Introduction
Do you ever pause mid-sentence, unsure whether to write “each student is” or “each student are“? You are not alone. The words each, every, and all look simple, but they follow different rules for quantity, scope, and verb agreement. Getting them right makes your English sound accurate and natural, so let’s break them down step by step.
What Is the Difference Between Each, Every, and All?
Each, every, and all are quantifiers — words that tell us how much or how many. Each focuses on members of a group one by one. Every focuses on members of a group as a whole, without exception. All refers to the entire group together. In short: each = individually, every = without exception, all = the complete group.
Rules
- Each + singular noun + singular verb. “Each book is on the shelf.” Use each for two or more items, seen separately.
- Every + singular noun + singular verb. “Every book is on the shelf.” Use every for three or more items, seen as a group.
- All + plural noun + plural verb. “All the books are on the shelf.” Use all for the whole group together.
- Each of / Every one of + plural noun/pronoun + singular verb. “Each of the students has a laptop.”
- All of + plural noun + plural verb; All of + uncountable noun + singular verb. “All of the students are ready.” / “All of the water is gone.”
- Each can be a pronoun on its own; every cannot. “I bought three shirts and each was cheap.” (Not: “every was cheap.”)
- Every + number + plural noun is possible; each + number is not. “I go to the gym every two days.”
- All (not each/every) is used with uncountable nouns and with “the/my/these + noun.” “All the money is safe.”
How to Use It
Follow these steps whenever you choose a quantifier:
- Ask: am I thinking of members separately or as a group? Separately → each. As a group → every or all.
- Check the number of items. Two items → each (“each hand”). Three or more → each or every. The whole group → all.
- Match the noun and verb. Each/Every + singular noun + singular verb. All + plural noun + plural verb.
- Use “of” correctly. “Each of the boys is…”, “Every one of the boys is…”, “All of the boys are…”.
- Remember the pronoun rule. “Each has a ticket” ✅ — “Every has a ticket” ❌.
- Watch uncountable nouns. Use all, never each/every: “All the information is correct.”
Example: “I gave a gift to each child” (one by one). “I gave a gift to every child” (no child missed). “I gave gifts to all the children” (the whole group).
Examples in Sentences
- Each student has a dictionary.
- Every student has a dictionary.
- All the students have dictionaries.
- Each of the rooms is cleaned daily.
- Every one of the rooms is cleaned daily.
- All of the rooms are cleaned daily.
- I spoke to each employee separately.
- Every employee must wear a badge.
- All employees must wear badges.
- The tickets cost $10 each.
- She visits her grandmother every Sunday.
- All the water is gone.
- Each of us was given a map.
- Every child in the class passed the test.
Common Mistakes
- ❌ Each students are ready.
✅ Each student is ready. - ❌ Every of the boys is here.
✅ Every one of the boys is here. / Each of the boys is here. - ❌ All the student is here.
✅ All the students are here. - ❌ Each of the players are tired.
✅ Each of the players is tired. - ❌ Every was wearing a hat.
✅ Each was wearing a hat. (Every cannot stand alone as a pronoun.)
Quick Summary
- Each = one by one; + singular noun + singular verb; works for two or more.
- Every = without exception; + singular noun + singular verb; three or more.
- All = the whole group; + plural (or uncountable) noun + matching verb.
- Each of / Every one of + plural noun → singular verb.
- All of + plural noun → plural verb; + uncountable noun → singular verb.
- Each can be a pronoun alone; every cannot.
Practice Exercises
Fill in the blanks with each, every, or all (and the correct verb form).
- ____ of the girls ____ (have) a bicycle.
- ____ the milk ____ (be) in the fridge.
- I go running ____ morning.
- ____ student ____ (need) a notebook.
- ____ the students ____ (need) notebooks.
Answers: 1. Each / has 2. All / is 3. every 4. Every (or Each) / needs 5. All / need
Conclusion
Choosing between each, every, and all comes down to two questions: are you thinking of members separately or as one group, and is the noun singular or plural? Keep the agreement rules in mind, practise the examples above, and these quantifiers will soon feel completely natural.
FAQ
Can I use “each” and “every” interchangeably?
Often, yes — “Each student has a book” and “Every student has a book” are both correct. But each emphasises members individually (and works for just two: “each hand”), while every emphasises the group without exception and needs three or more items. Only each can stand alone as a pronoun.
Is it “each of them is” or “each of them are”?
Use the singular: “Each of them is ready.” The subject is each, which is singular, even though it is followed by a plural pronoun. The same applies to “every one of them is.”
Why can’t I say “every of the students”?
Because every is a determiner, not a pronoun — it must be followed directly by a noun (“every student”). To use “of,” say “every one of the students” or simply “each of the students.”
Do “all” and “every” mean the same thing?
They are close, but the grammar differs. All takes a plural noun and verb (“All the students are here”), while every takes a singular noun and verb (“Every student is here”). All can also be used with uncountable nouns (“all the water”), which every cannot.