Meaning & use
on each other
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Used to say that two or more people or things do something to one another.
Grammar: Follows a verb that takes 'on', e.g. rely on, depend on, count on; it refers back to a plural subject.
Patterns
- rely on each other
- depend on each other
- count on each other
- have an effect on each other
The two teams rely on each other for support.
They depend on each other completely.
The chemicals act on each other to produce heat.
Common combinations
- rely on each other
- Good partners rely on each other.
- depend on each other
- The twins depend on each other for everything.
- count on each other
- In this job, we count on each other.
- have an effect on each other
- These two medicines can have an effect on each other.
Synonyms and how they differ
- on one another
- 'One another' is often used for more than two people, but in modern English it is interchangeable with 'each other'.
Word family
- each other pronoun
- The reciprocal pronoun used without a preposition.
Commonly confused: on each other or each others?
on each other vs each others
This is a common misspelling. The correct form has no apostrophe and no -s: 'on each other'.
Practice
The two brothers ______ on each other in difficult times.
Choose one answer.
The subject 'brothers' is plural, so the verb is 'rely'. 'Relies' is singular, 'relying' needs a helping verb, and 'relied on' would repeat 'on'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “on each other”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.