English — each vs every
Both each and every refer to members of a group and take a singular verb, but each looks at members one by one (and works with just two things), while every views the whole group together and needs at least three: each child got a prize, every child was happy.
How it works
Use each to single out members individually — it can point to two or more, and appears in each of us, each other, and each one. Use every to talk about all members as a set of three or more, especially for regularity: every day, every time. Both are grammatically singular, so the verb is singular: each answer is correct, every seat was taken.
Examples
| Example | Why this word |
|---|---|
| Each of the two teams has a captain. | Only two members — use each, not every. |
| Every student in the class passed. | A whole group of three or more seen together. |
| She checks her email every day. | Regular repetition — every, not each. |
| The teacher gave each child a book. | Members handled one by one, individually. |
| Everyone was ready and everything was in place. | everyone / everything are singular pronouns from every. |
| Each of us gets a turn. | each of + plural, but the verb stays singular. |
Good to know
A frequent mistake is a plural verb: write every child was happy, not every child were happy. Also say each of the students has a book (not have), and prefer each other for two people, one another for more. You can add every to a noun of period to mean interval: every two hours, but not each two hours.