Reflexive vs. Emphatic pronouns
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS are anaphoric elements with special grammatical properties. They are subject to certain restrictions which do not apply to normal pronouns. For example, in a large number of languages a reflexive pronoun must find its antecedent within its immediate clause. Some English reflexive pronouns are illustrated in (11).
(11) a John has bought himself a new Mercedes.
b I surprised myself by winning the dancing competition.
c Mary tried to control herself, but could not resist tickling the Governor.
EMPHATIC PRONOUNS in English, and in many other languages, have the same form as reflexive pronouns, but their function and distribution are quite different. Each of the reflexive pronouns in (11) bears its own semantic role and Grammatical Relation, which are distinct from the semantic role and Grammatical Relation of its antecedent. But emphatic pronouns, like those in (12), do not have this kind of independent status within the clause. Rather, they are used simply to highlight the identity of some other phrase, namely the phrase which functions as their antecedent.
(12) a The Governor himself will appoint the new police chief.
b I gave that money to the Governor myself.
c I have a letter of authorization signed by the Governor himself.
Of course, there are also many languages in which emphatic pronouns are distinct from reflexives, e.g. German sich (reflexive)vs. selbst (emphatic). We can describe the status of emphatic pronouns more precisely by saying that they stand in APPOSITION to their antecedents. Two phrases are said to be in apposition when they: (i) bear the same Grammatical Relation; and (ii) refer to the same individual. The two phrases often occur next to each other as well, as in the examples in (13):
(13) a President Reagan, a former movie star, was very effective on television.
b My brother-in-law, the new Mayor of Chicago, has promised to get me a job.
The crucial difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns, then, is that a reflexive pronoun has a different function in the sentence from its antecedent, while emphatic pronouns have the same function in the sentence as their antecedents. There are often other differences as well in particular languages. For example, in English (and many other languages) a reflexive pronoun may not occur as the subject of a sentence. Emphatic pronouns, on the other hand, frequently occur as subjects; in fact, this seems to be their most common usage.
