is the homework a verb

• More from M-W
• To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Definition of homework

Examples of homework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near homework

Cite this entry.

“Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 11 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of homework, more from merriam-webster on homework.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for homework

Nglish: Translation of homework for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of homework for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about homework

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

More commonly misspelled words, your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, more commonly mispronounced words, how to use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) , and hyphens (-), popular in wordplay, the words of the week - may 10, a great big list of bread words, 10 scrabble words without any vowels, 8 uncommon words related to love, 9 superb owl words, games & quizzes.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of homework in English

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

• The kids are busy with their homework.
• My science teacher always sets a lot of homework.
• "Have you got any homework tonight ?" "No."
• I got A minus for my English homework.
• For homework I want you to write a paper on an endangered species .
• academic year
• access course
• Advanced Placement
• asynchronous
• foundation course
• immersion course
• on a course
• open admissions
• the national curriculum
• work placement

homework | Intermediate English

Homework | business english, examples of homework, translations of homework.

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

a unit for measuring the loudness of sound

Varied and diverse (Talking about differences, Part 1)

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
• English    Noun
• Intermediate    Noun
• do your homework
• Translations
• All translations

To add homework to a word list please sign up or log in.

Add homework to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

• Dictionaries home
• American English
• Collocations
• German-English
• Grammar home
• Practical English Usage
• Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
• Word Lists home
• My Word Lists
• Recent additions
• Resources home
• Text Checker

Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

• acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education
• receive/provide somebody with training
• develop/design/plan a curriculum/course/program/syllabus
• give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
• hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
• moderate/lead/facilitate a discussion
• sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
• go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
• be in the first, second, etc. grade (at school)
• study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
• finish/drop out of/quit school
• graduate from high school/college
• be the victim/target of bullying/teasing
• skip/cut/ ( informal ) ditch class/school
• cheat on an exam/a test
• get/be given a detention (for doing something)
• be expelled from/be suspended from school
• do your homework/a project on something
• work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/a paper
• finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies
• hand in/turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
• study/prepare/review/ ( informal ) cram for a test/an exam
• take/ ( formal ) sit for a test/an exam
• grade homework/a test
• do well on/ ( informal ) ace a test/an exam
• pass/fail/ ( informal ) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
• apply to/get into/go to/start college
• leave/graduate from college (with a degree in computer science)/law school
• study for/work towards a law degree/a degree in physics
• major/minor in biology/philosophy
• earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a Ph.D. in economics

Definitions on the go

Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

homework in British English

Homework in american english, examples of 'homework' in a sentence homework, cobuild collocations homework, trends of homework.

View usage for: All Years Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically homework

• homeward journey
• homework assignment
• homework club
• homework diary
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'H'

Related terms of homework

• do homework
• school homework
• homework exercise
• View more related words

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Wordle Helper

Scrabble Tools

• Daily Crossword
• Word Puzzle
• Word Finder
• Word of the Day
• Synonym of the Day
• Word of the Year
• Language stories
• All featured
• Gender and sexuality
• All pop culture
• Writing hub
• Grammar essentials
• Commonly confused
• All writing tips
• Pop culture
• Writing tips

Advertisement

[ hohm -wurk ]

• schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( distinguished from classwork ).
• a single assignment of such schoolwork: Homeworks are due at the beginning of class.
• paid work done at home , as piecework.

to do one's homework for the next committee meeting.

/ ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk /

• school work done out of lessons, esp at home
• any preparatory study
• work done at home for pay

Discover More

Word history and origins.

Origin of homework 1

Idioms and Phrases

Example sentences.

Now, they log on to Zoom from their bedrooms, surrounded by unfinished homework assignments and tattered stuffed animals, waiting to be assigned calls, texts and emails by the trained therapists who oversee the program.

Yow started her homework and saw Frese had gone 35-22 with two winning seasons at Ball State, which hadn’t had a winning record in its previous nine seasons.

Do some homework before investing in a diamond, and that lifelong commitment.

Another poster included an image of their losses over what appeared to be online math homework.

As we countdown to Inauguration Day, I've been doing my homework—and looking to the past for inspiration.

“I can help my children with their homework and sometimes we text in English at my job,” Santos says.

Scheunemann, meanwhile, had no idea who Spencer was, and did some homework.

She jumped at the chance to watch RT, or jumped at the chance to skip calculus homework.

And we encourage parent-student “contracts,” for class attendance, homework submission and even extra-curriculum activities.

Adicéam did his homework, spending 50 days collecting pieces, many with unexpected stories behind them.

Much of this homework is done by a very bad light and the boy's eyes suffer much.

For homework we have prepared alphabets where the letters are printed in type-writing order.

His parents were always getting angry with him for losing his clothes, or his toys, or his homework.

Only at the time when he was going to Beauregard School, with his homework.

And once a week or twice a week she was sending her homework or something to him.

Related Words

• arrangement
• construction
• establishment
• preparedness
• qualification

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Usage notes
• 1.3.2 Hypernyms
• 1.3.3 Coordinate terms
• 1.3.4 Derived terms
• 1.3.5 Translations
• 1.4 See also
• 1.5 References
• 1.6 Anagrams

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

From home +‎ work .

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk/
• ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/

Noun [ edit ]

homework ( usually uncountable , plural homeworks )

• 2013 July 1, Peter Wilby , “Finland's education ambassador spreads the word”, in The Guardian ‎ [1] , archived from the original on 2022-10-15 : Even 15-year-olds do no more than 30 minutes' homework a night.
• 2023 January 12, Kevin Roose, “Don't Ban ChatGPT in Schools. Teach With It.”, in The New York Times ‎ [2] , archived from the original on 2023-01-17 : And I'm sympathetic to teachers who feel that they have enough to worry about, without adding A.I.-generated homework to the mix.
• 2012 April 10, John Hudson, “North Korea Has a Clumsy Way of Soothing Concerns About Its Rocket Launch”, in The Atlantic ‎ [3] , archived from the original on 2022-01-22 : Since the whole world is watching this launch, they probably should've done some homework on their talking points.
• 2017 May 9, “Mindful sex is better sex, says B.C. researcher promoting new workbook”, in CBC News ‎ [4] , archived from the original on 2022-11-22 : Four years after her first sexual health book came out, Dr. Lori Brotto is giving her readers a little bit of homework for the bedroom.
• 2022 July 18, Donald Mcrae , quoting Michael Yormark, “Roc Nation's Michael Yormark on Romelu Lukaku: 'You have to play to his strengths... I don't think that happened'”, in The Guardian ‎ [5] , archived from the original on 2022-12-26 : I didn't even know who he was until I did my homework and realised he was a premier footballer for Bayern.
• 2023 August 7, Suzanne Wrack , “England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Women’s World Cup quarter-finals”, in The Guardian ‎ [6] : Nigeria had done their homework and were well organised. Halimatu Ayinde was exceptional in her marking of James, who had scored twice and provided three assists as she ran the show against China.
• 1989 , Eileen Boris, Cynthia R. Daniels, Homework: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Paid Labor at Home , University of Illinois Press , →ISBN , page 241 : Hatch perceived homework to be one tool—along with various workfare schemes and private sector training programs—that would take women off welfare and make poor women "independent."
• 1933 , James T. Farrell , Gas-House McGinty , page 186 : My wife and I want a kid, and we do plenty of homework , but goddamn it, Dutch, I just can't connect.
• ( BDSM ) Tasks assigned by a dominant for a submissive to perform when they are physically away from their dominant or otherwise free.

Usage notes [ edit ]

• ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) The term homework generally implies that the work is mandatory and worth marks; exercises that are optional are usually referred to as practice problems , review problems , extra practice , exercises , etc.
• ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) Work of a larger scale than homework (which involves a series of relatively simple exercises) is usually referred to as an assignment or project .

Hypernyms [ edit ]

Coordinate terms [ edit ], derived terms [ edit ].

• bit of homework
• do one's homework
• homework club
• homework diary
• piece of homework
• the dog ate my homework

Translations [ edit ]

See also [ edit ], references [ edit ], anagrams [ edit ].

• English compound terms
• English 2-syllable words
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• English lemmas
• English nouns
• English uncountable nouns
• English countable nouns
• English terms with usage examples
• English terms with quotations
• English terms with rare senses
• English slang
• English euphemisms
• English endocentric compounds
• en:Education
• English entries with topic categories using raw markup
• English entries with language name categories using raw markup
• Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations
• Hindi terms with non-redundant manual transliterations
• Urdu terms with redundant transliterations

Navigation menu

The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb: the Miami Heat have been looking … , The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent … . See the section on plurals for help with this problem.

Is homework a noun or a verb?

Homework is a noun. Ex:

I am doing my homework .

Go do your homework .

You have homework tonight.

It is a noun because it is a thing YEY.

The word homework is a noun ; a word for a form of study or preparation; a word for a thing.

Example: I hate this stupid homework. ( homework is the noun and stupid is the adjective that describes the homework)

No, the word 'homework' is a noun , a word for a thing.

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence.

I do have some homework but it is almost finished. (the pronoun 'it' takes the place of the noun 'homework' in the second part of the sentence)

The word 'task' is a noun and a verb.

• The noun 'task' is a word for a piece of work to be assigned or done; a word for a thing.
• The verb 'task' means to assign a piece of work; a word for an action.

Each volunteer will be assigned a task . (noun)

I can task the purchasing manager to finding the unit. (verb)

The word homework is a noun, a common, abstract, compound noun; a word for a form of study or preparation, a word for a thing.

Anonymous ∙

alliteration

Add your answer:

What is a objective noun?

An 'object noun' is a noun that functions as the object of a verb or a preposition.Examples:The dog ate my homework. (the noun 'homework is the direct object of the verb 'ate')I gave the teacher flowers. (the noun 'teacher' is the indirect object of the verb 'gave'; the direct object is the noun 'flowers')The teacher gave me an A for effort. (the noun 'effort' is the object of the preposition 'for')

Is finish a possessive adjective?

No, the word 'finish' is a noun (finish, finishes) and a verb (finish, finishes, finishing, finished).Examples:The finish on her table is in perfect condition. (noun)I can finish my homework after work. (verb)A possessive adjective is a pronoun that is placed before a noun to describe that noun as belonging to someone or something.The possessive adjectives are: my, your, our, his, her, their, its.Examples:The finish on her table is in perfect condition. (noun)I can finish my homework after work. (verb)

What is the plural form of the word homework?

The collective noun for the noun 'homework' is a slew of homework.

Is does followed by singular verb?

No.Does is a singular verb, it is the third person singular form of do. Use does with third person singular pronouns - he she it - or singular noun subjects eg:He does his homework every night.The boy does his homework every night.

What is the abstract noun for please?

The abstract noun form for the verb to please is the gerund, pleasing.A related abstract noun form is pleasure.

Is homework a action verb?

No, homework is not a verb. The word homework is a noun, an uncountable, common, compound, abstract noun, a word for a thing.

What part of speech is copies?

Copy can be a verb or a noun. Verb: Please copy the homework assignment from the board. Noun: You must provide a copy of your license.

What is the noun form of debate?

The word debate is both a noun and a verb; for example: Noun: Frank will participate in the debate with Springfield High. Verb: They will debate the positives and the negatives of homework. Noun forms for the verb to debate are debater and debatement.

Is 'did' a noun?

No, did is the past tense for the verb do. Example use:I do want to go to the movie.I did go to the movie.No, the word 'did' is the past tense of the verb to do.Examples:When are you going to do your homework?I already did my homework. (Honest!)

What does the french word devoirs mean?

It can be the verb 'must' or as a noun it can mean duty, les devoirs usually means homework (from school).

Is the contraction who've a noun pronoun or verb?

The contraction who've is a short form for the pronoun who and the verbhave. The contraction functions as a subject and verb (or auxiliary verb) in a sentnece. Example:Students who have handed in their essay will have no homework this weekend.ORStudents who've handed in their essay will have no homework this weekend.

Is help a verb?

Yes, help is used as a verb and also as a noun.I help my kids with their homework whenever I can. (verb)I offered help when my neighbor's car wouldn't start. (noun)

What is the collective for homework?

What is the french 'devoir' in english.

noun: "les devoirs" means "homework." Verb devoir means: Should or must

Top Categories

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

Grammar: When to Use Do, Does, and Did

3-minute read

• 12th August 2022

Verbs are essential to creating complete sentences, as they help us express physical actions ( She jumped in the puddle) , mental actions ( He thought about puppies) , and states of being ( I am hungry) .

There are several types of verbs that can each be written in different tenses, so they can be tricky to work with, especially if English isn’t your first language . We’ve put together a guide to help you use one of the most common verbs, do , in your writing . Read on below to learn more!

Action Verbs

As the name suggests, action verbs are used to express actions completed by the subject of a sentence. The base verb do is conjugated according to the tense:

1. Present Tense

In the present tense, do takes the form do or does, depending on the subject:

Consider the following examples:

We do our homework every night.

   She does her homework every night.

2. Past Tense

In the simple past tense , the base verb do takes the form did with all subjects:

   We did our homework last night.

   She did her homework last night.

Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary , or helping verbs, are used with another base verb to create negative sentences, questions, or add emphasis. Here’s how do should be used as an auxiliary verb:

1. Negative Sentences

Following the same subject–verb pairings introduced above, we combine the auxiliaries do , does , and did with the adverb not to create negative sentences:

   We do not do our homework every night.

   She did not do her homework last night.

Note that we can combine the auxiliary and the adverb to create the contractions don’t , doesn’t , and didn’t . You simply remove the space between the two words and replace the letter o in not with an apostrophe (’).

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

Contractions are more common in conversations and informal writing and typically shouldn’t be used in formal writing (e.g., academic or business).

2. Questions

To create questions, the auxiliary is combined with the infinitive of another verb in this way: auxiliary verb + subject + infinitive verb .

●  Simple present questions:

Do they sell children’s books?

Does he speak English?

Note that the third person verb speaks isn’t spelled with the s when paired with the auxiliary to form a question.

●  Simple past questions:

Did you buy anything at the bookstore?

Did he learn how to speak English?

Note that did indicates the past tense, so the main verbs don’t also take the past tense (i.e., bought and learned ).

3. Emphasis

In positive sentences, we can also combine the auxiliaries do , does , and did with the main verb to emphasize that something is true:

   We do sell children’s books.

   He did learn to speak English.

Try saying these sentences aloud and adding emphasis to the auxiliary terms with your tone. It adds a dramatic effect!

Proofreading and Editing Services

Hopefully, this guide will help you feel more confident when using different forms of the verb do in your writing. If you’re still learning or want to be sure your work is error-free, our editors are ready to help. You can upload a free trial document today to learn more!

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

How to insert a text box in a google doc.

Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...

2-minute read

How to Cite the CDC in APA

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

5-minute read

Six Product Description Generator Tools for Your Product Copy

Introduction If you’re involved with ecommerce, you’re likely familiar with the often painstaking process of...

What Is a Content Editor?

Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...

4-minute read

The Benefits of Using an Online Proofreading Service

Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...

6 Online AI Presentation Maker Tools

Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Reading & Math for K-5

• Kindergarten
• Learning numbers
• Comparing numbers
• Place Value
• Roman numerals
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Order of operations
• Drills & practice
• Measurement
• Factoring & prime factors
• Proportions
• Shape & geometry
• Data & graphing
• Word problems
• Children's stories
• Leveled Stories
• Context clues
• Cause & effect
• Compare & contrast
• Fact vs. fiction
• Fact vs. opinion
• Main idea & details
• Story elements
• Conclusions & inferences
• Sounds & phonics
• Words & vocabulary
• Reading comprehension
• Early writing
• Numbers & counting
• Simple math
• Social skills
• Other activities
• Dolch sight words
• Fry sight words
• Multiple meaning words
• Prefixes & suffixes
• Vocabulary cards
• Other parts of speech
• Punctuation
• Capitalization
• Narrative writing
• Opinion writing
• Informative writing
• Cursive alphabet
• Cursive letters
• Cursive letter joins
• Cursive words
• Cursive sentences
• Cursive passages
• Grammar & Writing

Breadcrumbs

• Grammar by topic

Download & Print Only $5.29

Verb Worksheets

Action words.

These printable worksheets help students learn to  recognize and use verbs . Verbs are doing words or 'action' words.  All worksheets are free, printable pdf files.

Grade 1 verbs worksheets

• Identifying action words and verbs
• Writing sentences with verbs
• Verb-noun agreement
• Past, present and future tenses
• Verbs ending in "ed" and "ing"

Grade 2 verbs worksheets

• Identifying verbs
• Writing verbs in sentences
• Action verbs vs linking verbs
• Conjugating verbs
• Commonly confused verbs (saw/seen; lie/lay/laid; is/are)
• Verb tenses: past, present and future tenses
• Irregular verbs

Grade 3 verbs worksheets

• Identifying verbs (actions, mental actions, state of being)
• Identify verbs and nouns
• Completing sentences with verbs
• Commonly confused verbs
• Phrasal verbs
• Subject-verb agreement
• Action verbs
• Linking verbs
• Helping verbs
• Verb tenses
• Progressive verb tenses

Grade 4 verbs worksheets

• Past perfect, present perfect and future perfect tenses
• Progressive (or continuous) verb tenses
• Helping or auxiliary verbs
• Can vs could
• May vs might vs must
• Action verbs and linking verbs

Grade 5 verbs worksheets

• The perfect tenses
• The progressive (continuous) tenses
• The perfect progressive tense
• Verb conjugation
• Noun-verb agreement
• Descriptive verbs
• Correcting verb tenses
• Verb tense shifts
• Verb tense practice (longer texts)

Sample verbs Worksheet

What is K5?

K5 Learning offers free worksheets , flashcards  and inexpensive  workbooks  for kids in kindergarten to grade 5. Become a member  to access additional content and skip ads.

Our members helped us give away millions of worksheets last year.

We provide free educational materials to parents and teachers in over 100 countries. If you can, please consider purchasing a membership ($24/year) to support our efforts.

Members skip ads and access exclusive features.

Learn about member benefits

This content is available to members only.

Join K5 to save time, skip ads and access more content. Learn More

• Forgot Password?

• Rules/Help/FAQ Help/FAQ
• Members Current visitors
• Interface Language

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

• English Only

Homework - singular or plural?

• Thread starter Mr_Croft
• Start date Nov 19, 2007
• Nov 19, 2007

Senior Member

I haven't ( have not) done it. It is singular. My homework is singular. It names the collective tasks I have to do. Bienvenido mr_Croft! Note: Some dictionaries describe this noun as "uncountable". There are many threads here about uncountable nouns. You may find them by using the forum Search feature, or by looking up the word "uncountable" in the WordReference English dictionary. It will display threads with that word in the title: Forum discussions with the word(s) 'uncountable' in the title: Countable and uncountable, depending on context! Countable, uncountable: asparagus Countable, uncountable: homework Uncountable nouns - an exercise is the word "cheese" uncountable? Countable, uncountable: mail, e-mail Countable, uncountable: broccoli, orange Countable, uncountable: advice, bread, cabbage, hair, onions Countable, uncountable: chocolate, chocolates Countable, uncountable: food Countable, uncountable: news Two uncountable nouns become plural? Countable, uncountable: peanuts, people Should the verb be singular or plural after two uncountable nouns? Countable and uncountable, depending on context! uncountable luck Biker, Sponsor: UNCOUNTABLE??? is or are with a list of uncountable Countable, uncountable: help Countable, uncountable: snow Two types of uncountable nouns. the use of articles with uncountable nouns Countable, uncountable: patience "Advice" - uncountable??? Tip (countable or uncountable)  

The last time we talked about this, everyone but me said that homework is not countable. Countable, uncountable: homework But in this particular example, even I would say: I haven't done my homework. Have you done your homework? I haven't done it yet. - - - even if I have homework to do in several different subjects.  

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

English Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns

Do you like to do things yourself?

Maybe you grow your own vegetables, or are learning English by yourself .

Yourself is a reflexive pronoun . A reflexive pronoun can be used in a few different ways, including in reflexive verbs. But what the heck does all of that mean?

By the end of this post, you will be able to congratulate yourself on your knowledge of English reflexive verbs and pronouns.

So, What Are Reflexive Verbs?

All the reflexive pronouns you need to know, list of common verbs that are used with reflexive pronouns, other ways reflexive pronouns can be used, with prepositions, for emphasis, when you don’t need to use reflexive pronouns, resources for practice, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

As we noted earlier,  reflexive verbs are  verbs that use reflexive pronouns .

Let’s look at an example to start.

Lisa is teaching English.

Here, we don’t know who Lisa is teaching English to.

Lisa is teaching the students  English.

Now we have more information. We know that the students  are who Lisa is teaching.

Now let’s imagine that we want to say Lisa is the one who’s teaching, but Lisa is also the one being taught. Maybe Lisa is learning English on her own, for example.

In order to say this, you need a reflexive pronoun. But why? Why can’t you just use Lisa again?

Lisa is teaching Lisa English.

That sounds funny, right? It’s also not completely clear. In this sentence, there could be two different people who are both named Lisa. One person named Lisa could be teaching someone else whose name’s also Lisa. So we need a different word that lets us say exactly what’s happening. That word is the reflexive pronoun herself .

Lisa is teaching  herself  English.

So if Lisa is the one doing the teaching and the learning, Lisa is  teaching herself.

Teaching is the reflexive verb in this case, and herself is the reflexive pronoun.

If you’re learning about English reflexive verbs right now without a teacher, you are teaching yourself . Herself and yourself are both reflexive pronouns.

As you can see, the reflexive verbs in English are created by adding a reflexive pronoun to them. So, it’s really important to know about these reflexive pronouns.

Before we go any further, let’s look at what other reflexive pronouns you’ll come across.

Reflexive verbs use different reflexive pronouns depending on who or what’s the subject, or the person or thing performing an action, in a sentence.

In the sentence “She is teaching herself,” herself is the reflexive pronoun.

Here are all of the reflexive pronouns that you could use with this verb, and how you could use them:

• I am teaching  myself . 
• You are teaching  yourself .
• Lisa is   teaching  herself .   /  She  is teaching  herself .
• Frank is teaching  himself . / He is teaching  himself .
• We  are teaching  ourselves .
• You  are teaching  yourselves .
• They  are teaching  themselves .

Oneself  is another reflexive pronoun that can be used with the subject  one , but in modern English, one and oneself aren’t used very often in conversation. We usually only use them when we’re talking or writing about something in a very general way, sometimes for educational purposes.

For example, if you’re learning housekeeping vocabulary , you might find a dictionary or online definition that says “toilet paper is used to clean oneself after going to the bathroom.”

However, it’d probably sound strange if you said out loud in conversation that “one is teaching oneself.”

If you know someone is teaching themselves, but don’t know who that person is, you might say:

• Someone is teaching  herself .
• Someone  is teaching  himself .
• Someone is teaching themself/themselves .

This last one might sound funny whether you use themself or themselves , and some people will tell you that they’re both incorrect. However, it’s common to refer to a person who’s not specified as being male or female with “they.” When this happens, you may sometimes see that the reflexive pronoun used is themself rather than themselves .

In your own writing and speaking, just be aware that themselves is still more widely accepted.

Someone is teaching themselves . They are teaching themselves .

Another reflexive pronoun that isn’t listed above is  itself . Itself is normally used for a thing (or sometimes an animal) rather than a person. So unlike with the above pronouns, you probably wouldn’t say that something is teaching itself.

One common example of how this pronoun is used in a reflexive verb is the expression “it sells itself” (or sometimes “it practically sells itself”). This is an expression that means that a certain product, like a new piece of technology, is selling very well. In other words, this product is so popular and desirable that it almost seems like no actual selling or advertising is required.

Here’s an example of how you might hear this expression being used:

Everyone wants these new phones! They’re  practically selling themselves !

Here are some of the most common verbs in English that you’ll see with reflexive pronouns.

• To introduce. At this point in your English language journey, you’re probably familiar with this verb. To introduce yourself means to tell someone your name when you’re meeting for the very first time.

I will introduce myself to everyone at the party.

• To convince. If I say “We convinced ourselves to try sushi,” it could mean that we ate this delicious meal after discussing whether or not we thought it’d be a good idea. It also might mean that we were a little nervous about trying sushi for the first time, but we decided to try it anyway.

I didn’t want to apologize for singing loudly and annoying everyone, but I convinced myself it was the right thing to do.

• To hurt. If I say “I hurt myself when I fell,” it means that I became injured when I fell. You can injure yourself  or  hurt yourself without having done it on purpose! There are other reflexive verbs having to do with being harmed. A person can  cut themselves  or kill themselves (this last one’s usually understood to be done on purpose, and is the same as “commit suicide”).

When I tried to stand on my chair, I lost my balance and injured myself . 

• To drive. If I say “You drove yourself to the party,” it would mean that you got into a car and used it to get to the party.

Because I was hurt, my friends wouldn’t let me drive myself home.

There are also some verbs that change their meaning slightly when a reflexive pronoun is added.

• To enjoy.  This is where it gets a little confusing. To say that you are enjoying yourself  doesn’t mean that you are what you’re enjoying. To enjoy yourself simply   means to have a good time.

I enjoyed myself at the party, but some of the other guests didn’t enjoy themselves as much.

• To help.  To help yourself  can mean exactly what it sounds like. For example, someone might say “I can’t help you if you won’t even help yourself.” But to help yourself can also mean to take or serve yourself food or drinks. Someone who’s hosting a party or has invited you over to their home as a guest might tell you to help yourself to refreshments (food or drinks).

I  helped myself to too much sushi, so there wasn’t enough left for everyone else.

• To behave. Parents often yell “Behave yourself!” if their children are doing anything bad, such as making too much noise, getting their clothes dirty or climbing trees. They might also simply yell “Behave!” “Behave” by itself can either mean act properly and acceptably, or just act in a specific way. For example, you can “behave badly.” If you behave yourself , though, that always means that you behave well .

If I am ever invited to another party, I will try to behave myself .

These are only a few of the most common reflexive verbs. You’ll find many others during your English learning journey.

Besides being used in reflexive verbs, reflexive pronouns can also be used in sentences in a couple of other ways.

You can use a reflexive pronoun with a preposition to give more information in a sentence about what’s happening.

Let’s take a look at this sentence:

I went home to be alone .

Another way that we could say alone  here is by myself .

I went home to be by myself .

This might seem strange, because if you think about it, you’re always by , or near , yourself. However, as we saw in the examples above, reflexive pronouns are used in their own special way in some common phrases and expressions. The most important thing to understand here is that the pronoun myself is being used to refer back to the subject, I .

Here’s another common way a reflexive pronoun can be used with a preposition:

She bought a dress for herself .

In this sentence, herself is who she bought the dress for. Like with Lisa teaching English to herself, you need the word herself  to be clear.

If you said “She bought the dress for her ,” it’d sound like she bought the dress for some other person.

Reflexive pronouns can also be used to emphasize (stress, or give attention to) information in a phrase.

Consider this example:

I want to do it myself .

The person speaking this sentence could simply say “I want to do it,” and have it mean almost the same thing. However, the word myself emphasizes the word  I , showing that the speaker wishes to draw attention to this word.  

You might see this usage of a reflexive pronoun in this kind of exchange:

“It seems like you could use some help with the laundry. Would you like me to fold these shirts?”

“No, please don’t, I want to do it myself .”

Here’s another example:

They wanted to feed the dogs themselves .

In this sentence, it sounds like they might not have trusted someone else to feed the dogs.

It’d be fine to just say, “They wanted to feed the dogs.” However, themselves makes it seem more important that they be the one(s) to feed the dogs. It makes it seem like it’s important that they personally feed the dogs, and not just that the dogs are fed.

Unless you want to emphasize an action, you don’t need to use reflexive pronouns in cases where a person usually does something to or for themselves.

For example, instead of saying  David shaved himself after his shower , you can just say  David shaved after his shower .

Instead of saying Paulina dressed herself for dinner,  you can just say  Paulina dressed for dinner .

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve already learned a lot about reflexive verbs and pronouns! However, here are some resources you can use to get even more familiar with them:

• This reflexive pronouns quiz from Englisch-Hilfen lets you practice using reflexive pronouns in sentences with a fill-in-the-blank challenge.
• This quiz from My English Pages first has you identify all the reflexive pronouns, and then has you choose the right ones to go in sentences.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

These resources will help you start seeing how reflexive pronouns are actually used. The examples in this post and the above quizzes don’t cover all the possible usages of reflexive pronouns and verbs in English. However, now that you’ve learned all the reflexive pronouns, you’ll more easily be able to notice all the different ways they’re commonly used.

Keep watching out for them while you’re reading in English , watching English-language movies and having English conversations .

The more you practice English reflexive verbs and pronouns, the more easily you’ll be able to use them.

So keep teaching yourself!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

2.5a Pret/imp Verbos

Created by Señor Conway

Charts & Printables

Be faster with shortcuts

Check answer:

Add accent:

Are you sure you want to restart your practice?

Your practice score will be lost. To save it, press NO and then click Record Score

500 attempts is the limit per practice. If you want to practice more, start a new practice

You are not logged in to record this score

• Instructions

When ready, press start.

Timer is set to 5 minutes by default.

Customize Your Practice

Here's how you did, your privacy.

We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By pressing ACCEPT, you agree to our use of cookies to process your personal data to personalize your experience.