senses in which you can use a reflexive pronoun for emphasis:
acclimatize
adapt
behave
commit
dress
hide
move
readjust
shave
undress
wash
3.30 Note that reflexive pronouns are not used as much in English as in some other languages when talking about actions that you do to yourself. As mentioned above, you would usually say I washed rather than I washed myself in English. Sometimes a noun with a possessive is used instead. For example, you would say I combed my hair rather than I combed myself.
3.31 Note that reflexive verbs are not used in the passive.
Delexical verbs: verbs with little meaning
3.32 There are some very common verbs that are used with nouns as their object to show simply that someone performs an action, not that someone affects or creates something. These verbs have very little meaning when they are used in this way.
For example, had in She had a shower has very little meaning in itself. Most of the meaning of the sentence is carried by the noun shower.
We were having a joke.
Roger gave a grin of sheer delight.
He took a step towards Jack.
verbs that are often delexical
3.33 This section focuses on the very common verbs that are used in this transitive structure. They are called delexical verbs.
Here is a list of verbs that are used as delexical verbs. The first four are very commonly used in this way.
give
have
make
take
~
do
hold
keep
set
Note that have got is not used as a delexical verb.
Structures containing delexical verbs are very common in English. Although the total number of delexical verbs is small, it includes some of the most common words in the language.
3.34 In many cases, there is a verb that has a similar meaning to the meaning of the delexical verb + noun. For example, the verb look means almost the same as have a look. When look is a verb, as in I looked round the room, you are focusing on the action of looking. When you use look as a noun in a delexical structure, you are naming an event, something that is complete. This structure often seems to be preferred. Note that the verb corresponding to the delexical structure is often intransitive.
She made a signal.
She signalled for a taxi.
A couple were having a drink at a table by the window.
A few students were drinking at the bar.
She gave an amused laugh.
They both laughed.
He gave a vague reply.
They replied to his letter.
There are also some verbs that are transitive.
Fans tried to get a glimpse of the singer.
I glimpsed a bright flash of gold on the left.
He gave a little sniff.
She sniffed the air.
Comis took a photograph of her.
They photographed the pigeons in Trafalgar Square.
with singular noun
3.35 The noun that is the object of the delexical verb is often in the singular and is usually preceded by a or an.
She made a remark about the weather.
She gave a cry when I came in.
I might take a stroll.
There are some countable nouns that are almost always used in the singular after a delexical verb. Here is a list of these nouns:
cry
feel
grouse
grumble
need
read
smell
taste
try
Note that these words are more commonly used as verbs in the language as a whole.
with plural noun
3.36 You can also use a delexical verb followed by a plural noun.