complete the statement from the options lettered A-D The two friends made promises to _____ when they met last year

Analyze the question The sentence needs a reflexive or reciprocal pronoun to fill the blank: "The two friends made promises to _ when they met last year."

Explain the concept

• Reciprocal pronouns show that two or more people do the same thing to each other. • "Each other" is traditionally used for two people or things. • "One another" is traditionally used for three or more.
• Reflexive pronouns (themselves, myself, etc.) are used when the subject and the object are the same, as in "They hurt themselves."
• "Theirselves" is not standard English, so it is always wrong.

Step-by-step solution

1. The promises are exchanged between the two friends, so we need a reciprocal pronoun, not a reflexive one.
2. This rules out D (themselves), which would mean each friend made promises to himself or herself. It also rules out C (theirselves), which is not a word in standard English.
3. This leaves A (each other) and B (one another).
4. The sentence says "the two friends," so the traditional rule for two people gives "each other."

Note: In modern usage, "one another" and "each other" are often used interchangeably. JAMB, however, tests the traditional rule, and the phrase "the two friends" is the clue.

Answer: A. each other

Exam tip: Remember "Each other = 2, One another = 3 or more." Think of the two letters in "each" and "other"... or simply look for the number clue in the sentence. Also, any time you see "theirselves" in an option, eliminate it immediately.