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Practically every part of the banana tree is used by man.

I think this sentence is correct but my grammar book say there should be each instead of every. I know we can't use every as a pronoun but in above sentence every part used as a single unit. Correct me if I am wrong.

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    Each would make your sentence significantly worse, while every is fine. The book is wrong if that's what it says.
    – user230
    Commented Dec 11, 2014 at 12:35
  • This Google Ngram result confirms your (and my) intuition: goo.gl/MRYYUP Commented Dec 11, 2014 at 12:36
  • This might be more telling in this situation: books.google.com/ngrams/…
    – user230
    Commented Dec 11, 2014 at 13:25

2 Answers 2

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True. But then, if we want to talk about the banana tree's part individually (though all), we use each and not every.

BBC clarifies it-

We tend to use each if we are thinking about members of a group individually, and every if we are thinking of them in total.

Compare the following:

We gave each child who came to the party a present. We handed them out one by one.
We gave every child who came to the party a present We gave them all a present.


Found the exact phrase from the book Hawaiian Heritage Plants where it says each part is usable one or the other way.

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    Note that each doesn't permit modification by practically, while every does. (CGEL p.379)
    – user230
    Commented Dec 11, 2014 at 13:55
  • @snailboat Yes, I'm aware of that. I have read posts on other English forums. Thanks anyway. :)
    – Maulik V
    Commented Dec 12, 2014 at 4:30
  • Then why did you not bother telling the OP the relevant portion of the answer, if you already knew? This answer fails to address the example in question.
    – user230
    Commented Dec 12, 2014 at 4:31
  • @snailboat No! In fact the first sentence is the answer and the example supports it!
    – Maulik V
    Commented Dec 12, 2014 at 4:42
  • If I say 'every boy and girl' then it means every boy and every girl but when I say 'every boy and girls,' it is not to say every girl, but the 'every' is just particular with the boy. Also 'every girls' is incorrect.That's a nice thing to learn.
    – Anubhav
    Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 10:45
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An important point for use of every:

If I say 'every boy and girl' then it means every boy and every girl but when I say 'every boy and girls,' it is not to say every girl, but the 'every' is just particular with the boy. Also 'every girls' is incorrect.That's a nice thing to learn.

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