ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediatepronounpronoun
Each othervsOne another
'Each other' is traditionally used for two; 'one another' for three or more, though modern English uses them interchangeably.
Side-by-side comparison
Each other
pronoun"Each other" expresses a reciprocal action between exactly two people or things: both do something to the other.
My sister and I call each other every Sunday to catch up.
They met at a cooking class and have been helping each other ever since.
The two friends had not seen each other for ten years but felt at ease immediately.
One another
pronoun"One another" expresses the same thing but among three or more. In practice, many native speakers use both interchangeably without any issue.
In our English class we practice speaking by asking one another questions.
The four neighbours had always supported one another through hard times.
Good teammates encourage one another and celebrate each small win together.
Common mistake
- •"They praised themselves" is reflexive (each praised their own self), not reciprocal.
- •"They praised each other" is the reciprocal form (A praised B and B praised A).
- •And the possessive is always "each other's" (with apostrophe), never "each others".
Trick to remember it
- •Reciprocal test: "A did X to B, and B did X to A".
- •If it makes sense = "each other" / "one another".
- •If it means "A did X to themselves" = reflexive (themselves).
- •"They helped each other" = A helped B and B helped A.
Quick rule
- •"Each other" = mutual action between two (traditional).
- •"One another" = mutual action between three or more (traditional).
- •In modern English interchangeable.
- •Possessive: "each other's", never "each others".
Did you know?
The rule "each other for two, one another for three or more" is a perfect example of a prescriptive norm with no solid historical basis. Linguists have shown that Shakespeare and other classic English authors used both forms interchangeably. The rule was codified by 18th and 19th century grammarians. Linguist David Crystal and other modern experts classify it as "one of the grammatical rules taught without real historical basis." The Chicago Manual of Style since 2010 no longer prescribes it as mandatory.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The two brothers always support _____ . They are very close.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The students helped _____ with the assignment. It was a group project.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
Both... andvsNeither... nor
'Both... and' connects two elements positively; 'neither... nor' connects them negatively.
NovsNot
"No" directly negates a noun (there is none); "not" negates verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and entire clauses.
ReflexivovsPronombre de objeto
Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself...) are used when the subject and object are the same person, or for emphasis.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy