every The word "every" is similar to "each." Use "every" when thinking about the single members of a whole group of people or the indivdual parts of an entire thing or a period of time: - She comes to class every day.
- Every student in this class is expected to participate in class discussion.
- Gloves are provided for every worker who needs them.
- I have to work every Saturday. (This means all of the Saturdays during the year.)
- Mitchell has to work every other Saturday. (This means that he works a Saturday, then he doesn’t, then he does, then he doesn’t, and so on.)
- Edna is sick every few weeks. (This sounds like the situation is repeated often.)
- Our entire family gets together every Christmas.
- Every box on these shelves needs to be loaded onto a truck.
A more difficult use for the word "every" is in describing possibility: - Don was given every chance to succeed, but he didn’t take advantage of his opportunities.
- They had every reason to believe that their parents survived the plane crash.
- Marissa has used every opportunity to get ahead at the company where she works.
Pay attention to the pronunciation of this word! It’s just two syllables, not three: ev – ree For intermediate and advanced learners of English, here’s another way to use the word "every." Click here to go to the Word of the Day page. This page was first published on February 20, 2012. It was amended on December 31, 2014. |