Question

Choose the option that best fills in the blank:
The building _____ was very tall.

• A. himself
• B. itself
• C. themselves
• D. ourselves

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

itself

When the subject and the object of the verb is the same person or thing, we use a reflexive pronoun. When reflexive pronouns are used to put emphasis on a particular noun, they are called emphatic pronouns.

In the given sentence the subject and the object of the verb is 'the building'.

The reflexive pronoun for singular third person is 'himself','herself' or 'itself' according to the gender of the noun.

In the given sentence the noun is a building. So, the reflexive pronoun used must be 'itself'.

Thus option B is the correct answer. Option A is incorrect.

'Themselves' is the reflexive pronoun for third person plural. Thus option C is incorrect.

'Ourselves' is the reflexive pronoun for the plural first person. Thus option D is incorrect answer.