Meaning & use
each other one another
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Used to show that two or more people or things do the same thing to or with the other(s), in a mutual way.
Grammar: These are reciprocal pronouns: they replace 'him and her', 'them', etc., and come after a verb or preposition, never as the subject.
Patterns
- each other
- one another
- help/love/know each other
- talk to each other
The two sisters call each other every Sunday.
After the argument, they avoided one another for a week.
The students helped each other with the difficult homework.
phrasefixed phraseformal
A traditional guideline: 'each other' for two people, 'one another' for three or more.
Grammar: This distinction is taught in some schools but is not strict in modern English; both forms are usually accepted for any number.
Patterns
- each other (two)
- one another (three or more)
The married couple looked at each other and smiled.
In a big team, members should support one another.
Some teachers still mark 'one another' as better for a group of five.
Common combinations
- help each other
- Good neighbors help each other in a storm.
- know each other
- We've known each other since primary school.
- talk to one another
- The two sides finally agreed to talk to one another.
- look at each other
- They looked at each other in surprise.
- with one another
- The colors in the painting blend with one another.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mutually
- An adverb meaning 'in the same way to both sides'; it often replaces 'each other' in formal writing: 'mutually beneficial' rather than 'beneficial to each other'.
- reciprocally
- A formal adverb used in academic or legal contexts; it stresses that an action is returned in kind, while 'each other' simply shows the two directions.
Commonly confused: each other one another or themselves? each other one another or the other?
each other one another vs themselves
A reflexive pronoun used when the subject and object are the same people: 'They hurt themselves' means each person hurt his or her own body; 'They hurt each other' means they hurt the other person.
each other one another vs the other
Refers to one specific second person or thing, as in 'one after the other'; 'each other' always involves both directions at once.
Practice
After the meeting, the two managers shook ______ hands and left.
Choose one answer.
'Each other's' is the possessive form needed before the noun 'hands'. 'Each other' alone cannot modify a noun, 'one another' is not possessive here, and 'themselves' would mean each manager shook his own hand.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “each other one another”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.