Reciprocal pronouns: What they are and how they’re used

“They love each other.”

Reciprocal pronouns indicate a mutual action or relationship between two or more people or things. In English, there are only two reciprocal pronouns.

• each other
• one another

Function

• Reciprocal pronouns show that two or more subjects are performing the same action towards each other.  
• They express a two-way or multi-way relationship.  
• They typically function as objects in a sentence.  

Usage

• “Each other” and “one another” are generally interchangeable. While some traditional grammar guides suggest “each other” for two people and “one another” for more than two, modern usage often blurs this distinction.  
• Mutual action: It emphasizes that the action is being done by both parties involved, and the action is directed back at the other party.
• Relationship: It can also express a relationship where the two parties are connected or involved with one another in a reciprocal way.

Examples

• “The two teams congratulated each other after the game.” (This means team A congratulated team B, and team B congratulated team A.)  
• “The members of the club helped one another with their projects.” (This means every member of the club helped the other members.)
• “They borrowed each other’s books.”
• “The countries respected one another’s borders.”

Important points

• Reciprocal pronouns emphasize the mutual nature of an action.  
• They simplify sentences by avoiding the need to repeat the subject and object.  
• It is important to not confuse reciprocal pronouns with reflexive pronouns.