Y06W30GR Reciprocal and reflexive pronouns (each other, themselves)
Reciprocal and reflexive pronouns (each other, themselves)
Some pronouns show actions moving between people, while others show actions turning back to the same person or group. Choosing the right pronoun helps your explanation stay clear, especially when you describe how behaviour spreads.
- how reciprocal pronouns and reflexive pronouns work
- how to choose between each other and themselves
- how to keep pronoun reference clear in explanations
- Reciprocal pronouns show two or more people doing something back and forth, such as each other.
- Reflexive pronouns show the action coming back to the same person or group, such as himself or themselves.
- Reference clarity means the reader can tell exactly who the pronoun refers to.
- Meaning first matters because the pronoun choice changes the action.
- Best choice makes behaviour explanations more accurate and easier to follow.
How it works
1Use reciprocal pronouns for shared actions
A reciprocal pronoun is used when people affect one another. It works well when behaviour spreads through a group.
- Shared action moves between people. For example, The students copied each other’s laughter.
- Each other is common when two or more people act back and forth.
- One another can also be used, but for Year 6, each other is often the simpler choice.
2Use reflexive pronouns for actions that return
A reflexive pronoun is used when the subject and the object are the same. It shows the action coming back to the same person or group.
- Return action points back to the subject. For example, The students reminded themselves to stay calm.
- Forms include myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves.
- Best fit matters because themselves does not mean people are acting on one another.
3Check the meaning carefully
These pronouns can look similar, but they do different jobs. A small change can completely change the meaning.
- Different meanings appear in sentences like They encouraged each other and They encouraged themselves.
- Each other means the support moved around the group.
- Themselves means each person encouraged their own self.
4Keep the reference clear
Pronouns work best when the reader can easily find who they refer to. If too many people appear in the sentence, the meaning can become fuzzy.
- Clear subject helps the reader track the pronoun. For example, The players copied each other after the coach clapped is clearer than a sentence with too many mixed people.
- Closer reference often makes the sentence easier to follow.
- Better wording may mean repeating the noun instead of using another pronoun.
See it in action
Choosing a reciprocal pronoun
The students copied themselves when one person laughed.
The students copied each other when one person laughed.
The change is better because the behaviour moves between people in the group.
Choosing a reflexive pronoun
The students reminded each other to stay focused during the test.
The students reminded themselves to stay focused during the test.
The change is better because the action returns to the same group.
Fixing the meaning
The friends encouraged themselves when one person felt nervous.
The friends encouraged each other when one person felt nervous.
The change is better because the support is shared between friends.
Making the reference clear
Ava told Mia that they should calm themselves after the crowd cheered.
Ava told Mia that the group should calm themselves after the crowd cheered.
The change is better because the reader can now tell who themselves refers to.
- Use each other for actions shared between people.
- Use reflexive pronouns for actions returning to the same person or group.
- Check the meaning because the pronoun changes the action.
- Keep the reference clear so the reader knows who the pronoun names.
- Choose the best fit for the behaviour you are explaining.
- reciprocal pronoun(n.) a pronoun showing shared action between people, such as each other
- reflexive pronoun(n.) a pronoun that points back to the subject, such as themselves
- reference(n.) the link between a pronoun and who it names, such as the meaning of they
- subject(n.) the person or group doing the action, such as the students in The students encouraged each other
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Opens in a new window.