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Health & Fitness

Grammar Check: Each, Either, All the Ones, and All the Bodies

Did you know? They're all singular!

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I remember this mnemonic from childhood: each, either, all the ones, and all the bodies.

What is it?  

Each of the above is a singular pronoun that takes a singular verb.   Note the sentence I wrote: “Each [of the above] is a singular pronoun...”

I used the word each and the singular verb is. I did not write “Each of the above are singular.”  Why? Because “each” is one of the singular words that requires a singular verb!  

Let’s look at examples of the rest:  
Each of us likes a different team.
Either of them works for me.
No one is safe in that cave.
Everyone goes home early on Fridays!
Everybody loves Raymond.
Anybody knows it’s true.
Neither woman wants to carpool with Bob.    

Here is a useful, real-life example:
You are out to dinner, and you want to order dessert. You might say to the waiter, “We want a piece of chocolate cake” or you might say, “Each of us wants a piece of chocolate cake.”  

In the former example, you and your date will be sharing one piece of cake; in the latter, you will each get your own piece.    

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