'Each' is usually singular, but not always

“Each” is a weird word. Sometimes it’s definitely singular: “Each is able to decide for himself.” But other times, things aren’t so clear: “A number of families will participate and each have their own priorities.”

In the first example, “each” is paired with “is” — a singular verb suggesting that the pronoun itself is singular. But in the second example, we have the plural verb form “have” suggesting that this instance of “each” is plural.

So what’s the deal? Well, there’s no rule saying when you should treat “each” as singular or plural in every instance. But there are some patterns you can take your cue from.

When “each” is the whole subject, it’s usually singular, as in “Each is able to decide.” But when it’s followed by “of,” you have to go with your gut. That’s because the noun that follows “of” is always plural: “each of them,” “each of my cats,” “each of the senators,” and so on. That casts a strong flavor of the plural onto the whole the noun phrase. “Each of them are equipped to step in and help” sounds no worse than “Each of them is equipped to step in and help.”

So in these cases, you can usually conjugate your verb in whatever way sounds most natural to you.

But when in doubt, treat “each” as singular. That’s usually the safest bet. And when you consider that a lot of people out there are under the misperception that “each” is exclusively singular, it makes this choice all the safer.

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