Commonly Confused Words

Dead and died

These words are often confused.

Dead is an adjective.

• A dead match
• She was dead tired.
• Mrs Fernandez is dead.
• The telephone is dead.

Died is a verb. It is the past tense and past participle of the verb die.

• She died in an accident.
• So far 30 people have died in the explosion.
• His father died last year.

Each and every

Each is used to talk about two or more people or things; every is used to talk about three or more.

• She had a child holding onto each hand. (NOT — every hand.)

We prefer each when we are thinking of people or things separately. We prefer every when we are thinking of people or things together.

• Each boy in the class was given a present. (= one at a time)
• She kissed them each on the forehead. (One at a time)
• Every boy in the class went on a picnic. (= all the boys or the whole class)

Every, but not each, can be used with abstract nouns.

• You have every reason to be happy. (NOT You have each reason to be happy.)

Similarly every can be used with numbers.

• Buses leave every ten minutes. (NOT — each ten minutes.)