Every and Each — English Grammar Exercises
None of the bread is fresh. Most of them agreed. Every student has a book. — master every quantifier pattern.
Every vs Each in English
Both 'every' and 'each' refer to all members of a group and require a singular verb, but their perspective differs — and their grammatical behaviour diverges in critical ways. The English Profile Programme identifies 'every of' as one of the top ten quantifier errors at B2 level: 'every' can never be followed by 'of', while 'each' can. 'Every one of them' (two words) is a separate structure from 'everyone' (one word, meaning 'all people') — another frequent confusion in learner writing.
Every: Group Focus, Singular Noun
'Every' views all members together as a complete group. It is followed directly by a singular noun and never by 'of'.
Every room in the hotel has a balcony.
Each: Individual Focus, Can Follow 'Of'
'Each' looks at members one by one. It can be used for groups of two or more and can be followed by 'of + determiner'.
Each of the contestants received a prize. ('each of the' ✓)
Common Mistakes
✗ Everyone of the team members agreed. → ✓ Every one of the team members agreed. (two words)
Frequently Asked Questions
When do you use 'some' and when do you use 'any' in English?
The core rule: use 'some' in positive sentences ('There's some milk in the fridge') and 'any' in negatives and questions ('There isn't any milk', 'Do you have any cash?'). Two key exceptions override this rule. First, use 'some' in offers and requests — 'Would you like some coffee?' and 'Could I have some water?' — because the speaker expects a positive answer. Second, use 'any' in positive sentences to mean 'whichever / it doesn't matter which': 'You can sit in any seat.' 'Any' also follows near-negative words like 'hardly', 'without', and 'rarely': 'We got there without any problems.'
What is the difference between 'all students', 'all the students', and 'all of the students'?
'All students' (no article, no 'of') makes a general statement about students as a group: 'All students need encouragement.' 'All the students' and 'all of the students' both refer to a specific, identified group: 'All the students in my class passed.' The two forms with 'the' are interchangeable, though 'all the' is more common in everyday speech. The same pattern applies to 'most': 'Most people' (general) vs 'most of the people' or 'most of them' (specific). You can never say 'all of students' or 'most of people' — 'of' always needs a determiner after it.
What is the difference between 'no' and 'none'?
'No' is a determiner: it must be followed directly by a noun ('There is no milk', 'She has no idea'). 'None' is a pronoun: it stands alone ('How many tickets are left? — None.') or precedes 'of' + determiner + noun ('None of the tickets are left', 'None of them passed'). The most common error is 'none of students' — you must say 'none of the students'. The second common error is double negation: 'She didn't say nothing' is wrong; choose either 'She said nothing' or 'She didn't say anything'.
Does 'none of' take a singular or plural verb?
When 'none of' is followed by an uncountable noun, use a singular verb: 'None of the water was clean', 'None of the bread is fresh'. When followed by a plural countable noun, both singular and plural verbs are acceptable: 'None of the students was absent' (formal) and 'None of the students were absent' (informal, increasingly standard). The same logic applies to 'all of' and 'most of': the verb agrees with the noun that follows 'of', not with the quantifier itself — so 'All of the information has been updated' (uncountable), but 'All of the guests have arrived' (plural countable).