Each, every, all: How and When to Use in English
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Each, every, all
Each and every can mean 'each one', 'every one' or 'all':
• EACH is used when all cases are considered separately:
• EACH is used when all cases are considered separately:
Each of them is extremely qualified. They are all extremely qualified.
(or Each one of them...)
(or Each one of them...)
Each day is an adventure. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are all adventures.
I spoke to each individually. I spoke to all the people individually.
• EVERY is used when we are referring to a group:
Every employee must wash his or her hands after using the bathroom. All employees must wash their hands after using the bathroom.
I brush my teeth every day. I brush my teeth Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Every day I learn something new. I learn something new all the time.
Everyone I know is dead or in prison. All the people I know are either dead or in prison.
Each and every are always used with singular subjects. Therefore they cannot precede the word people (We cannot say every people or each people but instead we say all the people or everybody).
Nevertheless, it is possible to substitute the singular subject associated with each or every for the subject they or the adjective their, to avoid he or she or his or her constructions:
Nevertheless, it is possible to substitute the singular subject associated with each or every for the subject they or the adjective their, to avoid he or she or his or her constructions:
Every employee must wash their hands after using the bathroom.
Exercise 1
Luna interviewed of the candidates before making her decision
Luna interviewed each of the candidates before making her decision
each: This is the best choice here. 'Each' is used to indicate 'all' of the candidates as individual people. Example: Each character in the play is female.
any: We cannot use 'any' because this sentence is affirmative. We could say, however: 'Luna hasn't interviewed any of the candidates'. Also, 'any' can be used in affirmative constructions when the sentence is in the interrogative form. For example: 'Do you have any tea?'.
every: 'Every of the candidates' is grammatically incorrect. We could say, however: 'Luna interviewed every one of the candidates'.
everyone: 'Everyone' is a pronoun, and so it cannot be used here. We could say, however: 'Luna interviewed every one of the candidates', where 'every' is an adjective describing 'one'.
Exercise 2
employee of the Delavigne Corporation has their own computer except Horatio, who believes that computers are evil.
Every 1 employee of the Delavigne Corporation has their own computer except Horatio, who believes that all 2 computers are evil.
1 Every: This is the correct answer. We use 'every' to describe a quantity or number of objects or ideas, when the subject is singular. Because the noun 'employee' is singular, we use 'every' to describe it. Note: We could use 'each' in this construction as well.
1 All: The singular noun 'employee' cannot be preceded by 'all', which describes plural nouns (men, women, animals). However, we could say 'All employees HAVE their own computer.'
1 Some: 'Some' cannot be used to describe the singular subject 'employee' in this construction. However, we could say 'some employees HAVE their own computer at the Delavigne Corporation'. In another context, it is possible to use 'some' to describe a singular subject: 'some employee left the computer on all night', but this is not the case here. The verb 'has' does not agree with 'some' in this exercise.
2 all: This is the best choice here. As an adjective, 'all' is sometimes used to describe countable nouns such as 'computers'. Horatio believes that 'all' computers are the creation of the devil. 'All' is often used to make general statements such as this one.
2 any: Using 'any' here is grammatically incorrect. 'Any' is usually used in interrogative or negative constructions to indicate the 'absence' of something. It is the negative equivalent of 'some'.
2 every: We cannot use 'every' to describe a plural noun such as 'computers'. To say that 'every computers are evil' is grammatically incorrect.
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the dropdown menus.
Kevin: time I see you, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you.
Polly: That’s funny. I don’t feel that way .
Kevin: time I see you, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you.
Polly: That’s funny. I don’t feel that way .
Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the dropdown menus.
Kevin: Every 1 time I see you, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you.
Polly: That’s funny. I don’t feel that way at all 2.
Kevin: Every 1 time I see you, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you.
Polly: That’s funny. I don’t feel that way at all 2.
1 Every: This is the correct choice. We use “every” to describe a quantity or number of objects or ideas, when the subject is singular. Note: We could use “each” in this construction as well.
1 any: “Any” cannot be used in this sentence. “Any” is usually used in interrogative or negative constructions to indicate the “absence” of something. It is the negative equivalent of “some”. Example: I don’t have any balloons left. I used them all at the party last night.”
1 all: “All” cannot be used in this construction. It is grammatically incorrect and makes no sense. It is usually used to express the totality of something. For example: “I lost all of my marbles.”
2 at all: “At all” is the best choice here. “At all” can be used in statements such as this one for emphasis. Another example: “Based on your exam scores it is obvious that you did not study at all.”
2 at: “At” is primarily used as a preposition of place or in certain idioms. We cannot use it in this construction.
2 all: “All” cannot be used in this construction. It is grammatically incorrect and makes no sense. It is usually used to express the totality of something. For example: “Peter loves you with all of his heart.”
Exercise 4
Fill in the blank with the correct response from the dropdown menus.
Sophie: Did you eat the cookies?
Bob: Well, else was eating them and I didn’t want them to go to waste.
Sophie: I just made them yesterday! You do this time.
Bob: I'm sorry. Next time I won’t have .
Sophie: Did you eat the cookies?
Bob: Well, else was eating them and I didn’t want them to go to waste.
Sophie: I just made them yesterday! You do this time.
Bob: I'm sorry. Next time I won’t have .
Fill in the blank with the correct response from the dropdown menus.
Sophie: Did you eat all 1 the cookies?
Bob: Well, nobody 2 else was eating them and I didn’t want them to go to waste.
Sophie: I just made them yesterday! You do this every 3 time.
Bob: I'm sorry. Next time I won’t have any 4.
Sophie: Did you eat all 1 the cookies?
Bob: Well, nobody 2 else was eating them and I didn’t want them to go to waste.
Sophie: I just made them yesterday! You do this every 3 time.
Bob: I'm sorry. Next time I won’t have any 4.
1 all: This is the best choice here. Because the noun “cookies” is plural, and the sentence is referring to every “cookie” without exception, “all” is the most appropriate choice to indicate their total quantity.
1 any: “Any” cannot be used to describe the plural subject “cookies” in this sentence. “Any” is usually used in interrogative or negative constructions to indicate the “absence” of something. It is the negative equivalent of “some”. Example: “There aren’t any crocodiles in the ocean”.
1 each: “Each” cannot work in this construction because the sentence refers to many cookies, and the word “each” generally indicates a singular subject.
2 nobody: This is the correct choice here. Because the statement is affirmative, we use the negative pronoun “nobody” to indicate that not one person was eating the cookies.
2 anybody: “Anybody” cannot be used in this construction. “Anybody” is usually used in interrogative or negative constructions. “It is the negative equivalent of “somebody”.
2 person: “Person” cannot be used in this construction. It is grammatically incorrect.
3 every: This is the correct answer. We use “every” to describe a quantity or number of objects or ideas, when the subject is singular. “Every” is especially used with time expressions. Another example: “I wake up every day at the same time.”
3 all: “All” is grammatically incorrect here. We could say however, “You do this all the time”.
4 any: “Any” is the correct choice here. “Any” is usually used in interrogative or negative constructions to indicate the “absence” of something. Another example: “I’m so mad at my boyfriend. He didn’t save any pizza for me”.
4 each: “Each” cannot work in this construction because the sentence refers to the absence of multiple cookies, and the word “each” generally indicates a singular subject. Example: “There is enough margarita mix for each of us to have four glasses.”
4 all: “All” cannot be used in this construction. It is grammatically incorrect. We could say however, “Next time I won’t eat them all.”
Exercise 5
Icarus still has things to take care of before he can leave work. He must finish reports from yesterday, and he's got phone calls to make as well. Icarus will probably stay past midnight to finish it all. This is a busy world, and there is to be done!
Icarus still has many 1 things to take care of before he can leave work. He must finish some 2 reports from yesterday, and he's got phone calls to make as well. Icarus will probably stay past midnight to finish it all. This is a busy world, and there is much 3 to be done!
1 many: 'Many' is used to describe countable nouns such as 'things'. The term 'many' indicates a great number of something: many weekends, many elephants etc. Note that 'many' is used to describe countable nouns only.
1 much: We use 'much' to describe uncountable nouns such as 'time', 'work' or 'love'. The term 'much' indicates a great number of something: much work, much controversy. Note that 'much' is only used to describe uncountable nouns.
1 every: The plural noun 'things' cannot be described by the tern 'every', which always precedes a singular noun. The term 'every' is used to describe a group of similar objects, ideas or people. For example: Every person in this building works for the Delavigne Corporation.
1 any: 'Any' cannot be used in this construction, which is neither interrogative or negative. The term 'any' is used to describe a quantity or amount, and the term is only used in interrogative or negative constructions. For example: Do you have any plans? I don't have any sugar.
2 some: We use 'some' to describe an indefinite amount or quantity of something. 'Some' is used in affirmative, negative and interrogative statements, unlike 'any'. In this particular sentence, 'some' indicates that Icarus has 'several' or 'a few' reports to complete. Other example: Can you give me some money please, Bruno?
2 any: Because this sentence is in the affirmative (Icarus has reports), 'any' cannot be used. 'Any' is only used in interrogative or negative constructions and is used to describe a quantity or amount of something. We could say: 'He doesn't have any reports'.
2 none: 'None' is grammatically incorrect here. 'None' is used to describe the absence of something, (not one, not any). The term 'none' can only be used in affirmative or interrogative constructions. Using 'none' in a negative sentence is grammatically incorrect in English, and forms what is called 'a double negative'. We could say, however: 'He has finished none of the reports'.
2 much: We use 'much' to describe uncountable nouns such as 'time', 'work' or 'love'. The term 'much' indicates a great number of something: much work, much controversy. Note that 'much' is only used to describe uncountable nouns, not countable nouns like 'reports'.
3 much: 'Much' is being used as a substantive here: it is a pronoun which represents the idea of 'all the work which must be done'. 'Much' can be used to describe something which is unspecified or implicit. In this example, 'much' may stand for 'work'. Note that the rules of countable and uncountable nouns still apply in this construction: 'much' represents the uncountable idea of 'work'. Example: I don't have too much time.
3 many: 'Many' cannot be used as a substantive in this construction. Whenever we use 'many' as a noun, it is plural in form. For example: 'A good many of the children were missing after the class trip to the museum'.
3 each: 'Each' is never used as a noun, but can be used as a pronoun or adjective. 'There is each to be done' is grammatically incorrect.
3 every: 'Every' is never used as a noun, but can be used as pronoun or adjective. 'There is every to be done' is grammatically incorrect.
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