A reflexive pronoun is a word that ends in “self” or “selves” and are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same. For example, “He believed in himself.” If you’re looking for some reflexive pronouns activities, games, lesson plans or worksheets, then you’re certainly in the right place. Keep on reading for all the details you need to know.
Let’s find out the best reflexives games to try out today. Keep on reading for everything reflexive pronouns games.
Reflexive Pronoun Games and Activities
Let’s get into the top 12 reflexives activities and games you might consider using in your classes.
#1: Mixed up Sentences
A quick way to review reflexives is to mix up sentences in terms of word order. Then, students have to work together to make good sentences in English! Time spent on sentence structure after teaching a new grammar concept is never wasted time and this is a great activity for doing just that.
Sounds like something to try out with your students? Learn about it here: ESL Mixed Up Sentences Activity.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Bolen, Jackie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 92 Pages - 09/27/2020 (Publication Date)
#2: Reflexive Pronoun Concentration Activity
This is a fun memory game that can be tailored to just about any vocabulary or grammar concept. In this case, you’d want to fill half the cards with sentences that have a blank in them where the reflexive would go. Then, the matching card has the reflexive pronoun on it.
Students compete against each other to find the matches. Here are all the details about it: ESL Concentration Memory Game.
#3: Reflexive Pronoun Songs and Chants
If you teach kids, one of the best ways to teach grammar and vocabulary is with songs and chants. Not musical? Not to worry. There are lots of great options on YouTube.
#4: Dictogloss Reflexive Pronoun Activity
We like to use this challenging listening and writing activity with our more advanced students. The way it works is that you can find (or write) a reading passage with lots of reflexive pronouns in it. The textbook you’re using might be a good source for this.
Then, put students into partners and read it out at a faster than normal pace for the level of students. They can take notes and try to recreate together what they heard. Then, read it again and repeat the same process. Finally, students compare what they have with the original.
Want to give it a try? Find out more details here: ESL Dictogloss.
#5: Error Correction Relay Race
#6: Is that Sentence Correct?
A nice way to review any sort of grammar concept, including reflexives is to use this simple activity. Make a bunch of sentences, some of which are correct while others are not. Students have to choose the incorrect ones and change the errors in them.
Check it out: ESL Sentence Correction Activity.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Bolen, Jackie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 67 Pages - 10/26/2015 (Publication Date)
#7: Reflexive Pronoun Dictation
Dictation has fallen out of favour these days among many English teachers. However, it’s quite a useful activity as it’s heavy on listening and writing, as well as reinforcing key concepts like punctuation and capitalization. Read out some sentences, one by one to your students and they have to write down what they hear.
Here’s all the information you need to get started with this: ESL Dictation Activity.
#9: Reflexive ESL Speaking Lesson
It’s possible to plan an English-speaking lesson about almost anything, including this topic. Check out this step-by-step guide for how to do that:
#8: Reflexive Pronouns Videos
Maybe your students are kind of like ours. That is, they get tired of hearing our voices by the end of the semester! If this is the case for you too, why not mix it up a bit and let another teacher do the hard work for a class or two?
By that, we mean that there are a ton of excellent resources online for how to explain this grammar concept. Have a look on YouTube and you’ll be able to easily find one that works for the age and level of students.
#10: Proof-Reading Activity
Proofreading is an important but often overlooked skill in many ESL classrooms. Besides being useful at focusing on things like vocabulary choices and punctuation, it can be used to focus on any sort of grammar, including reflexives. In this case, you’d want to include some errors related to this.
Learn more about how to do this activity with your students today: ESL Proofreading Activity.
#11: ESL Reading Lesson with Reflexives
Most grammar and vocabulary concepts are introduced in ESL textbooks either through a listening or reading passage. It’s certainly possible to plan an entire lesson around a reading with reflexives in it. Doing this, instead of just random, disjointed activities will certainly make the concept more memorable and useful for the students.
Give it a try! You’ll probably love the results. Find out how to do it: ESL Reading Lesson Plan Template.
#12: Running Dictation
This is one of our favourite 4-skills TEFL activities! It’s so great because it’s fun and engaging and gets students out of their seats and moving around the classroom. The key to using it for this grammar concept is to make sure the conversation you choose (or write) has lots of reflexive pronouns in it.
Learn more about it: www.eslspeaking.org/esl-game-running-dictation
#13: Error Correction Relay Race
We love to use this ESL game in our classes because it turns something old (error correction) into something new again. It’s fun, student-centred and can be easily use for these kinds of pronouns.
Check it out: ESL Error Correction Game.
#14: Sentence Structure Games and Activities
Reflexives are heavy on the sentence structure and students have to be able to know how to make good sentences with them. It can be a little bit tricky as this is something that can be a bit confusing because the subject and object of the sentences are the same.
Here are some of the best activities to help with this: ESL Sentence Structure.
#15: Dialogue Substitution
Try out this simple activity that turns dialogues in textbooks from a simple reading activity to one that is focused more on meaning.
#16: Mirror Image
Divide the students into pairs and give each pair a small handheld mirror. Ask them to take turns describing their partner’s appearance using reflexive pronouns. For example, “I see myself. I have long hair.”
#17: Daily Routine Comic Strips
Have students create comic strips depicting their daily routines using reflexive verbs. They can draw pictures and write captions using the appropriate reflexive pronouns to describe their actions throughout the day.
#18: Reflexive Relay Race
Create a relay race where students must complete a task using reflexive verbs at each station. For example, they might have to write a sentence about themselves, match reflexive verbs with their meanings, or act out a reflexive action.
#19: Reflexive Scavenger Hunt
Create a scavenger hunt where students search for objects or pictures related to reflexive actions. They must then use the objects or pictures to create sentences using reflexive pronouns.
#20: Reflexive Storytelling
Provide students with a set of pictures depicting different actions. In small groups, students take turns creating a story using reflexive pronouns to describe the actions in the pictures. They can add details and create a coherent narrative.
#21: Selfie Story
Provide each student with a blank sheet of paper. Instruct them to draw a picture that represents themselves doing an activity using a reflexive pronoun. Students then pass their papers to the person on their right. The next student writes a sentence using a reflexive pronoun to describe the activity in the picture. The papers continue to be passed around until each student receives their original paper. Finally, students share the pictures and sentences with the class, using reflexive pronouns to describe the actions.
#22: Reflexive Pronoun Bingo
Create Bingo cards with sentences using reflexive pronouns. The sentences should be in a jumbled order, and the reflexive pronouns should be missing. Call out the sentences one by one, and students must identify the missing reflexive pronoun and mark it on their Bingo cards. The first student to get a straight line or a full house calls out “Bingo!”
#23: Find Your Match
Prepare cards with sentence halves, with one half containing the subject and the other half containing the reflexive pronoun. Distribute the cards randomly to the students. They must move around the classroom and find their match by matching the subject with the appropriate reflexive pronoun. Once they find their match, they can form a complete sentence together and sit down. This game encourages listening, speaking, and collaboration.
Reflexible Pronouns Worksheets
Why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to? This applies to all things reflexive worksheets! There are a number of top resources to choose from which can save you a ton of time.
Reflexive Pronoun Lesson Plans
If you’re looking for some lesson plans for reflexives, we have some good news for you! There are plenty of excellent ones there, which as any busy teacher knows, can be a real time-saver. Here are some of the best reflexive pronouns lesson plans:
Online Practice for Reflexives
If your students need some extra practice with reflexive pronouns, there are a few online games and exercises to direct them to. Here are some of our favourites:
Reflexives FAQs
There are a number of popular questions that people have about using reflexive pronouns. Here are the answers to some of the most common ones.
What are the 9 reflexive pronouns in English?
In the English language, there are nine reflexives that end in either “self” or “selves.” They are used in a sentence when the subject and object are the same. Here’s a list:
- myself
- yourself
- himself
- herself
- oneself
- itself
- ourselves
- yourselves
- themselves
What are some examples of reflexive pronouns in English?
Here are some examples of the English reflexive pronouns in English:
- I’ll do it myself.
- The company basically runs itself.
- She told me that she’d drive herself.
How do we use reflexive pronouns?
We use reflexive pronouns when the subject and object of the verb refers to the same person or thing. For example, “They said that they’d take care of it themselves.” The verb “take care of” has the same subject and object (they).
How do you teach reflexive pronouns?
The best way to teach reflexive pronouns is to introduce them in the context of sentences. Explain that they are used when the subject and verb of an object are the same person or thing. Then, allow for some time for students to practice using reflexive pronouns in speaking and writing.
How do you identify a reflexive pronoun?
You can identity a reflexive pronoun by paying attention to the ending of the words. These types of pronouns end in “self” for singular and “selves” for plural. The beginning of these words is similar to regular pronouns.
Did you like these Reflexives Games and Activities for ESL?
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Bolen, Jackie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 112 Pages - 10/24/2019 (Publication Date)
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Have your Say about these Reflexive Pronoun Activities
What’s your top pick for a reflexive game or activity? Is it one of the options from this or do you have another one that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
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Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API