Using English Reflexive Pronouns Verbs Ask Alisha
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Lots of grammar points this week.
Hi everybody!
Welcome back to Ask Alisha, the weekly series
where you ask me questions and I answer them.
Maybe!
First question!
First question this week comes from Ricardo
Villaroel.
Hi again.
Hi Alisha, what are reflexive verbs?
If you have a reflexive verb, you have to
use a reflexive pronoun?
Like “yourself”?
First, to begin the answer to this question,
a reflexive verb is a verb where the subject
and the direct object of the verb refer to
the same thing.
Maybe in some languages there are verbs that
are like, specifically called reflexive verbs.
But in English, we have verbs that we can
just use reflexively.
So, some examples would be like, “I discipline
myself,” or “he cut himself,” or “she hit
herself in the face.”
So in each of these examples, the subject
and the direct object – they both refer
to the same person.
Or the same actor, essentially.
So yes, when we use a verb reflexively, we
need to follow the verb with a reflexive pronoun.
However, if you’re using a verb that’s like
a really common action, for example, so like,
a daily action.
Like taking a shower, or like shaving, for
example – If you say, like, “I showered
myself this morning,” or like, “he shaved
himself this morning…”
In those cases, in those really common examples,
we already know the direct object of that
verb.
We can already guess, because it’s a very
common action.
So you don’t really need to say, like, “I
showered myself this morning.”
Just say, “I showered this morning,” because
we can already guess the direct object of
that verb.
So, for super common actions, we can drop
it unless you want to add emphasis for some
reason.
But yes, when you use a verb reflexively like
that, the reflexive pronoun (like himself,
herself, myself, ourselves, themselves) – that
should match the subject.
So yes, yes.
That was kind of a long answer, but yes.
Next question!
Comes from Galina.
Hi, Galina.
How do you make tag questions with modal verbs
and with “have,” “has,” “had to,” thank you
in advance.
OK.
So to start this one,
tag questions are like mini questions that
come after a short statement.
These are things that we use to get agreement
from the person listening or maybe sometimes
we actually do want to check – we want to
confirm something with someone else, but they’re
kind of just like short, small questions.
So your question is about how to use modal
verbs and maybe auxiliary verbs.
Auxiliary verbs are like linking verbs.
Basically, the tag question goes at the end
of the statement.
And whatever verb you use in the main statement—in
the main sentence there—you’ll use that
same verb in your tag question.
He hasn’t come to work yet, has he?
They haven’t called yet, have they?
You could hear me, couldn’t you?
In the first one, “he hasn’t come to work,
has he?”
So, he has not come.
We’re using the present perfect tense there.
He has not come to work yet, has he?
So, this tag question, “has he?”
uses the same verb that we used in the main
part of the sentence; he HASN’T come.
The same auxiliary verb there.
The second sentence is the same: “they haven’t
called yet, have they?”
So here, the auxiliary verb “haven’t” is used.
“Haven’t called” is matched with “have they.”
In the last one: “you could hear me, couldn’t
you?”
We see the positive “could” is in the main
part of the sentence.
And the negative “couldn’t” is in the tag
question.
So you should be using the opposite form of
the verb.
So, if the main part of the sentence is positive,
you should use a negative in your tag question,
and vice versa.
If the main part of your sentence has a negative
verb, use the positive form in the tag question.
Next question!
Next question comes from Alex Fang.
Hi, Alex.
Alex says: Sometimes I hear people say the
words “then” and “though” at the end of sentences.
What does that mean?
For example, if you say a sentence like, “if
you’re not going, I’m not going to go, then.”
So, we use “then” to show cause and effect.
It’s like an if-then sort of thing.
If you’re not going to go, then I’m not going
to go.
But native speakers maybe we just casually
add it to the end of the sentence, or we just
change the position.
So “then” is showing like a cause and effect
sort of relationship there.
Though, however, is used just like “but,”
but we put it at the end of the sentence.
For example, if you go to see a movie.
One person says, “the theater was really crowded!”
And person B says, “yeah, the movie was really
good, though.”
So that “though” is like a “but,” but it’s
at the end of the sentence.
If you say, “though, the movie was really
good,” you CAN say it, but using “though”
at the beginning of a sentence sounds a little
more formal.
You could say, “but the movie was really good.”
But I think that the – The person who is
responding to the complaint (“the theater
was really crowded”) is agreeing.
They’re saying, “yeah, the movie was really
good, though.”
So it’s kind of like a way of softening a
little bit of a different opinion.
A different point.
So “though,” think of “though” as “but” at
the end of a sentence.
Hope that’s helpful.
Next question!
Comes from Eduardo!
Hello, Eduardo.
Eduardo says: What’s the difference between
“like” and “as” and “such as”?
Ah!
Okay.
I explained this – I talked about “like”
and “as” in episode 4 of this series, so check
that out.
“Such as” is used in the same way as we use
“like” to introduce examples.
But “such as” tends to sound a little bit
more formal.
So check that video if you want to see some
more details.
Next question!
Comes from…Tomoya.
What is the difference?
How do you use “in,” “on,” and “at”?
Aha, another one.
Okay, so, many of you ask questions similar
to this one.
So, if you haven’t, please check out the videos
that we have on this channel.
I’ve talked about how to use prepositions
of location and prepositions of time, and
I’ve talked a little bit about using “at”
and “in” and “on” and some other prepositions.
So I would recommend: start with these videos.
Those might answer some of your questions.
Next question!
Is from Weldo Carvalho.
Weldo Carvalho?
Carvalho?
I think?
Weldo says: Is there any difference between
“do not have” and “have not”?
Thanks.
Yes, there are big differences.
Used in a complete sentence, they have very
different functions.
They have different purposes.
So, for example, like, “I do not have a dog,”
or “you do not have any money.”
Those sentences express not possessing something.
I do not own a dog.
I do not own any money.
That’s something I personally do not hold,
do not have.
However, “have not” could be used in like
a present perfect statement.
“I have not been to France.”
“You have not given me my money back.”
So “do not have” means something I do not
possess.
But “have not” could refer to a present perfect
statement; a negative present perfect statement,
meaning “lack of experience in something.”
Lack of life experience.
Yes, they do have different grammatical functions,
so please be careful.
Next question!
Comes from Brahim Rouabah.
Brahim Rouabah, maybe?
Brahim says: Hi Alisha, how can I think in
English?
Because I always need to translate in my head.
Great, I answered this in this video.
This is the very first question I answered
in this video, so please take a look at that
for a few different ways; a few tips to help
you maybe stop translating in your head.
I recommend: start here.
Next question!
Comes from Gerson Silva.
Hi, Gerson!
Gerson asks: Do I need to use the auxiliary
verbs “do” and “does” always when I want to
make questions in a casual conversation?
If you want to make a simple “yes” or “no”
question, yeah.
“Do you eat lunch every day?”
Or, “Does he have a pet?”
For a simple “yes” or “no” question, yes,
you should use “do,” or “does” to make those.
If, however, you want to ask an information
question, you should use one of those “wh”
words, like who, which, where, when, what,
for example.
Or how.
So, if you want to make a yes or no question,
yes, use “do” or “does” to start your question.
That’s for present tense sentences.
If you want to ask an information question,
you can use one of the “wh” questions to do
that.
So, that’s the last question that I want to
answer for today.
Thank you, as always, for sending all of your
great questions.
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Thanks very much for watching this episode
of Ask Alisha!
I will see you again next week!
Bye-bye!