When we use "itself" and "by itself"?

[Lephuoc]

"Your grammar will improve by itself." vs. "Your grammar will improve itself."

[Alan]

Hi Lephuoc,

'By itself' suggests 'automatically as in: The computer will close by itself.

'Improve itself' literally means 'make itself better' but it is normally used with a reflexive pronoun referring to a person as in: Charlie wanted to go to university to improve himself.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple