Reciprocal pronouns rules and examples

1. What are reciprocal pronouns?

 Reciprocal pronouns show that two or more people do an action and receive the same action from the others.

There are two reciprocal pronouns in English:

each other
one another

They mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably. In this lesson, we will look at example sentences and grammar rules to help you use them correctly.

2. How to use reciprocal pronouns in sentences?

2.1 Positive sentences

When Lucas helped George, and George helped Lucas, we say:

Lucas and George helped each other.

Other examples:

I saw Mary and her boyfriend exchanging Christmas cards with each other this morning.
A. Are they still mad at each other? B. I think so. They haven’t spoken to each other for days.
The students looked at one another when the teacher started to sing.

2.2 Possessive case

We can use reciprocal pronouns in possessive forms.

I think it’s not a good idea to ask students to mark each other’s papers.
My mother is a lawyer. My father is a police officer. They hate each other’s work. (My mother hates my father’s work. My father hates my mother’s work.)
People usually compare one another’s success.

2.3 Negative sentences

We can use reciprocal pronouns in negative sentences.

My girlfriend and I do not look at each other’s phones.
There was a couple on the train yesterday. They looked madly in love. Suddenly, they had an argument and hadn’t spoken to each other since then.
My dog and cat do not love each other.
People in this neighbourhood do not care with one another.

3. Grammar rules

1. Normally, we use each other when only two people are involved. For example, Peter and Mary love each other.

When three or more people are involved, we use one another. For example, I have three sisters, and we borrow one another’s clothes.

This distinction is recognised by grammar experts, but in everyday conversation, native speakers use the two reciprocal pronouns interchangeably.

2. Reciprocal pronouns are always used with plural subjects because they describe actions that happen between two or more people. You cannot use them with a singular subject, since the idea of reciprocity requires at least two participants.

Emma and Julia call each other every day.
The cat and the dog stared at each other.
My parents love each other.
The children exchanged Christmas gifts with one another
I have always told my children to love one another even when I am no longer part of this world. In this sentence, the reciprocal pronoun each other refers to the plural subject children, not to I.

3. You cannot use reciprocal pronouns as subjects.

Reciprocal pronouns in English - definition, explanation and examples with worksheet and exercises — Reciprocal pronouns

4. Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the correct reciprocal pronouns. Pay attention to the grammar rules we have seen in the previous section.

1. Emma and Jack might be in love with . I always see them smiling at in the office.

Emma and Jack might be in love with each other. I always see them smiling at each other in the office.

2. Three inmates escaped from New Orleans prison. When they were caught, they blamed .

Here, more than two people are involved in the action. Therefore, we use one another.

3. I was on my way to Paris when I saw two truck drivers involved in a road rage incident. They didn’t dare to fight. They were just staring at angrily.

Since there were only two people involved in the incident, we use each other.

4. After years of conflict in the early 20th century, France and Germany worked hard to rebuild diplomatic trust. Today, they visit cities for official meetings and exchange ambassadors to strengthen their partnership.

There are only two nations involved here. Thus, we use the possessive form of each other.

5. The twins know better than anyone else.

The twins know each other better than anyone else.

6. Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson led the British fleet to fight at the Battle of Trafalgar. As the ships advanced into combat, the soldiers encouraged to be brave.

Here, we are talking about a fleet that carries many soldiers. Therefore, the correct answer is one another.

7. Lily and her brother promised to support no matter what happened.

Lily and her brother promised to support each other no matter what happened.

8. In the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir formed an alliance to attack Jerusalem. But as Judah began to praise the Lord, God caused the allied forces to start fighting with .

This sentence indicates that the allied forces fought among themselves.

9. During the time of Gideon, God caused confusion among the Midianite army. When Gideon’s 300 men blew their trumpets, the Midianites panicked in the dark and turned their swords against .

In this example, the Midianites panicked in the dark and began attacking their fellow soldiers instead of their ennemies.

10. During the Wars of the Diadochi, some sources reported that a dust storm caused some soldiers to accidentally attack as they were unable to distinguish their friends from their enemies.

Here, the soldiers accidentally attacked members of their own army.

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Reciprocal pronouns rules and example sentences