Understanding the Sentence and Underlined Segment

The original sentence is: "The players distributed the reward between themselves."

The underlined segment is "between themselves". We need to find the most appropriate option to replace this phrase while maintaining grammatical correctness and meaning.

Let's analyze the core elements:

• Players: This is a plural noun, referring to more than one person.
• distributed: This verb implies sharing or giving out something to multiple recipients.
• themselves: This is a plural reflexive pronoun, correctly referring back to the plural subject "players".
• between: This preposition is typically used when referring to two distinct items, people, or groups, or sometimes to distinguish individual relationships within a larger group.

Analyzing Prepositions: Between vs. Among

The choice between "between" and "among" depends on the number of items or people involved.

• Between: Generally used when referring to two things or people. Example: "The negotiation was between the two teams." It can also be used for more than two when referring to distinct, individual relationships or connections within a group (e.g., "Trade agreements between the countries of Europe").
• Among: Generally used when referring to three or more things or people, especially when they are considered as a group or mass, rather than individually distinct items. Example: "The prize was divided among the winners."

In the sentence "The players distributed the reward...", the subject "players" implies a group, likely more than two people, who collectively performed the action of distributing the reward. The distribution is happening within this group as a whole.

Evaluating the Options for Substitution

Let's look at each option provided:

Option 1: between them

• "between": Typically used for two. "Players" implies more than two.
• "them": This is an object pronoun (like him, her, it). While "them" can refer to "players," the sentence structure distributing "to" or "among" requires a preposition that fits the collective action within the group. More importantly, "themselves" is a reflexive pronoun, indicating the players are both the subjects (distributing) and objects (receiving) of the action within the group. "Them" is not reflexive.
• Overall: "between them" uses the wrong preposition ("between" usually for two) and the wrong type of pronoun ("them" instead of a reflexive "themselves").

Option 2: among themselves

• "among": This preposition is appropriate for distributing something to a group of three or more. "Players" fits this description.
• "themselves": This is the correct plural reflexive pronoun, referring back to the subject "the players". It correctly indicates that the players are distributing the reward within their own group.
• Overall: "among themselves" uses the appropriate preposition for a group and the correct reflexive pronoun. This fits the context of multiple players distributing something among themselves.

Option 3: between their selves

• "between": Typically used for two. "Players" implies more than two.
• "their selves": "Selves" is the plural form of "self", but the correct plural reflexive pronoun is "themselves", not "their selves".
• Overall: "between their selves" uses the wrong preposition and an incorrect pronoun form.

Option 4: amongst their self

• "amongst": This is a valid, though slightly more formal or archaic, alternative to "among". It is used for three or more, which fits "players".
• "their self": This is grammatically incorrect. "Their" is a plural possessive, but "self" is singular. The correct plural reflexive pronoun is "themselves".
• Overall: "amongst their self" uses a suitable alternative preposition but an incorrect pronoun form.

Conclusion on Substitution

Comparing the options, "among themselves" is the only grammatically correct and contextually appropriate substitute for "between themselves" when referring to a group of "players" distributing something within that group.

The use of "between themselves" in the original sentence, while sometimes heard colloquially, is generally considered less formal or grammatically standard than "among themselves" when referring to a group of more than two.

Revision Table: Key Grammar Points

Additional Information on Reflexive Pronouns and Prepositions

Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) are used when the subject and object of a verb are the same. In this case, the players are doing the distributing, and the players are also the ones receiving or benefiting from the distribution (within their group).

When distribution happens within a group of more than two, the standard preposition is "among". Therefore, "among themselves" correctly combines the appropriate preposition for a group with the correct plural reflexive pronoun.

While "amongst" is an acceptable variant of "among", its usage is less common in modern English, especially in American English. Both are grammatically correct with the appropriate pronoun.