The word reciprocate means “to give and take mutually.” The funny expression “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” is one way to explain what it means to reciprocate. In this situation, two people need each other for some reason. For example, “I’ll help you study for your science test if you give me feedback on my English assignment.”

A reciprocal pronoun identifies an action or feeling that is reciprocated or shared between two or more people, groups, or things. For example, when two people are in love, the feeling of love is shared. We say, “Romeo and Juliet love each other.” Reciprocal pronouns are never used as the subject of a sentence. We would not say, “Each other love Romeo and Juliet.”

There are two reciprocal pronouns: each other and one another. According to Grammar Girl, English is unusual because most languages only have one reciprocal pronoun. In this lesson, you will learn how to use both pronouns correctly.