“It self” or “itself”: which is correct?
itself
The short answer
Itself is the correct form because it is a compound pronoun that is used to emphasize the subject.
Why people get it wrong
People might mistakenly add a space due to misunderstanding itself as two separate words or due to a lack of familiarity with compound pronouns.
What kind of mistake it is
It’s a spacing and compound word error.
Examples with itself
- The cat cleaned itself.
- The machine switches itself off at night.
- The problem solved itself in the end.
Quick check
The cat cleaned .
Itself is the correct form because it is a compound pronoun that is used to emphasize the subject.
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