How to combine "Select an apple for Mary" and "Select an apple for John"?

Question

Here are several possible sentences I currently can figure out.

1. Select an apple for Mary and John respectively.
2. Select two apples for Mary and John respectively.
3. Select each apple for Mary and John.
4. Select an apple for each Mary and John.

For 1, it sounds correct. But as we overall have to select two apples so I have some questions when I see "an apple" in the sentence.

For 2, it is just a counterpart of 1.

For 3, it sounds weird and should be wrong.

For 4, we usually say "for each people". I don't know if this construction is right and if this sentence conveys my meaning.

Follow-up question

According to @Steve Ives,

Select an apple and a pear for Mary and John respectively.

which means select an apple for Mary and a pear for John.

The above interpretation should be correct. I often construct sentence in this way. If this is correct, then one could infer the following sentence can convey the meaning; although it is odd.

Select an apple and an apple for Mary and John respectively.

which should be equivalent to,

Select two apples for Mary and John respectively.

This contradicts to what @user3169 said. So which one is correct? I am confused.

Answer 1

We say things like:

Give Mary and John an apple each.

Give Mary and John one apple each.

Give Mary and John each an apple.

Give one apple each to Mary and John.

Give Mary and John one apple apiece.

Give one apple apiece to Mary and John.

Things get a little dicier with "pick" and "choose"

Choose one apple each for Mary and John.

Pick Mary and John an apple for each of them.

Answer 2

respectively denotes first Mary and then John. So even if you say:

1) Select an apple for Mary and John respectively.

it would be understood as two actions (first select an apple for Mary and then select an apple for John).

2) Select two apples for Mary and John respectively.

is ambiguous at best. I think literally it would require 4 apples, but with some imagination maybe 2 would work out.

3) Select each apple for Mary and John.

means any apple would go to both of them. They would need to share.

4) Select an apple for each of Mary and John.

here of is needed to be grammatically correct, but I doubt anyone would say this. Using respectively as in 1) is much better. You could use it in this way though:

Select an apple for each of the children, Mary and John.

Take a look at Each and each of.

Answer 3

I'm in favor of:

Select Mary and John one apple each.

This is actually grammatically fine, and probably the most natural construction of the idea.

Answer 4

1. Select an apple for Mary and John respectively.

Respectively is used to associate the items in one list with those in another list i.e. :

Select an apple and a pear for Mary and John respectively.

which means select an apple for Mary and a pear for John.

2. Select two apples for Mary and John respectively.

See above.

3. Select each apple for Mary and John.
4. Select an apple for each Mary and John

These are just incorrect. Select is a bit formal too. A native English speaker would most likely say:

Choose an apple for Mary and John

it's understood that it's one each, or to be more explicit:

Choose Mary and John an apple each.