Each and Every: Same or Not the Same?

Good morning guys, it’s great to be back with the very first article in the series of English learning. Grammar ain’t easy, we all know that.

In English, there exists pairs of words that are labeled “synonymous”. However, that does not mean they can replace each other in any situation. So, in this article, I will kick off the journey with the two most common words, “Each” and “Every”. Through each part, I will analyze the meaning, show you how to use them properly as to help you visualizing and knowing how to distinguish each and every.

Let’s get started!

Each

In Cambridge dictionary, each was defined as every thing, person, etc. in a group of two or more, considered separately. It can be an adjective or a noun depending on the context it belongs to.

Each has a variety of uses in communication.

1. Used with nouns

When standing with a noun in a sentence, each will act as an indefinite pronoun that will  specify the meaning for that noun. A small note when using each is that, this is a singular pronoun, therefore, the verbs that follow it cannot be plural. The singular pronoun comes with the singular verb.

Example:

Each student was given four tickets to the show.

2. Used with OF + noun phrase

Instead of just using each + noun, you can also refer to the structure of each + of + noun phrase, in case you want to emphasize the independence of each object mentioned. This will assist in making the statement more clear as well as more meaningful. Bear in mind that the noun phrase must go with “the” or a possessive adjective (my, your, their …)

Example:

Each of the answers is worth 5 points.

3. Used as an independent word

Not only being a singular indefinite pronoun, each can also stand alone without any noun followed. At this point, the listener will assume that each represents the previously mentioned noun phrase.

Example:

• None of these books are the same. Each belongs to a specific category = each book belongs to a specific category.
• These books cost me 35$ each.

Every

Unlike each, every is more or less an adjective. It is also used when referring to all the members of a group of three or more components.

Every is mainly used in the following cases:

1. Used with noun

Just like each, every can also come with a singular noun to complement its meaning. As a result, the following verb must also be in singular forms.

Example:

Every country has a national flag.

2. Combine with indefinite pronoun ONE

You must have seen the word everyone quite sometimes. Nevertheless, in this case, when every and one is written in two separate words, it refers to each individual forming a group instead of the whole group.

Example:

Have you met all the members in the family? Yes, of course, I’ve met every one, at the dinner.

3. Every one of

In fact, this structure is not too different from the one mentioned above, the only difference is that instead of saying every one only, you will add of + noun phrase. This will help the listeners better understand what you want to emphasize and convey.

Example:

I’ve finished every one of these tests = I’ve finished every one of them.

So, I have made a clear statement and explanation about the definition and usage (with examples) of Each and Every in communicating.

How to distinguish each and every?

Basically, besides having the identical meaning, each and every also share the function of adding meaning to the singular nouns that they come with.

Example:

• The price keeps rising each year = The price keeps rising every year.
• Each time (or every time) I see her, she smiles at me.
• There’s a bathroom in each bedroom (or every bedroom) of the house.

If each can stand alone as an independent word in a sentence, every, on the other hand, cannot. Also, when you want to emphasize different individuals in a group, you can use the structure:

Each + of + noun phrases = Every one + of + noun phrases 

Example:

• I would like to thank each of you for being here.
• I would like to thank every one of you for being here.

Each and Every can be distinguished based on the following points

Each	Every
Used to refer to objects or things as individual, discrete elements	Used to refer to objects or things as a group
Example: Every student stands in the line. The teacher gave each student a certificate.
Used with small quantities Example: There are 4 cats. Each of them has different fur color.	Used for large numbers (meaning “all”) But different from every, after all, the noun must be plural. Example: I would like to visit every place in the world = all places
Can be used for 2 objects, 2 people (like “both”) Example: He is holding the cats in each hand = he is holding the cats in both hands	Cannot be used for 2 objects, 2 people (like “both”)
Not used to describe frequency	Used to say how often things happen (frequency) Example: How often do you go to school? Every day

---

Read more

• Lake or Pond – Are You Sure?

Exercise to distinguish each and every

Wow, finally I have managed to demonstrate all the necessary knowledge that you need to know about each and every. It is kind of difficult and a little ambiguous, however, in this part, I will list out some exercises for you to “digest” these notions.

Put each or every in each following sentence

1. Buses run ….. ten minutes.
2. She had a child holding on to …. hand.
3. She was carrying bags in ….. hand.
4. The two brothers love ….. other.
5. ….. of us sees the world differently.
6. You can ….. apply for your own membership cards.
7. I spoke to ….. of the boys in the class.
8. She sent them ….. a present.
9. ….. of us has a bike.
10. ….. one of us takes turn to cook.

Source: englishgrammar.org

If you want to learn more about confusing words in English, download FREE eJOY Confusing Words ebook right now!

Download eJOY Confusing Words ebook

Each and Every, same but not always the same. Hopefully this article has partly helped you know how to use, point out the differences and distinguish these two words in different situations. Hang on there, the next articles in this series will be released soon. See you again. Good luck.

Key:

1. Buses run every ten minutes.
2. She had a child holding on to each hand.
3. She was carrying bags in each hand.
4. The two brothers love each other.
5. Each of us sees the world differently.
6. You can each apply for your own membership cards.
7. I spoke to each of the boys in the class.
8. She sent them each a present.
9. Each of us has a bike.
10. Every one of us takes turn to cook.