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Maria D Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
to do something oneself / by oneself
Hello!
Could you, please, help me with reflexive pronouns?
As far as I understood we use "to do something oneself" when we mean "without anybody's help", and "to do something by oneself" - alone. But recently, I've come against a situation which made me feel puzzled.
Mom teaches her baby to eat himself.
Is it correct? Doesn't it sound like the baby is a cannibal?
And in total how to differentiate these situations: when the one does something without anybody's help and when the action is directed on the doer.
For example:
She is drawing herself.
Does it mean she is drawing without anybody's help or she is drawing a picture of herself?
Thank you!
Could you, please, help me with reflexive pronouns?
As far as I understood we use "to do something oneself" when we mean "without anybody's help", and "to do something by oneself" - alone. But recently, I've come against a situation which made me feel puzzled.
Mom teaches her baby to eat himself.
Is it correct? Doesn't it sound like the baby is a cannibal?
And in total how to differentiate these situations: when the one does something without anybody's help and when the action is directed on the doer.
For example:
She is drawing herself.
Does it mean she is drawing without anybody's help or she is drawing a picture of herself?
Thank you!
Top answer
" is incorrect (unless they are cannibals). "Mom teaches her baby to feed himself" would work. "Mom teaches her baby to eat by himself" and "Mom teaches her baby to eat on his own" could both mean that the baby will eat alone, but would probably be taken to mean that she is teaching him to feed himself.
- " is incorrect (unless they are cannibals).
- "Mom teaches her baby to feed himself" would work.
- "Mom teaches her baby to eat by himself" and "Mom teaches her baby to eat on his own" could both mean that the baby will eat alone, but would probably be taken to mean that she is teaching him to feed himself.
- " "She is drawing by herself" would indicate that she's alone.
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1 Answers
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"Mom teaches her baby to eat himself." is incorrect (unless they are cannibals). "Mom teaches her baby to feed himself" would work. "Mom teaches her baby to eat by himself" and "Mom teaches her baby to eat on his own" could both mean that the baby will eat alone, but would probably be taken to mean that she is teaching him to feed himself.
"She is drawing herself" would usually mean she
"She is drawing herself" would usually mean she
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