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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > Each other and One another
Each other and One another
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cybenteo
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Each other and One another
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Hello !!! Good Morning! I would like to ask to you guys how you do you explain regarding each other and one another, because when you look there are many explanations and they don�t really match. Some say that each other is for 2 people and one another for 2 or more people. But when you look the explanation on Cambridge website they say they can be interchangeable. I want to know how you guys deal with this Thanks |
2 Sep 2020
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savilla
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I thought you could use "each other" with more than 2 people, but this says not (#18): https://bestlifeonline.com/common-grammar-mistakes/ This is a great example of correct usage: Alex and Gina never get gifts for each other, but that doesn�t mean everyone in the office can�t give one another gifts. I guess it�s just a common mistake that people make, using them interchangeably. |
2 Sep 2020
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douglas
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AE, I use them interchangeably |
2 Sep 2020
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cunliffe
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I use them interchangeably as well. I wonder if this is a similar consideration with �between� and �among�. |
2 Sep 2020
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FrauSue
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UK English here. I don�t use �between� and �among� interchangeably - for me, �between� is when there are two objects, and �among� is for a larger group. The neighbour and I decided to erect a fence between our houses. (= 2 houses) The dog hid among the flowers. (= several flowers) But I think that �each other� and �one another� are interchangeable in all the examples I can think of. |
2 Sep 2020
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cunliffe
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I was thinking of �between the three of us� and similar usage, basically, that �between� need not necessarily indicate just two entities. �Between ourselves� nowadays may indicate a whole group, not just two people. |
2 Sep 2020
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cybenteo
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But guys how can we teach this if even Cambridge says one thing and the other websites are different? |
2 Sep 2020
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Jayho
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Cybenteo, that�s the difference between text book English and real English. Many native speakers don�t follow the rules, or even know that there are rules. In my neck of the woods, they are used interchangeably and each other is far more commonly used than one another, even by myself. My recommendation is that you teach both, explaining both. In your example, the difference does not impact on meaning at all so at the end of the day it doesn�t matter (unless you are teaching for a language test). This article might help explain it more: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/each-other-versus-one-another Cheers Jayho
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2 Sep 2020
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FrauSue
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Lynne, I agree - in that context of sharing secrets, we do use �between.� I hadn�t thought of that! |
3 Sep 2020
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