Is there a difference between "each" and "every"?
Hello,
I am wondering if there's a difference between the words "each" and "every." The topic caused a heated discussion in my group of friends.
I would like to emphasize that I am not interested in what the speaker means, or what the audience understands.
I am interested in pure technical differences between the following uses with zero context:
- Each X does Y.
- Every X does Y.
I don't like to discuss in context since it creates expectation bias. However, for the sake of better explaining what I am trying to ask, an example in context could be:
- Each student is expected to behave a certain way : This could mean that the "certain way" is different for each student. Perhaps they are given individual tasks and duties.
- Every student is expected to behave a certain way : This could mean that the "certain way" is the same for each student, as in a single code of behavior by which everyone must abide.
I know, in this context, we expect both sentences to mean that there is a single code of behavior that everyone is subject to. However, if there is a technical difference between these pronouns, the meaning is significantly different. How would someone who has zero understanding of the context need to understand these sentences?
I am not a native English speaker; so I might have failed to make my point clear. If so, please ask questions.
