Key Difference

• “Each” focuses on individual items or people, often with a sense of individuality.
• “Every” emphasizes the whole group as a collective, stressing the idea of totality.

1. When to Use “Each”

“Each” refers to individual items in a group, one by one. It’s often used when we want to highlight each item or person separately within a group.

Examples:

• “Each student has a unique ID number.” (focusing on every student individually)
• “I gave each child a gift.” (the speaker is giving a gift to one child at a time)

Common Situations for “Each”:

• To show individuality or when something applies to one person/thing at a time.
• Often used with smaller groups, though it can be used with larger groups too.

Visual Tip: Picture lining up items one by one and pointing to each one as you describe it. 😊

1. When to Use “Every”

“Every” is used to describe all items or people in a group collectively, without focusing on individuality. It emphasizes the group as a whole.

Examples:

• “Every employee needs to complete the training.” (all employees as a single group)
• “I wake up at 7:00 a.m. every morning.” (the same action repeated daily, applying to all mornings)

Common Situations for “Every”:

• When you want to emphasize a general rule or condition that applies to the whole group.
• Often used for large or even indefinite groups.

Visual Tip: Imagine looking at the whole group at once, thinking of everyone together as a unit.

Key Nuances and Differences

• Singular or Plural Nouns: Both “each” and “every” are followed by singular nouns. For example, “each dog” or “every student” (never “each dogs” or “every students”).
• Flexibility with Plurals and Groups: “Each” can be used with plurals (like “each of the students”), but “every” usually can’t (“every of the students” isn’t correct).

Comparison Examples

Let’s compare some sentences to see these words in action!

1. “Each guest received a welcome gift.” (Focuses on each guest separately, one by one)
2. “Every guest received a welcome gift.” (Indicates that the welcome gift applies to all guests as a group)
3. “Each student has a different book.” (Highlights individual differences among the students)
4. “Every student should have a book.” (A general rule or requirement for all students collectively)

Practice Time!

Let’s try a few fill-in-the-blank exercises to make sure you understand.

1. __________ player on the team has a unique number.
2. He reads __________ night before bed.
3. I spoke to __________ person in the group about the plan.
4. __________ answer on the test was checked twice.

Answers:

1. Each
2. Every
3. Each
4. Every

Pro Tip:

Remember: “Each” is about individuality (one by one), while “Every” brings everyone together in a group. When in doubt, think about whether you’re focusing on individuals or the whole group as one.