Reciprocal pronouns are pronouns that refer to two or more people or things that are doing the same thing to each other. The only two reciprocal pronouns in English are each other and one another.
Reciprocal pronouns can be used in a variety of contexts, but they are most commonly used in the following ways:
- To indicate that two or more people or things are performing the same action on each other:
- “The children were playing with each other.”
- “The friends helped one another out.”
- To indicate that two or more people or things are receiving the same action from each other:
- “The sisters kissed each other goodbye.”
- “The teammates congratulated one another on their victory.”
- To indicate that two or more people or things are sharing something with each other:
- “The students shared their notes with each other.”
- “The coworkers split the profits one another.”
There are a few rules that govern the use of reciprocal pronouns. For example, the reciprocal pronoun each other is used when the two people or things are the same gender, and the reciprocal pronoun one another is used when the two people or things are of different genders.
Reciprocal pronouns can be a bit tricky to use, but they are an important part of English grammar. By following the rules above, you can use reciprocal pronouns correctly and avoid making common mistakes.
Here are some additional examples of reciprocal pronouns in sentences:
- The children were playing with each other.
- The friends helped one another out.
- The sisters kissed each other goodbye.
- The teammates congratulated one another on their victory.
- The students shared their notes with each other.
- The coworkers split the profits one another.