🅰️ Grammar · Articles & Determiners
All, Every, Each & Whole
One group, one member, or one complete thing — learn exactly which word points at which, then use them correctly every time.
Grammar › Articles & Determiners › All, Every, Each & Whole
The rule in one sentenceUse every and each to look at the members of a group one by one, use all for the group added up together, and use whole for one single, complete thing — not a group at all.
What’s the difference?
All four of these words describe totality, which is exactly why learners mix them up. But each one answers a different question: are you counting the members of a group one by one, adding a whole group together, or talking about a single thing that isn’t a group at all?
Every and each zoom in. They take a group and look at its members individually, one at a time — always with a singular noun and a singular verb: Every Pixar film opens with the studio’s bouncing lamp logo. Each Apu Trilogy film was based on a novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay.
All zooms out. It adds every member of a group back together and treats them as one combined total — so it needs a plural noun (or an uncountable one), with a plural verb to match: All the films in the Alienation Trilogy were directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. All the music in Nights of Cabiria was composed by Nino Rota.
Whole is different from the other three — it isn’t really about a group at all. It means one single thing, complete and undivided, and it takes a singular noun: The whole film The Namesake takes place across two countries, moving between Kolkata and New York. Whole can even describe a set treated as one package: we binge-watched the whole Alienation Trilogy in one weekend — the trilogy here is one complete thing, not three separate films.
🎬 Compare: “Every Marvel film has a post-credits scene” (true of each film individually, one by one) vs. “All the Marvel films together have earned an enormous combined total at the box office” (true of the whole group added up).
Same franchise, different focus. Every/each looks member by member; all looks at the group as a total.
A quick test: if you can swap in each one, one by one and the sentence still makes sense, you need every or each. If the total, added up fits better, you need all. If the entire single thing fits best, you need whole.
How to build it
Every
Every Mighty Ducks film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures.
Every Studio Ghibli film is hand-drawn frame by frame.
Each
Each scene in Charulata was shot in black and white.
Each of the three Apu Trilogy films introduces a new stage of life for Apu.
All
All the child actors in Salaam Bombay! were cast from the streets of Mumbai.
All the work of Shyam Benegal is rooted in social realism.
Whole
Vittorio De Sica co-wrote the whole screenplay for The Bicycle Thief with Cesare Zavattini.
The whole film The Namesake was adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri’s acclaimed novel of the same name.
When to use which
Every & each — one by one
- Individual members, said generally: Every Marvel superhero has an origin story.
- Personal, individual attention: Each gunslinger gets a dedicated moment in The Magnificent Seven.
- Each works naturally with just two: Nishant and The Chess Players are both landmark films of Indian cinema, and each explores a different kind of power struggle.
All & whole — together or complete
- A group as one combined total: All the films in the Qatsi Trilogy together explore humanity’s relationship with technology.
- Uncountable nouns: All the music in Nights of Cabiria was composed by Nino Rota.
- One single, complete thing: I watched the whole film La Strada in one sitting.
- A set treated as one package: We rewatched the whole Alienation Trilogy last weekend.
Signal phrases: your instant clue
These four words often travel with the same small set of companions — learn the pairing and the right choice gets automatic.
Often paired with every / each
Often paired with all / whole
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
Common mistakes
❌ Every films in the Mighty Ducks series are family-friendly.
✅ Every film in the Mighty Ducks series is family-friendly.
Every always takes a singular noun and a singular verb, never a plural noun.
❌ All film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe connect to each other.
✅ All the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe connect to each other.
All needs a plural (or uncountable) noun — “all film” on its own is not correct.
❌ I watched the film Ankur whole in one sitting.
✅ I watched the whole film Ankur in one sitting.
Whole comes before the noun, right after the/a/my — never after it.
❌ Each of the Apu Trilogy film introduce a new stage of life.
✅ Each of the Apu Trilogy films introduces a new stage of life.
Each of needs a plural noun (films), but the verb still stays singular (introduces).
Exceptions & tricky cases
1. Every + number + plural noun. When a number comes first, every can take a plural noun — it means “one in every group of that size”. A chess story as compelling as Queen of Katwe comes along every few years.
2. Each can follow the noun. Each often moves after the subject, especially with pronouns. The three original Mighty Ducks films each drew large family audiences to theatres.
3. All drops “the” before uncountable or abstract nouns. All cinema changed the year Aparajito won the Golden Lion at Venice — no “the” needed before the uncountable noun cinema.
4. Whole never combines with uncountable nouns. Use all instead. We ate all the popcorn before The World of Apu even started — not “the whole popcorn”.
Practice: choose the right word
Eight quick questions. Pick the answer you’d actually say — you get the explanation either way.
1. ___ Mighty Ducks film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures.
Singular noun “film” needs every — all would need the plural “films”.
2. I’ve watched ___ the films in the Alienation Trilogy.
Plural noun “films” needs all — every would need the singular “film”.
3. ___ gunslinger has a different skill in The Magnificent Seven.
Individual members of a group need each (or every) — whole means one complete single thing.
4. ___ film The Namesake follows a Bengali-American family across two generations.
One single, complete film needs “the whole film” — all would need a plural noun.
5. Each of the shots in Charulata ___ composed in black and white.
“Each of” plus a plural noun still takes a singular verb — was, not were.
6. All the work of Shyam Benegal ___ rooted in social realism.
“Work” is uncountable, so it takes a singular verb even after all.
7. We ate ___ popcorn before The World of Apu even started.
“Popcorn” is uncountable — whole never combines with uncountable nouns, so use all the.
8. A story as compelling as Queen of Katwe comes along ___ few years.
Every + number + plural noun is the fixed pattern for repeating intervals — each doesn’t work this way.
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