Reciprocal Pronouns

Reciprocal Pronouns

<u>Each other and one another<u/>

Reciprocal Pronouns

  One of the easiest type of pronouns to understand is the reciprocal pronouns, let's take a look at it.

1. Peter and his fiancee are arguing with each other.

  What do you notice from the example above?

The thing that I notice is that peter is arguing with his fiancee and his fiancee is arguing with him.

 

So, both of them are doing the same action; there is a mutual action between them which is (arguing).

They are subjects of only one verb, that's why we use a reciprocal pronouns.

• One more example:

Amanda sends a message to Paul.

Paul sends a message to Amanda.

 There are two subjects that act in the same way; they do the same action.

So, instead of saying it that way, we say:

Amanda and Paul send messages to each other.

So, the first reciprocal pronoun is: Each other.

•  Important note:

1. Each other is a pronoun that is used when two subjects do the same action.

2. The subject pronouns that you use are only (they, we, and you {plural} ).

 

Reciprocal pronouns are only (we, they and you {plural} )

Examples:

1). I saw two cats fighting with each other.

2). They love each other so much, they are perfect match.

3). My close friend and I play tennis; we competed against each other in high school.

4). You two are always blaming each other for your mistakes.

5). My brother and my sister don't get along with each other.

•  What about the other reciprocal pronoun which is (one another)?

Well, the only difference between each other and one another is:

a). Each other is used when only two people or things do the same action.

b). One another is used when more than two people or things act in the same way

 

Examples of reciprocal pronouns

Examples:

1). Jenny, Todd and Susan didn't attend the last math class, so they asked one another for help.

2). In the soccer game, the 11 players have to co-operate with one another in order to score a goal.

3). There were more than 20 persons playing pranks on one another.

However, in modern English we tend to use each other and one another the same way.