🧠 TOEIC Trap: Every vs Each — Group Focus or One-by-One?

You read:

Every employee must attend the meeting.
Each employee will receive a feedback form.

Both sentences sound fine.
Both mean “all,” right?
Not exactly.

TOEIC uses this because the words are close in meaning but different in focus — and if you miss that, you miss the point.

🎯 Why TOEIC Wins This Point

Both every and each mean “all,” but they zoom in differently:

  • Every = group focus. Everyone included as one set.

  • Each = individual focus. One at a time.

💣 The One-Second Trigger

Ask:

“Am I talking about the group as a whole, or each member separately?”

  • Whole group → every

  • One-by-one / individual focus → each

👇 Watch It in Action

✅ Correct

Every desk has a computer.
(Group view: all desks together) → every

✅ Correct

Each desk has its own lamp.
(Individual view: one lamp per desk) → each

❌ Wrong

Each department must attend the meeting at the same time.
(This is group action — every fits better.)

🧪 TOEIC-Style Practice

___ employee received a company email.
🧠 Whole group got it at once → every

___ candidate will be interviewed in private.
🧠 One-by-one → each

The manager thanked ___ of the participants personally.
🧠 “Personally” = one-by-one → each

___ department submitted a report by Friday.
🧠 Group action → every

📝 Your Turn

Fill each blank with every or each.
Use the one-second check: group → every / individual → each.

  1. ___ customer must show ID before entering.

  2. ___ of the winners gave a short speech.

  3. ___ room has a keycard lock.

  4. ___ employee was given a different password.

Answer Key + Coaching

  1. ✅ every — same rule applies to the whole group

  2. ✅ each — one-by-one action

  3. ✅ every — same condition for all rooms

  4. ✅ each — different item for each person

🔁 Takeaway Rule

Both words mean “all,” but TOEIC is testing focus:

  • Group = every

  • One-by-one = each

One quick check for group vs individual, and this trap is gone.

Final Word

This is a focus test, not a vocabulary test.
Hear whether the sentence is looking at the whole group or zooming in on each member — and take the point.

For more strategies and resources to master TOEIC word-choice traps, visit the English Library Collection and start locking in focus-matching confidence today.

🧠 SEO FAQ — Every vs Each What is the difference between “every” and “each”? “Every” talks about a group as one. “Each” focuses on the individuals in the group, one by one. When should I use “every”? Use “every” when something applies to the whole group together. Example: Every employee received the email. When should I use “each”? Use “each” when something happens to one person or thing at a time. Example: Each student got a different number. Can “every” and “each” both mean all? Yes, but the focus is different. “Every” means the full group. “Each” means all of them, one by one. Is “each” more personal than “every”? Yes. “Each” often shows individual action or attention. It feels more focused. Can I use “each of” and “every of”? No. “Each of” is correct. “Every of” is not used in English. Why does TOEIC test “every” vs “each”? Because the words are similar but follow different logic. TOEIC checks if you feel the difference in sentence structure. Does “each” use singular or plural verbs? “Each” uses singular verbs. Example: Each employee is responsible. Can I use “each” with names or numbers? Yes. Example: Each of the three speakers gave a comment. Is “every” used with time words? Yes. Example: every day, every Monday, every year.