himselfherselfitselfthemselves

The terms "himself," "herself," "itself," and "themselves" are reflexive pronouns in the English language. They are used when the subject of a sentence is also the object of the verb, referring back to the same person or thing. For example, in the sentence "John hurt himself," John is both the subject performing the action and the object receiving it. Similarly, in "Mary enjoyed herself at the party," Mary is the subject and the object of her own enjoyment. For inanimate objects or animals, "itself" is used, as in "The cat washed itself."

"Themselves" is the plural form of these reflexive pronouns. It is used when the subject is plural and refers back to that plural subject. An example would be "The students prepared themselves for the exam." The students are the subject, and they are the ones doing the preparing and being prepared. These pronouns are important for clarity in sentence construction, ensuring that the reader understands the relationship between the subject and the object of the action. They are distinct from intensive pronouns, which are used for emphasis and can often be removed from a sentence without changing its basic meaning, such as "I will do it myself." Reflexive pronouns, however, are essential to the grammatical structure and meaning of the sentence.