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OnceInAWHile Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

'himself' vs 'by himself'

Hello,

Please explain to me if there is a difference between the two sentences below:

#1. He did all of those tasks himself.
#2. He did all of those tasks by himself.

If there's no difference, which one would be more natural?

Thanks,
OnceInAWhile
  

Top answer

Hi. Welcome to English Forums. By himself means "alone, unaided".

— Fandorin

  • Hi.
  • Welcome to English Forums.
  • By himself means "alone, unaided".
  • "Himself" after a verb emphasizes that the action is performed by the the subject.
  • OnceInAWHile #1.
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1 Answers
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Hi. Welcome to English Forums.

By himself means "alone, unaided".
"Himself" after a verb emphasizes that the action is performed by the the subject.
OnceInAWHile#1. He did all of those tasks himself.
Emphasizing hom much independetn he is. He might have been offered help but he turned it down.
OnceInAWHile#2. He did all of
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