We useeach otherandone anotherto show that each person in a group of two or more people does something to the others. There is very littledifference betweeneach otherandone anotherand we can normally use them in the same places.Each otheris more common thanone another:
Rick and Gina never likedeach other.(Rick never liked Gina and Gina never liked Rick.)
Everyone in the family gaveeach otherpresents.(Each member of the family gave each member of the family a present.)
A:How’s Maria? Do you see her often?
B:She’s great. We phoneeach other/one anotherregularly.
We useeach other’sandone another’sas possessive determiners:
Lisa and Kate hatedeach other’shusbands.(Lisa hated Kate’s husband and Kate hated Lisa’s husband.)
My friend Olivia and I know very little aboutone another’swork.
Typical errors
Be careful not to useusorourselvesinstead ofeach other/one another:
We’ve knowneach other/one anotherfor twelve years.
Not:We’ve known us for twelve yearsorWe’ve known ourselves…
See also:
Pronouns: reflexive (myself,themselves, etc.)
We writeeach otheras two separate words and we do not use a hyphen (-):
We got to knoweach othervery quickly.
Not:We got to know eachother
We don’t useeach otherorone anotheras a plural form:
They loveeach other.
Not:They love each others.