she pointed to herself

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "she pointed to herself" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an action where someone indicates their own identity or presence, often in response to a question or in a conversation. Example: "When asked who would volunteer for the project, she pointed to herself, eager to take on the challenge."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

She pointed to herself as an example.

The New York Times

Once, she said, "You know, sometimes I think you like me better there" — she pointed to a mirror — "than here" — she pointed to herself.

The New Yorker

"We are going to go together, just you and me!" She pointed to herself when she said me and bounced up and down.

Huffington Post

She pointed to herself as evidence not just of the change in Florida, but of what candidates may see as they move on to face large, non-Cuban-American Latino groups of voters in other states.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

As she points to herself in the picture, Ms. Sutton recalls the Sunday dress she wore that day.

The New York Times

"You like to dance?" Before I can answer, she points to herself, "Me, I work all day.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"Why do I think this can really effect any change?" Answering her own question, she points to herself as an example of transformation through art.

The New York Times - Arts

She has shared her admiration for Fidel Castro with the Mexican press, and she points to herself, a world-traveled dancer, as an example of how much her country cherishes art and culture.

The New York Times

In her view, "a combination of good child care and an egalitarian marriage" is equal to the challenge of running a household, and she points to herself as a writer for Vanity Fair who works from home and also makes dinner for her kids every night, at least on those nights when she's not interviewing Jennifer Aniston about being yet another woman who didn't expect her husband to leave her.

The New Yorker

She paused, pointed to herself and smiled as she said, "I told myself I wouldn't cry".

Los Angeles Times

She didn't speak English, but pointed to herself and said "Hannah".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase "she pointed to herself" when you want to clearly and directly indicate that someone is identifying or referring to themselves, often in a non-verbal way. This is especially useful in narrative writing to show action and intention without explicitly stating it.

Common error

Avoid using "she pointed to herself" in abstract or metaphorical contexts where a physical gesture wouldn't make sense. Instead, opt for phrases like "she referred to herself" or "she identified herself" to maintain clarity and coherence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "she pointed to herself" functions as a descriptive statement, detailing a physical action performed by a subject. Ludwig confirms its correctness, with examples showing its use in news and lifestyle contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

12.5%

Wiki

12.5%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "she pointed to herself" is a grammatically sound and understandable expression, albeit relatively rare in published writing. As Ludwig indicates, the phrase is most commonly found in news and media contexts, serving to describe a physical action of self-identification. While simple and direct, the phrase is useful for depicting non-verbal communication in narrative and descriptive writing. Consider using alternatives such as "she indicated herself" or "she gestured to herself" for variety, but avoid using "she pointed to herself" in abstract contexts where a physical gesture is implausible.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

she indicated herself

Uses a more formal verb, 'indicated', to convey the same action of self-reference.

she gestured to herself

Replaces 'pointed' with 'gestured', focusing on the physical movement rather than the direction.

she referenced herself

Shifts the action to a more abstract form of self-reference, implying she spoke or wrote about herself.

she identified herself

Emphasizes the act of stating or showing her identity.

she singled herself out

Highlights the act of setting herself apart from others.

she directed attention to herself

Focuses on the result of the action, emphasizing that she caused others to notice her.

she made a self-referential gesture

Uses a more descriptive and technical term for the action.

she nodded towards herself

Replaces 'pointed' with 'nodded', changing the gesture but maintaining the self-directed aspect.

she motioned to herself

Uses a more general term 'motioned' to describe the action.

she drew attention to herself

Focuses on attracting notice rather than the specific gesture of pointing.

FAQs

What does "she pointed to herself" mean?

The phrase "she pointed to herself" means that a female person physically indicated herself, often to answer a question about who was being referred to or to volunteer for something. It is a literal description of a gesture.

What can I say instead of "she pointed to herself"?

You can use alternatives like "she indicated herself", "she gestured to herself", or "she referenced herself" depending on the context.

Is "she pointed to herself" grammatically correct?

Yes, "she pointed to herself" is grammatically correct. It follows standard English sentence structure with a subject ("she"), verb ("pointed"), preposition ("to"), and reflexive pronoun ("herself").

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "she pointed to herself"?

It's appropriate to use "she pointed to herself" when you want to describe someone physically indicating themselves, particularly in situations where non-verbal communication is significant, like answering a question or volunteering.