Both vs Each

Question

It seems everywhere I hear and read the word "each" when referring to subjects of only two.

I thought that the word "both" referred to two, whereas the word "each" referred to more than two. For example: when speaking to my two daughters, I would ask, "Would the both of you like to bake cookies with me?" If one had a friend over, I would then ask, "Would each of you help me clean up the mess we made when baking cookies?"

Please help clarify. I've read your other posts and am still confused. Thank you.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I'd say it depends on the verb or the action which is being performed.
Are the two to be treated separately, or are they to be treated as a pair/unit?

You can't say, "I want each of you two to clean up this room."

You can say, "I want each of you two to help clean up this room."

You can say, "I want both of you to clean up this room."

Anonymous For example: when speaking to my two daughters, I would ask, "Would the both of you like to bake cookies with me?" If one had a friend over, I would then ask, "Would each of you help me clean up the mess we made when baking cookies?"

I think you're right on!

AnonymousI thought that the word "both" referred to two, whereas the word "each" referred to more than two.

This is an oversimplification.

Cool Breeze · Answer

This is from RHUD:

each, adj.
1. every one of two or more considered individually or one by one: each stone in a building; a hallway with a door at each end.
–****.
2. every one individually; each one: Each had a different solution to the problem.
–adv.
3. to, from, or for each; apiece: They cost a dollar each.
—Syn.1. EACH, EVERY are alike in having a distributive meaning. Of two or more members composing an aggregate, EACH directs attention to the separate members in turn: Each child (of those considered and enumerated) received a large apple. EVERY emphasizes inclusiveness or universality: Every child (of all in existence) likes to play.
—Usage. The adjective EACH is always followed by a singular noun: each person; each book. When the adjective follows a plural subject, the verb agrees with the subject: They each dress in different styles. The houses each have central heating. When the pronoun EACH comes immediately before the verb, it always takes a singular verb: Each comes (not come) from a different country. When the pronoun is followed by an of phrase containing a plural noun or pronoun, there is a tendency for the verb to be plural: Each of the candidates has (or have) spoken on the issue. Some usage guides maintain that only the singular verb is correct, but plural verbs occur frequently even in edited writing.
It is also sometimes said that the pronoun EACH must always be referred to by a singular pronoun, but again actual usage does not regularly observe this stricture: Each member of our garden club had their own special interests. In the most formal speech and writing, singular verbs and pronouns occur more frequently than plural: Each member … had his own special interests. The use of plural forms, especially plural pronouns, has been increasing in the United States, partially because of the desire to avoid using he or his to refer to a female.

CB

Anonymous · Answer

This is an eye-opener for me. As a native speaker I've never thought about this before - and I'm confused too. As I see it (this is difficult for me to explain, as native speakers know this by instinct and have never thought about it analytically), the word "each" means you're conceptually singling out one person in a group - a group means two or more people. The word "both" means that you're talking to two people only and addressing them as a conceptual unit - there are only three people present in the conversation, the speaker, and the two people he's addressing. For example:

Three people are present. One of them addresses the other two: "Both of you caused this mess." He means that the two people he's addressing - operating as an inseparable conceptual unit - caused the mess.

Three people are present. One of them addresses the other two: "Each of you had a hand in this mess." He means that the mess was caused partly by one of the people he's addressing and partly by the other. What is confusing is that the situation may be exactly the same as in the above sentence, but here he is separating the two people as to their contribution to the mess, while in the above sentence he's treating them as an inseparable conceptual unit that caused the mess.

Another example:

"Would both of you like to bake cookies with me? Each of you can do something to help." In the first sentence you're addressing your two daughters as a conceptually inseparable unit. But in the second sentence you're conceptually separating them, as there are separate tasks to be done in the baking process (collecting the ingredients, collecting the utinsels, mixing the ingredients, etc.).

Note that it would be incorrect to say (and this is very confusing): "Would each of you like to bake cookies with me?" Instinctively, as a native speaker, I know this is wrong, but I'm not exactly sure why it is wrong. The best explanation I can give is that conceptually it is wrong because you don't talk to people like this in English. The "baking of cookies" is conceptually not something that you can pre-separate conceptually when asking a group to join in. So the following are correct:

Three people present. One says to the other two: "Would you both like to bake cookies with me?"

More than three present. One says to the others: "Would all of you like to bake cookies with me?"

"Would each of you like to bake cookies with me?" is incorrect in both instances above.

Anonymous · Answer

Another example (again, this is confusing):

If your daughters have a friend over, you say, addressing the three:

"Would all of you like to bake cookies with me?" ("Would each of you like to bake cookies with me?" is incorrect.)

"Would all of you help me clean up the mess we made when baking?" ("Would each of you help me clean up the mess we made when baking?" is incorrect.)

"Each of you can help with something when we bake the cookies." ("All of you can help with something when we bake the cookies." is incorrect. And if you're talking to two only, "Both of you can help with something when we bake cookies." is incorrect.)

"Each of you can help with something when we clean up the mess we made when baking." ("All of you can help with something when we clean up the mess we made when baking." is incorrect. And if you're talking to two only, "Both of you can help with something when we clean up the mess we made when baking." is incorrect.)

Fivejedjon · Answer

Try to present one problem at a time, or the thread will become hopelessly confused.

Anonymous"All of you can help with something when we bake the cookies." is incorrect

No it isn't.

AnonymousAnd if you're talking to two only, "Both of you can help with something when we bake cookies." is incorrect.)

No it isn't.

Anonymous("All of you can help with something when we clean up the mess we made when baking." is incorrect. And if you're talking to two only, "Both of you can help with something when we clean up the mess we made when baking." is incorrect.)

Not necessarily.

Anonymous · Answer

"All/Both of you can help with something when we bake the cookies.", by instinct, does not sound right to me.  This is not good English, as I see it.  There's no point in having three/two people getting the utinsels.  The idea, when you say something like this, is to divide up the labor, one getting the utinsels, one getting the ingredients, etc.  Similarly with cleaning up the mess.

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