For the phrase "putting yourself together," I can see that it doesn't mean controlling your emotions to deal with a situation. So, I did some research and found that "to put oneself together" can mean making one look nice, maybe by dressing up or using makeup, which fits the context of the sentence above.
Yourself stresses that YOU (personally), as opposed to others, can be the agent of that choice. By yourself / on your own stresses more that you make this choice alone, without help from others. So although the meanings may slightly overlap, the terms are not interchangeable. Your sentence is about receiving a given topic as opposed to the possibility to choose that topic personally (the idea ...
You use yourself as the object to refer to the second person (you) when the subject already contains the second person (you). Examples: You see yourself as an artist. Consider yourself lucky. Imperatives always have the implied subject, you. Based on that information, the following sentence would be the better choice: What is a nice, smart girl like you hanging around them for?
Unless is similar in meaning to if not and can be used instead of if not in certain types of conditional sentences. Like if, unless is followed by a present tense, a past tense, or a past perfect tense. For example: You will not gain high score in IELTS exam unless you learn English every day.
Definition of unless conjunction in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Is ‘unless’ the same as ‘if not’?” or “Why does my sentence sound strange when I use ‘unless’?”, you’re not alone. This guide will clear things up and show you the right way to use it in conditionals — with examples, comparisons, and practical tips.