Is ‘Each’ Singular or Plural? How to Use ‘Each’ Correctly

The word “each” refers to every one of two or more individuals or objects within a group. “Each” typically describes countable nouns (which you can represent in singular or plural form), rather than uncountable nouns (which cannot occur in plural form). The word can function as a distributive, pronoun, adjective, or adverb.

A distributive is a word that refers to one or multiple entities within a group of countable nouns. In some situations, words like “individually,” “exclusively,” or “separately” can be synonyms for “each.”

As an indefinite pronoun, “each” refers to a general group without naming who or what it refers to. “Each” can also act as an indefinite adjective, which describes nouns in a general manner without specifically naming who or what they are.

As an adverb, you can use “each” to mean “apiece.”

The word “each” refers to a singular subject within a group of countable nouns, so it is technically a singular word. Some American English speakers may be unclear on this technicality due to the subject-verb agreement rules that apply to the use of “each.” Writers who use “each” to refer to the subject of a sentence should modify the number of the verb depending on whether the subject is singular or plural.

If “each” appears before a singular noun or subject, use the singular verb form. If it follows a plural subject, use the plural verb form. Some English speakers and writers get confused when using the pronoun phrase “each of” before a plural noun or other pronoun and incorrectly use the plural verb form (“each of them have”). In this case, the correct choice is the singular form of the verb (“each of them has”).

The following examples illustrate how to use “each” properly:

1. 1. “Each member of the team is interested in becoming a leader.” The phrase “each member of the team” (which is singular) calls for using the singular present tense form of the verb “to be” (which is “is”).
2. 2. “They each have multiple degrees in different subjects.” In this example, the plural pronoun “they” requires the plural verb “have,” separated by “each,” which means that every individual member of the group possesses the same distinctions (“multiple degrees in different subjects”).
   
3. 3. “Each one of the houses has a brand new window treatment.” A singular verb is still correct to use with collective nouns (which are singular nouns that refer to more than one person, place, or thing). Using the phrase “each one of” before the collective noun “the houses” makes the singular verb “has” correct. This rule also applies to plural pronouns such as “them.”
4. 4. “Each photograph in the collection was beautiful.” In this example, “was” is the correct verb choice to refer to each singular photograph in the whole collection, which is a group.
5. 5. “Each of my siblings is going to school.” Even though “siblings” is a plural subject, the modifying phrase “each of my” requires using the singular form of the verb “to be,” which is “is.”

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