Reciprocal Pronouns “each other”

1. Introduction to Reciprocal Pronouns

Reciprocal pronouns show that two or more people or things perform the same action toward each other. They help you avoid repeating a full sentence. For example, instead of saying “Tim loves Anna and Anna loves Tim,” you can say “Tim and Anna love each other.”

• 1. Tim and Anna love each other.
• 2. The brothers help each other.
• 3. The friends trust each other.
• 4. The colleagues support each other.
• 5. The siblings share with each other.
• 6. The neighbors talk to each other.
• 7. The classmates work with each other.
• 8. The team congratulated each other.
• 9. The couples admire each other.
• 10. The players rely on each other.

2. The Two Reciprocal Pronouns

A. Each Other

Use “each other” when you refer to two people or things.

• 1. Maria and Juan gave each other gold rings on their wedding day.
• 2. The two friends hugged each other.
• 3. The couple calls each other every day.
• 4. The twins often mirror each other.
• 5. The partners respect each other.

B. One Another

Traditionally, use “one another” when more than two people or things are involved. In modern English, many use “each other” and “one another” interchangeably.

• 6. The students congratulated one another after their presentations.
• 7. The team members supported one another throughout the game.
• 8. The colleagues shared one another’s ideas in the meeting.
• 9. The neighbors helped one another during the event.
• 10. The participants encouraged one another during the workshop.

3. Usage in Sentences

A. As Objects

Reciprocal pronouns work as objects in a sentence. They show a mutual action or feeling.

• 1. The friends hugged each other.
• 2. The colleagues helped each other.
• 3. The siblings argued with each other.
• 4. The partners supported each other.
• 5. The neighbors visited each other.
• 6. The team congratulated each other.
• 7. The classmates shared ideas with each other.
• 8. The players passed the ball to each other.
• 9. The couples danced with each other.
• 10. The committee members trusted each other.

B. Possessive Form

You can show possession by adding an apostrophe and “s” to “each other” (or “one another”) in some cases.

• 1. They admired each other’s work.
• 2. The players respected each other’s skills.
• 3. The friends shared each other’s secrets.
• 4. The team valued each other’s opinions.
• 5. The siblings copied each other’s style.
• 6. The partners trusted each other’s judgment.
• 7. The colleagues reviewed each other’s reports.
• 8. The neighbors maintained each other’s gardens.
• 9. The classmates critiqued each other’s essays.
• 10. The writers edited each other’s drafts.

4. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Write reciprocal pronouns as two separate words. Avoid making them one word or changing the plural forms.

• 1. Incorrect: “eachother”   Correct: “each other”
• 2. Incorrect: “oneanother”   Correct: “one another”
• 3. Incorrect: “each others”   Correct: “each other’s” (for possession)
• 4. Incorrect: “one anothers”   Correct: “one another’s” (for possession)
• 5. Incorrect: “They love eachother very much.”   Correct: “They love each other very much.”
• 6. Incorrect: “The group supported oneanother.”   Correct: “The group supported one another.”
• 7. Incorrect: “I saw eachothers at the party.”   Correct: “I saw each other at the party.”
• 8. Incorrect: “The students helped oneanother out.”   Correct: “The students helped one another out.”
• 9. Incorrect: “They rely on eachothers skills.”   Correct: “They rely on each other’s skills.”
• 10. Incorrect: “We trust oneanother completely.”   Correct: “We trust one another completely.”