Key Difference

• Each: Focuses on individual items in a group, considering them one at a time.
• Every: Looks at the entire group as a whole, implying that all items are included or affected.

Breakdown of Usage

1. Each: One-by-One Focus

Use each when you want to emphasize individual members of a group. It’s perfect for sentences where you want to show that every item or person is separate or considered individually.

• Example: “Each student received a certificate.”
  (The sentence emphasizes that the certificates were handed out individually to each student.)
• Typical Contexts for Each:
  • When there are two items or people: “Each parent and child should sign this form.”
  • When focusing on separate actions or conditions: “Each day felt like a new adventure.”

Key Tip: Imagine you’re looking at the group one person or item at a time. That’s when you’d likely use each.

2. Every: Group as a Whole

Every is used to consider all members of a group collectively, almost as a single unit. This word implies that all items or people in the group share a similar characteristic or undergo the same experience.

• Example: “Every student received a certificate.” (Here, the sentence suggests that the entire group of students received certificates.)
• Typical Contexts for Every:
  • When you want to include all items in a larger group: “Every car must be checked.”
  • When describing frequency or regularity: “He goes to the gym every day.”

Key Tip: Use every when you’re talking about all members of a group collectively, as if they’re part of a whole.

Comparing with Examples

Common Mistakes

1. Mixing Up Contexts:
   • Incorrect: “Each car needs to be parked at every lot.” (Doesn’t quite make sense!)
   • Correct: “Every car needs to be parked in its designated lot.”
     (Using every implies that all cars must follow this rule.)
2. For Emphasis on Uniqueness:
   • Incorrect: “Every item was different in color.”
     (Here, each would be better, as it emphasizes individual differences.)
   • Correct: “Each item was a different color.”

Practice Time!

Fill in the blanks with each or every:

1. __________ student in the class completed the assignment.
2. __________ room in the house was decorated differently.
3. She visits her grandmother __________ Sunday.
4. The teacher gave feedback on __________ paper separately.

Answers:

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