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Common mistake 'each' or 'every' with plural nouns

The Common Mistake of Using 'each' or 'every' with Plural Nouns

When it comes to using the quantifiers 'each' or 'every', it's important to remember that they are typically followed by a singular noun. Unfortunately, many English speakers make the mistake of using these quantifiers with plural nouns, resulting in grammatically incorrect sentences.

The Correct Usage of 'each' and 'every'

Both 'each' and 'every' are used to refer to every individual item or person in a group. However, they differ in terms of how they are used grammatically.

'Each' is used when referring to individual items within a group, emphasizing that each item is considered separately. For example:

  • 'Each student must complete their assignment by tomorrow.'
  • 'He gave each guest a gift as they left the party.'

On the other hand, 'every' is used when referring to items as a collective whole. It emphasizes the entire group or every member of the group. For example:

  • 'Every student in the class passed the exam.'
  • 'She donated money to every charity she supports.'

Using 'each' or 'every' with Plural Nouns

The mistake occurs when people incorrectly use 'each' or 'every' with plural nouns. Let's look at some examples:

  • 'Each students received a certificate.'
  • 'Every employees need to attend the meeting.'
  • 'Each houses in the neighborhood has a garden.'

In these examples, the quantifiers 'each' and 'every' are followed by plural nouns ('students', 'employees', and 'houses'). However, this is incorrect. To fix these sentences, we have a few options:

  1. Change the quantifier to 'all', which can be used with both singular and plural nouns:
  • 'All students received a certificate.'
  • 'All employees need to attend the meeting.'
  • 'All houses in the neighborhood have a garden.'
  1. Change the plural noun to a singular noun:
  • 'Each student received a certificate.'
  • 'Every employee needs to attend the meeting.'
  • 'Each house in the neighborhood has a garden.'

By making these simple fixes, we can ensure that our sentences are grammatically correct.

Note: Using a grammar checker like Linguix can help identify and correct such errors in your writing.

'each' or 'every' with plural nouns mistake examples

  • Incorrect:
    Neither children are happy.

    Correct:
    Neither of the children|None of the children are happy.

  • Incorrect:
    Neither channels have received a notification.

    Correct:
    Neither of the channels|None of the channels have received a notification.

  • Incorrect:
    Each children are happy.

    Correct:
    All children|Each of the children|Each child are happy.

  • Incorrect:
    For iOS, every things went well smile

    Correct:
    For iOS, all things|each of the things|every thing went well smile

  • Incorrect:
    Each traditional farms originally had one owner, but most of them have been divided up and sold off over the years, and so there are more than 115 farms in use today.

    Correct:
    All traditional farms|Each of the traditional farms|Each traditional farm originally had one owner, but most of them have been divided up and sold off over the years, and so there are more than 115 farms in use today.

  • Incorrect:
    Mitigation referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 should include either payments actually received or the highest bid rejected in the event NB imposes a minimum bid that is not hit.

    Correct:
    Mitigation referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 should include all payments|each of the payments|either payment actually received or the highest bid rejected in the event NB imposes a minimum bid that is not hit.

  • Correct:
    Each children's services are available...
  • Correct:
    Each children services are available...
  • Correct:
    Each series revolves around a group of magical girls.
  • Correct:
    Every box is nice.
  • Correct:
    Insights event pricing is still very dependent on each customers use case.
  • Correct:
    This would mean that the wrongly received Xathenos either gets taken away again from 30 players, or it massively diminishes the effort people put into actually crafting it.
  • Correct:
    It's quite frustrating, I've tried updating and reinstalling atom but nothing works, neither does restarting my computer.
  • Correct:
    A small portion of each class enter in the HST track
  • Correct:
    Please engineer a solution which either stops collecting resources when the buffer becomes full (de facto industry standard) or increase the buffer size
  • Correct:
    Their is a Matrix of products and books which needs to be filled in for each books profile.
  • Correct:
    Either numbers have significantly changed or we aren't talking apples to apples here.
  • Correct:
    This is used in two distinct senses: either equal values are considered identical, and are simply counted, or equal values are considered equivalent, and are stored as distinct items.
  • Correct:
    Alresford in elections every four years elects one representative to Hampshire County Council, this is currently
  • Correct:
    Plus every few days add some reasonably heavy back assistance work like lat pulldowns, dumbell rows for 4x6 etc.
  • Correct:
    Every ten seconds seems fair.
  • Correct:
    With Kern Water Bank, there is a $5000 admin fee each time credits are purchased.
  • Correct:
    There would be nothing left of Section 7 rights if every time employees exercised them in a way that was somehow offensive to someone.
  • Correct:
    Can you send me a list of the Deemed ISDAs that are still outstanding (either comments received or counterparty has not returned signed copy).
  • Correct:
    Mahrashtra and Dabhol serving each other notices is ``simply legal maneuvering,'' said Kirit Parikh, an economist on the prime minister's economic advisory council.
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