1.120 used for emphasis or contrast

Especially in speech, people sometimes use reflexive pronouns rather than personal pronouns as the object of a preposition, in order to emphasize them.

• My first pupil today is a Pole like myself.
• ...the following conversation between myself and a fifteen-year-old girl.
• The circle spread to include himself and Ferdinand.
• People like yourself still find new things to say about Shakespeare.
• There is always someone worse off than yourself.
• With the exception of a few Algerians and ourselves everyone spoke Spanish.

1.121

You can also reflexive pronouns in addition to nouns or personal pronouns. You usually do this in order to make it clear or to emphasize who or what you are referring to.

• We ourselves have got to build our own strength.
• Sally herself came back.

You can also use a reflexive pronoun to compare or contrast one person or thing with another.

• His friend looked as miserable as he felt himself.
• It is not Liverpool I miss, but England itself.

The reflexive pronoun can follow the noun or pronoun that it relates to.

• Sally herself came back.
• It is hot in London; but I myself can work better when it's hot.
• The town itself was so small that it didn't have a priest.
• The lane ran right up to the wood itself.

It can also be placed at the end of the clause.

• I am not a particularly punctual person myself.
• You'll probably understand better when you are a grandparent yourself.
• It is rare for Governments to take the initiative themselves.

1.122

You can use a reflexive pronoun to emphasize that someone did something without any help or interference from anyone else. In this use, the reflexive pronoun is normally placed at the end of the clause.

• She had printed the card herself.
• I'll take it down to the police station myself.
• Did you make these yourself?