Each/every

Dear Dr English

Please explain the usage of "each" and "every" with some examples. Thanks.

When we say, "Each employee receives a free medical check-up annually", we are talking about the members of a group of employees as individuals. This means we are talking about every person in a group. In this usage "each" functions as a determiner, used in front of a singular countable noun, so the subject and the verb are always singular.

The lunch packs were given to each student when they reached the park.

You can be sure that each entry is processed as confidential.

Sometimes "each" can be used after the subject of a clause.

For example, instead of saying, "Each of them received a lunch pack and a bottle of fruit juice," we can say, "They each received a lunch pack and a bottle of fruit juice".

We each have our own style of dressing.

A structure like this one is often used to show that an amount relates to each member of a group separately and not the whole group. To make it easier to understand, look at the following examples:

During the two-day fair, we made Bt50,000 on each selling soft drinks.

This sentence tells us that the total money made during the fair was Bt100,000.

From 2002 to 2006, our school had 30 new enrolments each year.

The total of the new enrolments from 2002 to 2006 was 150.

You can also use "each" as a pronoun to mean "each person" or "each thing".

A group of boy scouts were pitching camp on the lakeside, each looking tired but still in high spirits.

The determiner "every" is used in front of the singular form of a countable noun to talk about all members of a group, not one or some of them; it also requires the singular verb form.

Every child has the right to access education and receive proper parental care.

Every village is entitled to the development funds.

And finally, if  "every" is used with expressions of time, it indicates that something happens at regular intervals.

We buy fresh vegetables from the market every weekend.

The boys hang out at the pub every Friday.

In summary, the difference between the two determiners is that "each" is used to refer to the members of a group as individuals, while "every" refers to all members of a group.

By Dr English

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