All
All refers to three or more items.
All means ‘the complete number or amount’ or ‘the whole’ people or things considered as a group. We use it most often as a determiner.
It is used mostly before plural and uncountable nouns.
- All children need love.
- I love all music.
- All the invitees turned up.
For more information, please see "The Distributives ALL, BOTH, & HALF" in this lesson.
EACH, EVERY, EITHER, NEITHER
These distributive words are normally used
with singular nouns, and are
placed before the noun.
If
distributive + singular noun use as a subject it need a
singular verb.
- Each child received a present.
- Every child in the world deserves affection.
- I can stay at either hotel, they are both good
- Neither chair is any good, they're both too small.
Each, either and
neither can be used with plural nouns but must be followed by
'of' but it normaly goes with a singular verb.:
- Read each of these sentences carefully.
- Each of them is a different colour.
- Each of the children received a present.
- There are two chairs here. You can take either of them.
- Which chair do you want? Neither of them - they're both too small.
- Each of you needs to complete the assignment individually.
Each
Each is a way of seeing the members of a group as individuals though we think of them more one by one:
- Each child received a present.
- Each of the children received a present.
Using “each” means that you recognise the item is a part of a group, but that it also needs to be pointed out as a singular item too.
- Each book on the shelf has a different colour code.
We cannot use Each with the words Almost or Nearly. Here we use Every.
Almost each car pollutes the atmosphere. (incorrect)- Almost every car pollutes the atmosphere. (correct)
Each + singular countable noun
You use a singular (countable) noun after the word Each.
- Make sure you enjoy each moment in your life.
- They play the national anthem of each country before the game begins.
- Live each day as if it were your last.
Each + one
One can be used to replace the singular countable noun if it has already been mentioned.
A: What do I have to do with these antique vases?
B: You need to take each one out of the box very carefully. (each one = each vase)
Each of + determiner + plural noun
Each can be followed by a determiner (my, his, the, etc.) and a plural noun but it goes with a singular verb.
- I kiss each of my children before they go to bed at night.
- The teacher had a little kid holding on to each of her hands.
- Each of the guides has a different group to show around the museum.
Notice how after each of the verb is usually in singular form though when speaking informally, you will sometimes hear a plural verb used.
- Each of my students has a different assignment to complete. (correct use)
- Each of my students have a different assignment to complete. (informal use)
Each of + pronoun (you/us/them)
We can only use the pronouns you/us/them after each of.
- He gave each of us a small gift at the end of the course.
- You need to wash each of them before use.
- Each of you needs to complete the assignment individually.
Again the verb following each of + pronoun should be in the singular form.
Every
Every is a way of seeing a group as a series of members, Every is closer in meaning to All than Each is.
- Every child in the world deserves affection.
To compare different between every and each, please see this example:
- Every artist is sensitive. (Think about "artist" as one group, they all the same.)
- Each artist sees things differently. (Think about "artist" as individual.)
It can also express different points in a series, especially with time expressions:
- Every third morning John goes jogging.
- This magazine is published every other week.
We can use every one of but not every of
- I've read every one of those books.
I've read every of those books.
However notice that
every cannot be used when referring to two things and is not common with small numbers.
Every (one) of my parents. (incorrect)- Each of my parents. (correct)
Every + number + plural noun
Every can be followed by a plural noun when there is a number before that noun. This is common with periods of time or things at regular intervals.
- He gets his head shaved every three weeks.
- You need to take a break every two hours.
We can also use every without a number and a singular noun to refer to regular intervals:
- He plays football every Saturday.
- She goes to the gym every day.
Either and Neither
Either and Neither are concerned with distribution between two things.
either is positive, neither is negative. Either/Neither + a singular noun goes with singular verb.
- Which chair do you want? Either chair will do.
- I can stay at either hotel, they are both good
- There are two chairs here. You can take either of them.
- Neither chair is any good, they're both too small.
- Which chair do you want? Neither of them - they're both too small.
- Either drink is fine. I like both kinds.
We use '
either of + plural noun' and '
neither of + plural noun' before a
pronoun or a
determiner (my, his, the, etc.) but normaly goes with singular verb.
- Either of my dresses is good. (= this dress is good and also that dress is good.)
- Either of us can get the key.
- Neither of my dresses will do. (both of my dresses are not good.)
- Neither of us will be on time.
•
Either...
Or and
Neither...
Nor
•
Either...
Or ('one or another') is used in affirmative sentences to talk about two different things, or to express a cause-effect relationship:
- I can serve you either a hot chocolate, or a glass of chilled white wine. (You can choose between hot chocolate and chilled white wine.)
- Either you tell me everything you know, or I'll take you to court. (You have two options: you tell me everything you know, or I'll take you to court.)
- Either coffee or tea is fine.
- We could use either blue paint or red paint.
- She will buy either some apples or some oranges.
• Neither...Nor ('not this one and not that one') is used in negative constructions. This tells us about two negative ideas, but it's quite formal. It's more normal just to use 'not + or'.
- I don't like coffee or tea.
- I like neither coffee nor tea.
- I have neither the time nor the patience to listen to your stories.
- I do not have the time or the patience to listen to your stories.
- Neither one nor the other.
- Not this one and not the other one.
We can also use 'neither' at the beginning of a sentence or clause. It means 'also not'. We need to use inverted word order afterwards.
- I'm not at home. Neither is John.
- A: I don't like coffee. B: Neither do I.
In an informal style we can use 'me neither'.
- A: I don't like coffee. B: Me neither.
We use 'not... either' to mean the same thing, but we use normal word order.
- A: I don't like coffee. B: I don't either.