Sentence Correction

Each other Vs One another:

Each other for two things/Persons:

Democrats and Republicans Monday blamed each other for New Jersey's failure. [nytimes.com]
Considering NYT and CNET run each others' news on their sites, they clearly didn't consider each other competitors when the NYT subscription model was still in place. [nytimes.com]
The four California teams (U.C.L.A., U.S.C., California and Stanford) will play each other every season, a concession that was important for those programs. [One team will play with another team--so, two teams]
Those two meanings collide, overlap, and otherwise play off each other.

Each other for more than two people/things:

Soundcloud has quickly become a central site in the online culture of musicians making their music freely available to each other and to supportive listeners.


GMATPREP has the use of "each other" for two things/persons in the right option:

It seems likely that a number of astronomical phenomena, such as the formation of planetary nebulas, may be caused by the interaction where two stars orbit each other at close range.
(E) are caused by the interaction of two stars orbiting each other

GMATPREP has used One another for more than two:

The Kwakiutl recognized one social unit larger than the tribe--the confederacy, which was a cluster of loosely knit, informally related neighboring tribes who interacted with themselves more often than between other tribes.

(C) tribes who interacted with one another more often than with

GMATPREP Conclusion:

Since GMATPREP has used "each other" for two things and "one another" for more than two things, we can use it as the basis of elimination only when we are stuck between two options. I think there will be other errors in the wrong options. We cannot conclude, specially in the GMAT land, that "each other" and "one another" rule is not valid. Dictionary reference is not enough in case of GMAT.

OG10:


It seems likely that a number of astronomical phenomena, such as the formation of planetary nebulas, may be caused by the interaction where two stars orbit each other at close range.
(A) may be caused by the interaction where two stars orbit each other
(B) may be caused by the interaction between two stars that each orbit the other
(C) are because of the interaction between two stars that orbit each other
(D) are caused by the interaction of two stars where each is orbiting the other
(E) are caused by the interaction of two stars orbiting each other

Choice E, the best answer, avoids redundancy by using are rather than may be, employs the idiomatic phrase the inter¬action of, and expresses the relationship between the stars in a clear, concise way--two stars orbiting each other. In A and B, the use of may be is redundant because the beginning phrase It seems likely that has already established a degree of uncertainty. In A, the phrase the interaction where two stars orbit each other is imprecise and illogical, suggesting that the interaction is a place where the orbiting occurs. In B, the phrase two stars that each orbit the other is both awkward and needlessly wordy. Choice C can be faulted because to form a passive construction, are should take a verb form such as caused rather than an adverb such as because. Also, the phrase two stars that orbit each other illogically suggests that there are two particular stars causing all the phenomena in question, rather than various sets of stars in various loca-tions. In D, the word where has no clear or logical referent, and each is orbiting the other is awkward and unnecessarily wordy; it could be replaced by the clearer and more concise orbiting each other.

--> In the explanation of the official guide 10th edition, it has not been mentioned that "each other" is used for two things. There are other problems in the wrong answers.


GMAC has made its rule about sentence correction. We should follow what GMAC says. Since GMAC has used "each other" for two things and "one another" for more than two things, we cannot avoid this rule. We should abide by the rules created by GMAC because we are going to play in their field. Otherwise, we will be penalized.


OG12:

The diagonals of a parallelogram bisects each other. [Two diagonals.] [Page 131.]
Since it is given that x = y, set the expressions for x and y equal to each other and solve for t. [Page 200]
Note that two numbers are reciprocals of each other if and only if their product is equal to 1. [Page 256]

I did not find any example of "each other" in the sentence correction section of official guide 12th edition.

Thanks.

No where in the explanation GMAT has made a claim that each other is used for only 2 items and one another for more than 2.

If GMAC ever makes that claim ,it can be sued for penalizing people for using correct grammar.

You are making your own assumptions!

Clearly in OG10 explanation,it makes no claim about it.It clearly eliminates A and B for redundancy.C for passive voice and D for incorrect usage of where[pronoun].

Forget Nytimes.com.I have seen numerous grammar errors in its articles.

Oxford dictionary literally wrote the rules for using English and you are saying Oxford is incorrect!

You are substantiating for conclusion on just one example,and even in that example,I could clearly arrive at answer choice E.

You still don't understand the meaning of each other!

each other can be for more than 2 things.It simple means that each thing is affecting every other thing!

I have seen a GMAT[real GMAT question at test center] question that used the phrase "each other for more than 2 things."So your claim is busted here.GMAC itself used each other for more than 2 things.

I can't say the question for GMAC has non-disclosure policies.

rishab1988 wrote:No where in the explanation GMAT has made a claim that each other is used for only 2 items and one another for more than 2.

If GMAC ever makes that claim ,it can be sued for penalizing people for using correct grammar.

You are making your own assumptions!

Clearly in OG10 explanation,it makes no claim about it.It clearly eliminates A and B for redundancy.C for passive voice and D for incorrect usage of where[pronoun].

Forget Nytimes.com.I have seen numerous grammar errors in its articles.

Oxford dictionary literally wrote the rules for using English and you are saying Oxford is incorrect!

You are substantiating for conclusion on just one example,and even in that example,I could clearly arrive at answer choice E.

I think you are debating.
Nope, man. I have analyzed the things to support your claim, but there is NO explanation in the OG's that "each other" cannot be used for two things. So, any conclusion will be invalid.


About nytimes:

If you completed GMATPREP, you would see that some sentences are from nytimes.com. Meaning that GMAC likes the use of nytimes. Your claim is not correct in this regard. There may be some errors regarding grammar. What you have marked error in grammar may not be error in a close reading. You are analyzing OXFORD. Fine. But GMAT has its rule. it is also true that GMAT does not use incorrect English.

Thanks.

You understand that the number of questions OG and GMATPrep contain is very limited questions as compared to number of questions that GMAT has at its disposal.

Using OG and GMATPrep,you can only draw assumptions,which might in some cases might not be true.

If on the real GMAT you were to see a similar question in which all answer choices have one error or the other [s-v,parallelism] and you were left with only one answer choice,but in which each other is used for more than 2 things,would choose this answer choice or an another answer choice,which is clearly incorrect for some reason?

rishab1988 wrote:You understand that the number of questions OG and GMATPrep contain is very limited questions as compared to number of questions that GMAT has at its disposal.

Using OG and GMATPrep,you can only draw assumptions,which might in some cases might not be true.

If on the real GMAT you were to see a similar question in which all answer choices have one error or the other [s-v,parallelism] and you were left with only one answer choice,but in which each other is used for more than 2 things,would choose this answer choice or an another answer choice,which is clearly incorrect for some reason?

Now, you are in the right track. I have concluded the same thing. We should not focus on the "each other" and "one another" issue. There will obviously be another error in the wrong options. On the basis of that error, the wrong option should be eliminated.

Thanks.

Good to know that we are on the same page!

C seems the most appropriate!

each other
Function: pronoun
Date: before 12th century

: each of two or more in reciprocal action or relation <looked at each other in surprise>
usage Some handbooks and textbooks recommend that each other be restricted to reference to two and one another to reference to three or more. The distinction, while neat, is not observed in actual usage. Each other and one another are used interchangeably by good writers and have been since at least the 16th century.

Each other:

one another, each to the other.

Conclusion:

Each other Vs One another should not be used as split. They are same. I have seen the use of both of these in case of two persons and in case of more than two persons in nytimes.com, science daily, and in Wall Street. You know experts write in those papers.

Credit should go to gmat_perfect and to rishab1988 for their analysis.

Thanks.

each other
Function: pronoun
Date: before 12th century

: each of two or more in reciprocal action or relation <looked at each other in surprise>
usage Some handbooks and textbooks recommend that each other be restricted to reference to two and one another to reference to three or more. The distinction, while neat, is not observed in actual usage. Each other and one another are used interchangeably by good writers and have been since at least the 16th century.

Each other:

one another, each to the other.

Conclusion:

Each other Vs One another should not be used as split. They are same. I have seen the use of both of these in case of two persons and in case of more than two persons in nytimes.com, science daily, and in Wall Street. You know experts write in those papers.

Credit should go to gmat_perfect and to rishab1988 for their analysis.

Thanks.

IMO C

Confused between B and C

my answer choice is C.as all the other.there is 3:2 split interacting versus interacted obviously we cant use interacting so we have three choices leftA,B,C.first choice uses between which applies to only two people so wrong,second is a bit awkard sounding and left with third which sounds more appropriate.if i am wrong please correct me.

C) tribes who interacted with one another more often than with

idiomatic

C is the correct answer as "interacted with" seems correct as oppose to "interacted among" or "interacted between".

IMO C, because "interacted with" seems to be the correct idiom. It is also parallel "With X more often than with Y"