Reciprocal Pronouns | Each Other and One Another

Reciprocal Pronouns | Each Other and One Another

A reciprocal pronoun is used to show that two or more individuals are doing the same thing or acting in the same way towards or with the other(s).

In English we have two pronouns that could be classified as reciprocal pronouns.

Those pronouns are ‘each other’ and ‘one another’

So in this lesson, we will discuss when and how to use these two reciprocal pronouns.

Let’s take a look at these two sentence:

Gerald gave Harry a present.

Harry gave Gerald a present.

The action of giving a present was done by both Gerald and Harry. Not only was this action done by both Gerald and Harry, but Gerald was the recipient or Harry’s present and Harry was the recipient of Gerald’s present. So both Gerald and Harry did the same action for the other. These are reciprocal actions.

Instead of saying those two sentences— which is a bit wordy —we could express this idea by just saying:

Gerald and Harry gave each other a present.

or

Gerald and Harry gave one another a present

In these last two sentences, we used our reciprocal pronouns. Gerald did something to/for Harry and Harry did the same thing to/for Gerald.


In modern usage, both ‘one another’ and ‘each other’ mean exactly the same thing. They could be used interchangeably.

The reciprocal pronouns ‘one another’ and ‘each other’ can be used for more than two people as well. As long as everyone in the group is doing the same thing for every other person in the group. Here are examples:

All the players on the team gave each other a hug.

All the players on the team gave one another a hug.

Let’s say there were three people on the team: Player A, Player B, and Player C.

If all the players on the team gave each other a hug/everyone on the team gave one another a hug, then that means that Player A hugged Player B, Player A hugged Player C, and Player B hugged player C. Everyone on the team hugged everyone on the team.


Let’s look at another example:

Cary respects Joe.

Joe respects Cary.

These are reciprocal actions. So we could use our relative pronouns here and simply say:

‘Cary and Joe respect each other’ or ‘Cary and Joe respect one another.




‘Each other’ and ‘one another can also be possessive pronouns. For example:

Constance watches Melanie’s kids.

Melanie watches Constance’s kids.

Instead of writing two sentences like we have done above, I could just write:

Constance and Melanie watch one another’s kids/Constance and Melanie watch each other’s kids.


Another example of the possessive form:

Drew gets on my nerves.

I get on Drew’s nerves.

Drew and I get on each other’s nerves.

Drew and I get on one another’s nerves.

(To get on someone’s nerves means to annoy that person.)


Is there any difference between ‘each other’ and ‘one another’?

Although both are common in both written and spoken English, ‘one another’ is slightly more formal and less common in spoken English than ‘each other’.

Some grammarians will put forth this idea that each other is used when talking about just two individuals and when we have three or more individuals we use one another. This is not the case in the modern usage of the terms. We can use both ‘one another’ and ‘each other’ when talking about just two and three or more individuals.

‘One another’ and ‘each other’ are not only used for humans, they could also be applied to animals.

The fish were swimming with each other.

The fish were swimming with one another.

All the dogs were barking at each other.

All the dogs were barking at one another.


Or things:

The houses are facing each other.

The houses are facing one another.


The papers are touching each other.

The papers are touching one another.


So the noun or pronoun that the reciprocal pronoun refers back to is called the antecedent. That antecedent must, of course, be plural.

For example, in the sentences we just used, ‘the papers’ is the antecedent for each other. It is what ‘each other’ is referring to. So, we must have an antecedent with reciprocal pronouns.

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