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If I were to say...

[Each / Every] individual decision in life must be carefully assessed.

...would I have to use each or every, AND WHY?

According to the answers in Each versus every (again...), there might be two types of reasoning:

  1. On the one hand, I would have to use "every" because this is a general statement used without any limits and that is not referring to any specific or limited set.
  1. On the other hand, I would have to use "each" because it emphasizes the individuality of each decision.
Laurel
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    In this case you can use either, depending on the sense you wish to emphasise ('all of them' or 'each individual one'). – Kate Bunting Feb 12 '23 at 09:16
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    And you can use both (though some people might consider it a bit of an ugly cliché) to emphasise the care you should take with each and every one of your life decisions. "Each and every life decision must be weighed very carefully." – Jaime Feb 16 '23 at 11:07
  • Please don't use a slash to separate alternatives, as you did here. Instead give two versions of the sentence or phrase. See "Avoid using a slash when asking about two versions" from the Contributor's Guide – David Siegel Feb 19 '23 at 18:33
  • If I may be frank - this is your third time asking the same question. Offering a bounty of 100 points is not going to bring you better answers. 100 points mean nothing to anyone with a decent reputation. It's more likely to attract answers from people in desperate need of reputation points. Even if it did bring better answers, how could you possibly pick the correct one when you couldn't on the two previous attempts? – Astralbee Feb 20 '23 at 18:22

3 Answers3

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Because there are multiple options here that are grammatically correct (either "each" or "every" is correct), opinions will vary. As the comments have suggested, the emphasis is what changes, depending on the choice of words.

My opinion is that, because the word "individual" already gives the sense of meaning which "each" would contribute to the expression, the use of "every" is more meaningful. Thus, I would submit the following as my preferred expression for this sentence.

Every individual decision in life must be carefully assessed.

However, it should be made clear that this is not a situation where only one way is correct. If one wishes to emphasize the individuality of every decision, it is grammatically acceptable to say "Each individual decision . . . ." I simply prefer to combine the concept of "every" with the "individual" to have the benefit of both meanings.

Biblasia
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  • (1) Each individual decision in life must be carefully assessed.
  • (2) Every individual decision in life must be carefully assessed.

Both (1) and (2) are grammatically valid. Each is fully natural, and might be spoken or written by a fluent speaker. The meanings of (1) and (2) are similar, but not identical. The difference is largely one of emphasis, as the answer by Biblasia correctly points out. Sentence (1) emphasizes the individual decisions, while (2) emphasizes the commonality among all the decisions.

I disagree with the suggestion in the question that rules of grammar or usage mean that a speaker or writer "must" chose one of these. Either may be used, as a matter of style an emphasis.

I also disagree with the answer by Astralbee in the linked thread which says that "each" should not be used unless the set of options is limited. Indeed, I assert that "each" may be used even when the set is literally infinite, as in:

  • Each natural number has a successor.
  • Each natural number, except zero, is the successor of another natural number.

Some would prefer to use "every" in those sentences, but "each" is perfectly acceptable.

Mari-Lou A
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David Siegel
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As an example, let's say you have a medical condition requiring you to take medication every day for the rest of your life. You can't count how many days you will live, because you don't know how long your life will be, and that is why I would use 'every'. 'Every day' has no limits... it blanketly refers to every possible day that will ever be.

But now let's say you have a short-term medical condition that requires a course of medication. Your doctor may give you a pack of 7 pills and tell you to take one each day for 7 days. The days in this course of medication are limited, they can be counted, and that is why I would use 'each'. 'Each day' refers to the days in the course.

To sum up - "every" can be used without limits to make a blanket statement about every possible instance of something that has ever been or ever will be. "Each" is for referring to things that can be counted or numbered. It can still be used for future possible instances, but as it emphasises the individuality of each instance you need to be able to account for them to know that your statement will apply to them all.

In my answer to your previous question about this, I suggested that either could be used in your specific example of solar eruptions emitting radiation. Your choice would depend on whether your statement was a 'rule' without any limits, or whether you were narrating a limited period of observation in which the eruptions could be counted.

In your new example, it could also depend on the scope of your statement. When you say "every decision in life" are you just talking about just your own life and perhaps the life of the person to whom you are making a recommendation, or are you talking about the life of every single person that will ever live? Are you talking about just major decisions such as your education, your career, or your relationships, or are you literally referring to every little decision you make, such as what time to get up, what to have for breakfast, which route to take to work etc? If you can account for everything within the scope of your statement, 'each' might be fine; otherwise, I would go with 'every'.

Astralbee
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