TOEIC Link Part 5: Each, Every, and All as Distributive Quantifiers

Each, every, and all all mean roughly "the whole group," but TOEIC Link Part 5 uses them to test something precise: noun number and verb agreement. Each and every force a singular noun and a singular verb; all forces a plural (or noncount) noun. Choosing by meaning alone gets you the trap option. This guide gives you the agreement rule, the of-phrase patterns, and the meaning differences that break a tie.

The core rule: singular vs. plural

The three split into two camps for grammar:

• each / every + singular noun + singular verb

  Each employee has a badge. / Every room is inspected daily.

• all + plural noun + plural verb (or noncount noun + singular verb)

  All employees have badges. / All information is confidential.

So the noun and the verb both shift with the quantifier. A blank before a singular noun and verb wants each or every; a blank before a plural noun and verb wants all. This single mechanical signal — singular or plural — settles most questions before meaning ever enters.

___ application was reviewed individually. → Each/Every (singular application... was) ___ applications were reviewed in one batch. → All (plural applications... were)

The of-patterns: each of, every one of, all of

When the quantifier is followed by of + a plural noun, the forms diverge:

• each of + plural noun + singular verb: Each of the managers reports to the director.
• every one of + plural noun + singular verb (note: every alone cannot take of; it must become every one of): Every one of the rooms was cleaned.
• all of + plural noun + plural verb: All of the managers report to the director.

The trap here is twofold: choosing every of (impossible — it must be every one of), and making the verb plural after each of (it stays singular because each is grammatically singular, even though the noun after of is plural).

Each vs. every: the meaning difference

When both are grammatical, a meaning distinction can decide:

• each emphasizes the individual members of a group, considered one at a time. It suits small or specific sets and contexts of separate, individual treatment: Each candidate received personalized feedback.
• every emphasizes the whole group without exception, and pairs naturally with words of frequency, totality, and large numbers: Every customer is entitled to a refund. / The bus runs every twenty minutes.

Cue words tilt the choice: individually, separately, one at a time → each; without exception, virtually, almost, nearly, frequency expressions → every (almost every, but not usually almost each).

All with noncount nouns and the whole-thing meaning

All also works with noncount nouns and takes a singular verb, and it can mean "the entire quantity" rather than "every member":

All the equipment is new. (noncount → singular verb) All the staff were notified. (collective body → often plural in BrE-style usage; TOEIC accepts the plural reading)

Watch the verb: with a noncount noun after all, the verb is singular (is, was), which can look like an agreement error but is correct.

The two-step method

For each/every/all blanks:

1. Look at the noun and verb number. Singular noun + singular verb → each or every. Plural noun + plural verb → all. This eliminates the wrong camp immediately.
2. If each and every both fit, read for the cue: individually/separately → each; without exception or frequency → every.

The reliable signal is step 1. Part 5 plants a plural verb next to each (or a plural noun next to every) precisely to catch test-takers who pick by meaning.

Worked examples

___ of the proposals was evaluated by two reviewers. (A) All (B) Every (C) Each (D) Many — (C) Each: of the proposals + singular was → each of; all of would need were, and every of is impossible.

___ employee must complete the training by Friday. (A) All (B) Each (C) Both (D) Several — (B) Each: singular noun employee + singular must complete rules out plural all/both/several.

Almost ___ ticket for the show has already been sold. (A) all (B) each (C) every (D) much — (C) every: almost pairs with every, and singular ticket... has confirms it.

___ the furniture in the lobby is being replaced. (A) Every (B) Each (C) All (D) Many — (C) All: noncount furniture + singular is → all; each/every need a singular count noun.

Common pitfalls

• Plural verb after each/every — each employee have is wrong; it must be has.
• every of — ungrammatical; the of-form is every one of.
• Plural verb after each of — stays singular: each of the items is, not are.
• all + singular count noun — all employee is wrong; all needs a plural (all employees) or a noncount noun (all information).
• Picking by meaning over number — when the verb is plural, each/every are out no matter how well the meaning seems to fit.

For the broader agreement machinery these questions sit on, see subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases, and for the wider word class, see quantifiers and determiners.

Bottom line

Each and every are grammatically singular — singular noun, singular verb — while all takes a plural or noncount noun; that number signal, not the shared "whole group" meaning, decides the answer. Remember every one of (never every of), keep the verb singular after each of, and break a remaining tie with the individual-vs-total cue. Check number first, meaning second.