All have to take exams

Question

a. They have to take exams.
b. They each have to take exams.
c. Each of them has to take exams.
d. They all have to take exams.
e. Every one of them has to take exams.

Which of these sentences can be used if:
1. Some of them have to take only one exam.
2. Each of them has to take a single exam, but the exams are not the same. There might be overlap.
3. Each of them has to take a single exam, but the exams are not the same. There is no overlap.

Many thanks.

Wilpeter · Accepted Answer

I should like to see your suggested answers, so that I can see if you have given some thought to it.

Azz · Answer

Thank you very much and fair enough.

a. They have to take exams.
b. They each have to take exams.
c. Each of them has to take exams.
d. They all have to take exams.
e. Every one of them has to take exams.

My feeling is that (a) and (c) could correspond to any of the possibilities. Maybe some of them have to take only one exam and maybe there is overlap.

(b) , (c) and (e) tend to imply that each person has to take more than one exam, but I feel there is some slight ambiguity even here.
There might or might not be overlap.

How did I do?

Many thanks.

Wilpeter · Answer

I like your reasoning. I doubt I will be the only responder to this question; because my approach is likely 'radical'.

“They” is undefined. We’ll assume first that we are talking of the student body.
“exams” is undefined. We’ll assume the time is the end of a term for all subjects.
“have to take” is an expression that assumes a regulation is in place; and regulations have exceptions for ‘honour students’, ‘disabled or handicapped’, ‘absent with permission’, etc.
“has to take” becomes a bit more focused (‘You mean me? But I have a sore hand!’) (‘No, I already took a pre-exam, knowing I’d be having an operation this week.’)

a. They have to take exams.
The student body will gather on Wednesday and sit the English, Math, and History exams from 9 am to 4 pm. Not every student will be there; some don’t take all three subjects, some take English but not Math and History. 1. applies.

b. They each have to take exams.
The students on the exam attendance list must attend at 9 am. and/or 11 am and/or 2 pm to write exams. (The only difference from a. is that “they” is now defined.) 1. applies

c. Each of them has to take exams.
No difference from b. except the meaning of ‘they’ is now ‘each of them’. 1. applies

d. They all have to take exams.
No difference from b. 1. applies

e. Every one of them has to take exams.
No difference from c. 1. applies

Wilpeter · Answer

Additional comments:
The matter of ‘overlap’ would depend on information not provided but here’s one possibility:
Let’s say the school is private and teaches individual subjects—each with a separate teacher.
The exam for English is on Monday, and the English teacher supervises in the great hall. Similarly, Math exam is on Tuesday and History is examined on Wednesday. When the English teacher announces, “You have to take exams (on Monday),” she doesn’t care if a few of her English students are also enrolled in Math or History.
Now we could say #2. can apply.

All have to take exams

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