Each vs Every vs All: Singular & Plural Agreement Guide

Introduction

Do you ever pause mid-sentence and wonder whether to say each student is or each student are? You are not alone. The words each, every, and all look simple, but they follow different grammar rules for singular and plural agreement, and they create different shades of meaning. Getting them right makes your English sound accurate, natural, and confident.

What Are ‘Each’, ‘Every’, and ‘All’?

Each, every, and all are quantifiers — words that tell us how much or how many. Each and every are distributive: they talk about members of a group one by one, and they take a singular verb. All refers to the whole group together and takes a plural verb with countable nouns (and a singular verb with uncountable nouns). The key difference is how you see the group: one by one (each), one by one with no exceptions (every), or as a whole (all).

Rules

1. Each + singular noun + singular verb. Each child has a book. Use each for two or more members seen individually.
2. Every + singular noun + singular verb. Every child has a book. Use every for three or more members seen as a complete group — no exceptions.
3. All + plural noun + plural verb (countable): All the children have books.
4. All + uncountable noun + singular verb: All the water is gone.
5. Each of / every one of + plural noun/pronoun + singular verb: Each of the students is ready. Every one of them was late.
6. Each can follow a plural subject (after the verb or at the end): They each have a ticket. The tickets cost $10 each. Here the verb stays plural because the subject is they.
7. Every is not used for exactly two. Say each of my two brothers, not every of my two brothers.
8. Each and every + singular noun is a fixed emphatic phrase: Each and every employee needs a badge.
9. Possessives: use a singular possessive after each/every — Each student must bring his or her own lunch (or their in modern usage), not their own lunches.
10. All of + object pronoun uses a plural verb for people/things: All of us are ready. All of it was delicious.

How to Use It

Follow these steps whenever you write a sentence with a quantifier:

1. Decide what you mean. Individual focus? Use each. Complete group, no exceptions? Use every. The whole group together? Use all.
2. Check the noun. Singular countable noun → each or every. Plural countable noun → all. Uncountable noun → all.
3. Match the verb. Each and every take singular verbs; all takes plural verbs with countable nouns.
4. Watch the structure. Use each of / every one of / all of before determiners and pronouns: each of the rooms, all of my friends.
5. Read it aloud. If the verb sounds wrong (every students are), fix the agreement before you finish.

For example: Each room has a window (individual). Every room has a window (all rooms, no exceptions). All the rooms have windows (the group as a whole).

Examples in Sentences

• Each student receives a certificate at the end of the course.
• Every seat in the theatre was taken by eight o’clock.
• All the players were tired after the match.
• Each of the apartments has its own balcony.
• Every one of my colleagues speaks at least two languages.
• All of the milk has gone bad — please buy more.
• The teachers each have a different teaching style.
• Every morning, my grandmother waters her roses.
• All of us are looking forward to the holiday.
• Tickets cost twenty dollars each.
• Each and every applicant needs to bring ID.
• All the furniture in the living room is brand new.

Common Mistakes

• ❌ Each students have a book.
  ✅ Each student has a book. — Each is always singular.
• ❌ Every of the boys was late.
  ✅ Every one of the boys was late. — Use every one of, not every of.
• ❌ All the student is here.
  ✅ All the students are here. — All with countable nouns takes a plural noun and verb.
• ❌ Each of the rooms have a TV.
  ✅ Each of the rooms has a TV. — The subject is each, not rooms.
• ❌ Every my friend came.
  ✅ Every friend of mine came. / All my friends came. — Every cannot be followed directly by a possessive.

Quick Summary

• Each = members one by one (two or more) → singular verb.
• Every = the complete group, no exceptions (three or more) → singular verb.
• All = the group as a whole → plural verb with countable nouns, singular with uncountable nouns.
• Each of / every one of / all of + plural noun or pronoun; the verb follows the quantifier.
• They each have… keeps a plural verb because the subject is plural.
• Never use every for exactly two things, and never put a possessive directly after every.

Practice Exercises

Fill in the blank with each, every, or all, and choose the correct verb form.

1. _____ of the students (has / have) a locker.
2. _____ child in the class (was / were) given a prize.
3. _____ the shops (is / are) closed on Sundays.
4. The tickets cost €15 _____.
5. _____ of the water (is / are) already boiling.

Answers: 1. Each — has. 2. Every — was. 3. All — are. 4. each. 5. All — is.

Conclusion

Mastering each, every, and all comes down to two questions: are you thinking of the group one by one or as a whole, and is the noun singular or plural? Keep the rules above in mind, practise the examples regularly, and these small words will stop causing big mistakes in your writing and speaking.

FAQ

Can I use ‘each’ and ‘every’ with plural nouns?

Not directly. Each and every must be followed by a singular noun: each book, every student. However, you can use each of or every one of before a plural noun or pronoun: each of the books, every one of the students. In these structures, the verb is still singular because the subject is each or every one.

Is ‘every’ used for two things?

No. Every needs three or more items. For exactly two, use each: Each of my two sisters lives abroad. Saying every of my two sisters is incorrect both grammatically and logically.

Why do we say ‘They each have a ticket’ with a plural verb?

Because the subject is they, which is plural. When each comes after a plural subject, it does not change the verb agreement — it simply emphasises that the members are considered individually. So we say They each have a ticket, not They each has a ticket.

What is the difference between ‘all’ and ‘every’?

All views the group as a single whole and takes a plural verb with countable nouns: All the students are here. Every views the members individually but as a complete set, and takes a singular verb: Every student is here. The meaning is similar, but the grammar and emphasis are different — every stresses “no exceptions,” while all stresses “the entire group.”