Reciprocal pronoun


Definition: We use the reciprocal pronouns to indicate that two people can carry out an action and get the consequences of that action at the same time. There are two reciprocal pronouns:

Reciprocal pronouns
each other
one another

They enable you to simplify sentences where the same general idea is expressed two or more times.

For example:

  • On their wedding day Jhon gave Mary a gold ring and Mary gave Jhon a gold ring.
    * Using the reciprocal pronoun, "each other", this could be rewritten:
    => On their wedding day Mary and Jhon gave each other gold rings.

  • Peter and Mary kissed each other.
    * In this example "each other" indicates that both people involved in the action of "kissing" got the result, kisses, at the same time.

If you need to refer to more than two people, say the students in a classroom, then we could use the reciprocal pronoun, "one another".

For example:

  • The students in this classroom cooperate with one another.
  • The teachers gathered to congratulate one another on the year's conclusion.

Pronouns
Demonstrative pronoun
Interrogative Pronoun
Personal Pronoun
 Possessive Pronoun
Relative Pronoun
Reflexive Pronoun
Reciprocal pronoun

Back to:
English Grammar
English Language