Level: intermediate
We use the reciprocal pronouns each other and one another when two or more people do the same thing.
Peter and Mary helped each other.
= Peter helped Mary and Mary helped Peter.
We sent one another Christmas cards.
= We sent them a Christmas card and they sent us a Christmas card.
They didn't look at each other.
= X didn't look at Y and Y didn't look at X.
We also use the possessive forms each other's and one another's:
They helped to look after each other's children.
The group of students often stayed in one another's houses.
Note that we do not use reciprocal pronouns as the subject of a clause.
- Reciprocal pronouns 1
| Be careful! |
|---|
|
Reciprocal pronouns and plural reflexive pronouns (ourselves, yourselves, themselves) have different meanings:
|
- Reciprocal pronouns 2
Dear sir, I almost clear, thank you sir
What is the difference between "to each other" and "each other" ? plz
Hello Snow285,
'to each other' is simply the preposition 'to' plus 'each other'. In the last example sentence about John and Fred, the preposition 'to' is used because we talk *to* somebody.
Does that make sense?
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello quickspot,
It's a very strange construction. The 'he' here would appear to refer either to 'the great man' or to another person for whom the people mentioned are carrying the notebooks. I would say that if the scribbling is done by the people carrying the notebooks then 'they' would be a better choice.
Obviously, in context the sentence may read differently and there may be other clues which clarify Huxley's intent.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
If you expand this quote, you get better context; "A troop of newly arrived students, very young, pink and callow, followed nervously, rather abjectly, at the Director's heels. Each of them [each student] carried a notebook, in which, whenever the great man spoke, he [each student] desperately scribbled." Considering that 'Brave New World was published in 1934, the students Huxley is referring to are most likely all men. The subject of the sentence is 'Each' which is singular. If we use a personal pronoun instead of "male student," and remember that it should agree with the singular indefinite pronoun 'each,' then 'he' in this sentence refers to each male student, and each student is scribbling. Since political correctness wasn't an issue back then, the accepted singular personal pronoun used to restate 'each' would have been 'he,' even if it were a group of men and women. 'She' would have only been used if it were a group composed entirely of women. In more modern times, we have started to use the plural pronoun 'they' as a singular personal pronoun to avoid being sexist or as an alternative to needing to write 'he/she' or alternating the use of both feminine and masculine personal pronouns. This sentence by Huxley is perfectly grammatically correct, but you must also realize that the book was written almost 100 years ago and that the English language has changed in that time.
Hello Kunthea,
'They' could refer to several individuals or to groups such as families, depending on the context.
Your example is correct. Well done!
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Can you tell me which sentence is correct ? " i asked them we should look after our garden one another’s. or i asked them we should look after one another’s garden
Hello g-ssan,
The second one is more correct, though I think the word 'if' is missing after 'I asked them'.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello sofiabravo,
That could possibly be correct in an unusual situation, i.e. one where you and the other person both spent money on the same present that you then share together. But otherwise, when you give one present to the other person, and the other person gives a present to you (notice there are two presents), the plural is the correct form.
Does that make sense?
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello H_L,
Yes, that is correct. The expected answer is '...borrow each other's clothes' but your answer is also fine.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Tobias Hein,
There are several possible options. You could use a regular present form ('are') or a modal with future meaning ('will'). 'Would' does not fit here as it suggests an impossible or entirely hypothetical action, not a real possibility.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Tobias,
In the past there was a distinction made between each other and one another, but this is no longer relevant in modern English and the two are used interchangeably. Thus, both forms can be used in your sentence.
I'm not sure what you mean by 'after grammar patter' in your second question. Perhaps you could provide an example, and then we'll be happy to try to answer.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Didovido
Thanks very much for pointing that out to us! You are right, that was not correct -- I'm very sorry if that caused you any confusion.
The error has now been corrected. Thanks again!
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi again Eugene Yezhov
There is a slight difference. If you use 'someone' it can mean that you expect a person to say yes or that you are trying to persuade a person to say yes. 'anyone' is more neutral or factual -- it doesn't indicate anything about the speaker's expectations or wishes. Otherwise they mean the same thing.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi medmomo,
'meet' has several different meanings, but here it probably means that it was the first time your parents and girlfriend saw and spoke to each other. It's hard to be sure without knowing the context.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello hoamuoigio,
That is correct. However, as we say on the page above, this is a rule which is disappearing from the language and the two forms are now used interchangeably.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Mohamed,
You can say 'each other' or 'one another' in the sentence you ask about. As is explained above, traditionally 'each other' was the preferred form for a sentence like this, but nowadays most people don't recognise this difference.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team