every
every — adjective
1. referring to each individual person or thing in a group, taken one by one, with
referring to each individual person or thing in a group, taken one by one, with a strong emphasis that nobody and nothing is missed or forgotten — the focus is on the single members rather than on the group as a whole.
Every child in the neighbourhood received a small gift from the shopkeeper.
every + singular countable noun
Dewi checked every window and door before leaving for work.
The librarian knows every single book on the shelf by its title.
collocation: every single
We invited every member of the team to the farewell dinner.
every member of + group
Caleb has visited every country in Southeast Asia at least once.
- every single
- every last
- every one of
- every bit as
Grammar Patterns
every + singular noun
every one of + [plural noun phrase]
Usage Note
Always takes a singular countable noun and a singular verb. To refer to a larger group that includes more than one noun, use 'every one of' followed by a plural noun phrase (e.g., 'every one of the students is…'). 'Every' cannot be followed directly by 'of' — the phrase 'every of the…' is incorrect. This sense differs from determiner/1 in that it emphasises each member one at a time rather than the completeness of the whole group.
Common Mistakes
2. used before a number, or before 'other', to mark each member at a fixed position
used before a number, or before 'other', to mark each member at a fixed position within a numbered order or list — for example, every second house on a street, every third page of a book, or every other seat in a row.
A fire hydrant sits at every second street corner in this neighbourhood.
every + ordinal number for spatial sequence
Astrid took every other seat in the row to leave space between passengers.
every other + noun for alternating positions
The security guard checks every third room on the floor late at night.
every + ordinal (third, fourth, fifth) for position in sequence
Kemi's name appears on every fourth page of the old photo album.
A donation box was placed at every fifth table during the charity dinner.
- every other
- every second
- every third
- every few (positions)
- every + number + noun (spatial)
Grammar Patterns
every + number + plural noun
every other + singular noun
every few + plural noun
every + day/week/month/year
Usage Note
When used with 'other', the noun stays singular (every other day, every other house). With a number, the noun is plural (every two years, every five seats). Unlike determiner/7, this sense is about position within a series or order, not about how often a recurring event happens.
Common Mistakes
every — determiner
1. used to talk about a complete set of people or things that form a group of at le
used to talk about a complete set of people or things that form a group of at least three, where the focus is on the fullness or the general makeup of the group rather than on the separate individuals inside it.
Every child in the school received a new notebook on Monday.
every + noun + in [place/group]
Gabriela has visited every museum in the city this summer.
Every house on Ramón's street has a small garden at the back.
The teacher checked every answer before returning the test papers.
every + noun + verb (collective action)
Diya knows the name of every student in her class by heart.
- every member
- every person
- every time
- every day
- every single one
Grammar Patterns
every + [singular noun]
Usage Note
Followed by a singular countable noun and a singular verb, even when the meaning is clearly about a group of multiple people or things. This sense differs from adjective/1 in that it treats the whole set as a complete collection rather than singling out each member one by one.
Common Mistakes
2. Used in the pattern 'every bit as...as' to say that one person or thing is equal
Used in the pattern 'every bit as...as' to say that one person or thing is equal to another in a particular quality, often to emphasise that there is no difference at all.
Tariq's cooking is every bit as good as his mother's famous dishes.
every bit as + adj + as [comparison]
The view from the top was every bit as stunning as the guide had promised.
Élise proved she was every bit as fast as the team captain at the race.
Christopher found the second novel every bit as exciting as the very first one.
- every bit as good
- every bit as fast
- every bit as hard
- every bit as important
Grammar Patterns
every bit as + adj + as
Usage Note
Only appears in the fixed expression 'every bit as...as'. The adjective must be placed between the two 'as' words. Deleting any part of this structure makes the sentence ungrammatical.
Common Mistakes
3. Placed before a noun to emphasise the complete set of people or items in a group
Placed before a noun to emphasise the complete set of people or items in a group, leaving out nobody and nothing — commonly reinforced by adding 'single', 'last', or 'possible' after 'every'.
Hao has read every single book that the famous author has ever written.
every single + noun (emphatic)
Sayaka cleaned every single dish after the huge family dinner last night.
The coach made every possible effort to help the team win the match.
every possible + noun
Felix checked every last detail before submitting his report to the manager.
every last + noun
Indra answered every single question on the test without any outside help.
- every single
- every last
- every possible
- every conceivable
- all
All is less emphatic. 'All students passed' states a fact; 'Every single student passed' adds emotional weight.
- each and every
Each and every is a fixed phrase that combines both words for maximum emphasis. It is more formal than the intensifying patterns above.
Grammar Patterns
every single + noun
every last + noun
every possible + noun
Usage Note
Common intensifying patterns are 'every single', 'every last', and 'every possible'. 'Every single' is the most common in spoken English. 'Every last' is more informal and carries a sense of completeness.
Common Mistakes
4. Used with location words such as 'direction', 'side', or 'corner' to mean all po
Used with location words such as 'direction', 'side', or 'corner' to mean all possible places or physical sides, often in phrases that describe searching or the origin of something.
People came from every direction to watch the parade on Saturday morning.
from every direction
Walid looked in every direction but could not find his missing wallet.
The strong wind seemed to blow from every side at the same time.
from every side
Michael searched every corner of the old house for the hidden key.
every corner of [place]
- every direction
- every side
- every corner
- every angle
- all over
All over is less precise. 'Papers were all over the floor' vs 'Papers were on every side of the floor' — the latter suggests even distribution.
Grammar Patterns
from every direction
in every direction
on every side
every corner of + noun
Usage Note
Almost always appears within fixed prepositional phrases. The prepositions 'in', 'from', 'to', and 'on' are the most common partners. The noun is always singular.
Common Mistakes
5. Used in the phrase 'in every way' to say that something is true from all possibl
Used in the phrase 'in every way' to say that something is true from all possible viewpoints, aspects, or methods — covering all the ways something can be considered.
In every way, the new library is much better than the old one.
in every way (sentence-initial)
Gabriela tried to help her friend in every way she could think of.
The twins are different in every way except for their appearance.
Ishaan's plan seemed perfect in every way, or so everyone thought.
perfect in every way
- in every way
- different in every way
- perfect in every way
- superior in every way
- in all respects
More formal. Used in academic or business writing. 'The proposal is sound in all respects' sounds more official than 'in every way'.
- completely
An adverb that replaces the whole phrase. 'I completely agree' is simpler but less precise than 'I agree in every way'.
Grammar Patterns
in every way
Usage Note
Almost always appears in the set phrase 'in every way'. This phrase is highly flexible: it can begin a sentence, appear after the verb, or end a clause. 'In every way' is not usually broken apart.
Common Mistakes
6. used before abstract nouns such as 'reason', 'right', 'chance', 'indication', or
used before abstract nouns such as 'reason', 'right', 'chance', 'indication', or 'hope' to say that a person has a complete and legitimate basis for feeling or expecting something — for example, having every reason to be proud, or every hope that something will happen.
Linh has every reason to feel proud of her amazing achievement.
every reason to + verb
Folake had every right to be upset about the sudden change of plan.
have every right
There is every chance that the rain will stop before the wedding starts.
every chance (that)
Soraya gave every indication that she would accept the job offer.
Felix had every hope that his team would win the final match.
- every reason
- every right
- every chance
- every indication
- every hope
Grammar Patterns
have every + [noun] + to + [verb]
there is every + [noun] + that
every + [noun] + that
Usage Note
Only pairs with a limited set of abstract nouns — most commonly 'reason', 'right', 'chance', 'indication', and 'hope'. It cannot be used with concrete nouns ('every book needed') in this sense. Unlike sense 10 (maximum degree), which focuses on the intensity of an effort or attitude, this sense focuses on the person's legitimate justification or basis for a feeling.
Common Mistakes
7. used before units of time such as 'day', 'year', or 'hour', and with numerals, t
used before units of time such as 'day', 'year', or 'hour', and with numerals, to state how often an event happens on a regular, repeating schedule — for example, a bus that runs every ten minutes or a holiday trip taken every summer.
Felix goes to the gym every morning before work.
every + time noun for daily routine
The office cleaners come every other Thursday to wash the floors.
every other + time noun for alternate intervals
The Yamada family visits their relatives in Kyoto every summer.
every + season noun for yearly event
Tamar checks her email every few hours during a big project.
The shuttle bus runs every twenty minutes from the train station.
- every day
- every week
- every year
- every morning
- every other day
- every few hours
- every ten minutes
Grammar Patterns
every + time noun (day, week, year)
every other + time noun
every + number + time noun
Usage Note
Always followed by a singular noun — 'every day', not *'every days'. With numbers and 'few', the noun is plural: 'every two weeks', 'every few months'. The 'every other' pattern means 'alternate': 'every other day' = Monday, Wednesday, Friday... This sense differs from adjective/2, which is about fixed positions in a spatial or ordinal sequence rather than the time-based frequency of repeated events.
Common Mistakes
8. used in either of the fixed phrases 'every now and then' or 'every so often' to
used in either of the fixed phrases 'every now and then' or 'every so often' to mean occasionally, on an irregular or loosely recurring basis — both phrases carry a similar meaning and are largely interchangeable in everyday English.
Dewi still writes letters to her grandmother every now and then.
fixed phrase 'every now and then' for irregular occasions
Every now and then, Marco tries a new restaurant in the neighbourhood.
fronted 'every now and then' at the start of a sentence
Yasmin pulls out her old film camera every now and then to take photos.
The two old friends talk on the phone every now and then.
Chiara bakes her own bread every so often when she has time.
fixed phrase 'every so often' for loosely recurring occasions
Every so often, the school holds a talent show for students and parents.
Ishaan takes his dog for a walk on the beach every so often.
The old grandfather clock in the hallway chimes every so often at night.
- every now and then
- every so often
- occasionally
more formal and can be placed more flexibly in a sentence
- from time to time
slightly more formal but similar in meaning to both phrases
- periodically
more formal and implies a somewhat regular schedule
- now and again
informal and very similar to 'every now and then'
Grammar Patterns
every now and then at start or end of clause
every so often at start or end of clause
Usage Note
Both 'every now and then' and 'every so often' are fixed expressions — do not drop any part of them or rearrange the words. They can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. The two phrases are largely interchangeable in everyday use.
Common Mistakes
9. used before abstract nouns such as 'effort', 'intention', 'sympathy', or 'determ
used before abstract nouns such as 'effort', 'intention', 'sympathy', or 'determination' to indicate the highest possible degree or the maximum amount that can be put into doing something — for example, making every effort to finish a project, or showing every sympathy for someone's loss.
Dr. Beatriz made every effort to explain the treatment to her patient.
every + effort for maximum attempt
The volunteer team made every possible attempt to deliver food before the storm.
every possible + abstract noun for extra emphasis
The rescue team showed every determination to reach the stranded hikers before dark.
The principal had every intention of speaking to each class about the new policy.
The coach expressed every confidence in the team's ability to win the championship.
- every effort
- every intention
- every determination
- every confidence
- every sympathy
- every possible attempt
- no
the opposite expression would be 'no effort', 'no intention', etc.
Grammar Patterns
every + abstract noun (effort, intention, sympathy, determination, care)
Usage Note
Only used with abstract uncountable nouns like 'effort', 'intention', 'sympathy', 'determination', 'confidence'. Never used with concrete nouns or plural nouns in this sense. 'Every possible' can be inserted for extra emphasis: 'every possible effort'. Unlike sense 6 (justification/entitlement), this sense is about the intensity or degree of an action or attitude.
Common Mistakes
each and every
idiomUsed to emphasize that you mean every single person or thing in a group.
The teacher checked each and every student's homework carefully.
Did you read each and every page of that report?
every other
idiomHappening on alternate occasions, for example the first, third, fifth, etc. but not the second, fourth, sixth, etc.
My sister visits our grandmother every other Sunday.
We have a team meeting every other Tuesday morning.
Word family
- everybodypronounA2
- everyonepronounA1
- everythingpronounA1
- everywhereadverbA2
- everydayadjectiveA2
- eachdeterminerA2
Synonym discussion
Sense: determiner/1
這三個詞都和「全體」有關，但使用角度不同。'Every' 著重群體中的每一個個體（every child），後面搭配單數名詞與單數動詞。'Each' 則更強調一個個分開來看（each person has their own opinion），可用於兩個或以上的成員。'All' 則是將群體視為一個整體（all children），後面搭配複數名詞與複數動詞。簡單來說：every = 無一遺漏的每一個人；each = 一個一個分別來看；all = 全體一起看。在日常對話中，'every' 最常用於時間頻率的表達（every day），'each' 則在需要逐一強調時較常出現。
Common collocations
Nouns
- every day
- every time
- every way
- every direction
- every reason
- every effort
- every corner
Adverbs
- nearly every
- almost every
- not every
- practically every
Phrases
- every single
- every last
- every other
- every now and then
- every so often
- every bit as
- in every way
- every one of
Etymology
來自古英語 'ǣfre ǣlc'（意為「ever each，每一個」），由 'ǣfre'（ever，總是）和 'ǣlc'（each，每一個）組合而成。這個結構後來合併為一個詞，表示群體中的每一個個體。