Advanced determiners: all, both, either, neither, each and every

What do these determiners express? All, both, either, neither, each and every help us talk about groups, individual members and alternatives. To choose correctly, ask three questions: How many people or things are involved? Are we referring to all, one or none? Are we viewing the members as a group or as separate individuals? At B2 level, these meaning differences are as important as the grammar. Using all for a complete group or amount All usually refers to the whole of a group or the entire amount of something. It can be used with plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns: all students, all information. Before articles, possessives and demonstratives, all comes first: all the students, all my friends. Before a pronoun, of is required: all of us, all of them. Using both for exactly two Both means that two people or things are included. It is only used when there are exactly two. A plural noun normally follows: both answers. You can also say both the answers or both of the answers. Before a pronoun, use both of: both of them. Using either and neither for two alternatives Either usually means one of two possibilities, or that either one is acceptable. Neither means not one and not the other. When they come directly before a noun, that noun is usually singular: either option, neither answer. In either of and neither of structures, a plural pronoun or a defined plural noun phrase follows: either of them, neither of the proposals. The difference between each and every Each and every can both refer to all members of a group, but they focus on them differently. Each highlights the members individually, one by one. Every looks at all the members collectively while still meaning each individual is included. Each is especially natural when the members are treated differently, while every is common for general rules, routines and repeated situations. Why each of works but every of does not You can say each of the students, but not every of the students. With every, the correct structure is every one of the students. Each can also function on its own as a pronoun in some contexts, while every normally needs to be followed by a singular noun. Using both...and, either...or and neither...nor Both...and joins two things that are both true or included. Either...or presents two alternatives. Neither...nor rejects both alternatives. For clear and natural English, the elements connected by these structures should usually be grammatically parallel, such as two nouns, two adjectives or two verb phrases. Verb agreement with these structures Each and every normally take a singular verb when they are part of the subject. Either and neither also usually take a singular verb when used alone as subjects in formal standard English. With either...or and neither...nor, the verb often agrees with the subject closest to it, especially when one subject is singular and the other is plural.