'Relax' or 'Relax Oneself'? | Mastering Grammar

(Last Updated: 27 March 2025)

Part 2

1. The continuous form ('are having') is unacceptable. Have is a non-continuous verb when it means 'to possess' or 'to own':

✅ I have a car.
❌ I am having a car.

✅ Sam has twenty dollars.
❌ Sam is having twenty dollars.

✅ Susan has lots of friends.
❌ Susan is having lots of friends.

✅ Do you have a calculator?
❌ Are you having a calculator?

✅ Anna has a pleasant personality.
❌ Anna is having a pleasant personality.

Have can be continuous only when it expresses an action or an experience:

✅ We are having pizza for lunch.
✅ They are having a meeting now.
✅ I'm having so much fun right now.
✅ Tom was having dinner when I called.
✅ Susan was having nightmares for many weeks after the accident.

2. We can relax our muscles, but we don't 'relax ourselves'—the verb has no object in that case:

✅ Just sit down and try to relax.
❌ Just sit down and try to relax yourself.

✅ After a hard day at work, I just want to relax.
❌ After a hard day at work, I just want to relax myself.

✅ Chris finished his work and then relaxed in the sun.
❌ Chris finished his work and then relaxed himself in the sun.

Source: English Grammar in Use, Fifth Edition

I hope you have found this content helpful in your English learning journey. If so, please consider supporting this blog by buying me a coffee. Your contributions greatly help in maintaining the blog and are highly appreciated!

Also by Spencer Lam

Part 1: Should We Say 'A Tiger', 'The Tiger', or 'Tigers'?
Part 3: 'Exchange Program' or 'Exchanging Program'?
Part 4: 'Yours sincerely' or 'Yours faithfully'?
Part 5: Should We Say 'Take Bus', 'Take the Bus', or 'Take a Bus'?
Part 6: 'I Afraid' or 'I Am Afraid'?
Part 7: 'Date Someone' or 'Date with Someone'?
Part 8: A Missing Relative Pronoun
Part 9: Are 'Basketball', 'Football', and 'Badminton' Countable or Uncountable?
Part 10: 'Every Time' or 'Every Time When'?
Part 11: Should 'Mum' Be Capitalised? (Read this blog post for a more in-depth discussion of the topic.)
Part 12: 'Grammar' or 'Grammer'?
Part 13: 'List Something' or 'List Out Something'? (Read this blog post for a more in-depth discussion of the topic.)

Other Real-World Examples of Misuse

1. In the phrase use a web page to advertise something and give information about it, the infinitive to advertise and give should be parallel. The original error involved treating gives as if it had a separate subject, whereas it actually shares the infinitive form introduced by to (to advertise, to give). Therefore, give is correct, ensuring that both verbs are in the infinitive form and correctly parallel.
2. Regarding the use of yourself in relax yourself, the reflexive form is unnecessary. The verb relax is typically used intransitively in this context, meaning it does not require a direct object. Simply using relax is more natural and grammatically correct.
3. It is unnatural to use around without a complement in this context. In the revised sentence, the addition of them, referring back to customers, clarifies what around pertains to. Alternatively, one could use phrases like the natural surroundings or the surrounding natural environment to avoid the need for a pronoun while maintaining clarity and flow.
(Source: English Smart Class Weekly Language Practices (4B))
(Also from the Same Series: 1/2/3/4)

1. By using go for both activities, the sentence maintains a consistent verb form and becomes more concise.
2. The revised version lists four verb phrases: maintain..., perform..., eat..., and find.... This reduces redundancy and makes the sentence more natural-sounding and easier to follow.
3. Since multiple exercises are implied, using the plural form exercises is more appropriate.
4. This revision introduces an Oxford comma before and in the list, which helps clearly separate the items and enhances readability, especially in long or complex lists.
5. The reflexive pronoun themselves is unnecessary in this context.
(Source: English Smart Class Weekly Language Practices (4B))
(Also from the Same Series: 1/2/3/4)

1. When a coordinating conjunction (e.g. so) connects two independent clauses, a comma is typically used before the conjunction.
2. The verb take is arguably more suitable in this context as it suggests a more proactive approach to arranging holidays, whereas have might imply a more passive situation.
3. The reflexive pronoun himself in the phrase relax himself is unnecessary. The verb relax typically does not require a reflexive pronoun in this context.
4. The phrase I feel overjoyed to meet Ed should be corrected to I feel overjoyed to have met Ed to reflect that the meeting has already taken place. This tense adjustment aligns the narrative with the past event while maintaining the present emotional response.
5. The preposition for should be used in this context. Important for our health correctly implies that something serves the purpose of benefiting our health. Using to in this context would be incorrect as it implies that the health is capable of perceiving its own interests, which is impossible.
(Source: Evangel College)
(Also by the Same School: 1/2/3/4/5/6)