Everything vs. Every Thing can be confusing because the two forms look almost identical, but they serve different grammatical purposes. Everything is normally written as one word when it means “all things,” while every thing is used as separate words when every modifies the noun thing.
Understanding Everything vs. Every Thing helps you choose the correct form based on the sentence. The key difference is grammar and meaning, not simply spelling.
- Everything = all things
- Every thing = every + the noun thing
If you mean “all things,” Everything vs. Every Thing has a simple answer: use everything.
Everything vs. Every Thing at a Glance
| Feature | Everything | Every thing |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling | One word | Two words |
| Grammatical function | Indefinite pronoun | Every + noun thing |
| Meaning | All things | Each individual thing in a group |
| Typical use | General reference to all relevant things | A construction that specifies or emphasizes individual things |
| Example | “Everything is ready.” | “Every important thing is ready.” |
A useful rule to remember is:
Use “everything” when you mean “all things.” Use “every thing” only when “every” is separately modifying the noun “thing.”
What Does “Everything” Mean?
Everything is an indefinite pronoun that refers to all the relevant things in a particular situation, group, or context.
For example:
- Everything is ready.
- I checked everything.
- She told me everything.
- The team finished everything on time.
- Everything on the desk belongs to me.
In “I checked everything,” the pronoun replaces a longer expression such as “all the things that needed to be checked.” Because everything already functions as a pronoun, there is no need to add thing after it.
Likewise, everything belongs to the same general group of indefinite pronouns as something, anything, and nothing. As a result, writers normally use the one-word form when the word stands alone.
When Should You Use “Everything”?
Use everything when you want to refer generally to all the relevant things in a situation.
When “Everything” Is the Subject
In these examples, everything is the subject:
- Everything is ready for the meeting.
- Nothing about the layout looks different now.
- The plan went smoothly from start to finish.
- The team has completed everything on schedule.
Because everything is the subject, it controls the verb form. This is why everything is and everything was are correct.
When “Everything” Is the Object
Everything can also function as the object of a verb:
- I packed everything.
- We discussed everything.
- She remembered everything.
- They checked everything before leaving.
Here, the word refers to all the relevant things being packed, discussed, remembered, or checked.
In Everyday Writing
You can use everything naturally when talking about objects, tasks, events, information, or situations:
- I have everything I need.
- Everything is on the table.
- Did you remember everything?
These sentences use the standard one-word form because everything means “all things.”
Also Read This: ‘Case in Point’ or ‘Case and Point’: Understanding and Using the Idiom Correctly
In Academic and Professional Writing
Everything is also appropriate in formal writing when it expresses the intended meaning:
- The reviewers checked everything included in the report.
- The procedure records everything accurately.
- A note-taker documented everything discussed during the meeting.
The choice is primarily grammatical, rather than a question of formal versus informal English. If everything means “all things,” the one-word form is the natural choice.
When Can “Every Thing” Be Written as Two Words?
Every thing can occur as two separate words when every functions as a determiner and thing functions as a noun.
For example:
The report included every important thing.
Here, every modifies the noun phrase important thing. The phrase does not use everything as a pronoun.
Compare the two sentences:
- Everything was included in the report.
- Every important thing was included in the report.
The first sentence refers generally to the complete set. The second identifies each thing that is important.
This difference becomes especially clear when a modifier appears between every and thing.
Every Single Thing
The phrase every single thing contains three separate words:
She checked every single thing before submitting the application.
Here, every modifies single thing, while single emphasizes each individual item.
Compare:
- I remembered everything.
- I remembered every single thing.
The first sentence refers generally to all relevant things. The second places more emphasis on each individual item.
Therefore, every single thing is not simply a longer spelling of everything. It has a different grammatical structure and adds emphasis.
Every Important Thing and Similar Constructions
The same pattern appears in phrases such as:
- every important thing
- every little thing
- every possible thing
- every necessary thing
- every unusual thing
For example:
- She wrote down every important thing from the presentation.
- He noticed every little thing in the room.
- We considered every possible thing that could go wrong.
In each case, every modifies a noun phrase containing thing. The words remain separate because they are functioning separately.
Examples: Everything vs. Every Thing
Side-by-side examples make the distinction easier to recognize.
General Reference vs. Individual Reference
I remembered everything.
This means I remembered all the relevant things.
I remembered every important thing on the list.
This refers to each individual item on the list that qualifies as important.
Here is another comparison:
The team checked everything.
This refers generally to all the relevant things.
The team checked every single thing.
This emphasizes each individual item.
Consider one more pair:
Everything in the box was damaged.
Here, everything refers to all the contents of the box.
Every valuable thing in the box suffered damage.
Here, every modifies valuable thing and refers to each item that has that quality.
The key point is that every thing is not simply a two-word spelling of everything. The grammatical structure determines which form is appropriate.
Why Does “Everything” Take a Singular Verb?
A common mistake is to use a plural verb after everything because the word refers to multiple things.
The correct patterns are:
- Everything is ready.
- Everything was completed.
- Everything seems fine.
- Everything has changed.
Not:
- Everything are ready.
- Everything were completed.
- Everything seem fine.
- Everything have changed.
Although everything can refer to many things, it is a singular indefinite pronoun. Therefore, it takes a singular verb.
The same pattern appears with other indefinite pronouns:
- Something is missing.
- Anything is possible.
- Nothing seems damaged.
- The inspector has checked everything.
The number of things being referred to does not change the grammatical number of the pronoun.
Everything vs. Every One
Everything and every one are related, but they do not have the same function.
Everything means all things:
The team completed everything on time.
Every one is written as two words when it refers to each individual person or thing in a group. It is often followed by of:
- Every one of the students completed the assignment.
- I checked every one of the documents.
It is also useful to distinguish everyone from every one:
- Everything = all things
- Everyone = all people
- Every one = each individual person or thing in a specified group
For example:
- Everything was ready.
- Everyone was ready.
- Every one of the participants was ready.
The first refers to things, the second refers to people generally, and the third emphasizes individual members of a particular group.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Writing “Every Thing” When You Mean “Everything”
If you simply mean all things, use everything:
Everything is fine.
Not:
Every thing is fine.
Treating the Two Forms as Interchangeable
Everything and every thing are not two spelling options for the same word.
Everything is an indefinite pronoun. Every thing is a separate construction in which every modifies the noun thing.
Using a Plural Verb After “Everything”
Remember that everything takes a singular verb:
Everything is ready.
Not:
Everything are ready.
Assuming “Every Thing” Is Always Wrong
The two-word construction can be correct when every separately modifies thing:
- She considered every possible thing before making a decision.
- He noticed every little thing about the new design.
Therefore, the issue is not that every thing is always incorrect. Instead, do not use it as a substitute for everything when you mean “all things.”
Confusing “Everything” With “Every One”
Use everything when referring to things:
The auditor has checked everything.
Use every one when referring to individual members of a group:
The auditor checked every one of the files.
Everything in Professional and Academic Writing
Everything is standard English and works in everyday, professional, and academic writing when it expresses the intended meaning.
For example:
- Reviewers should examine everything included in the proposal before submission.
- The researchers recorded everything observed during the experiment.
- Please make sure everything is ready before the presentation begins.
In formal writing, precision is more important than choosing a supposedly more formal version of the word. If you mean all relevant things, everything is clear and concise.
However, if you want to identify individual items or limit the reference to a particular category, a phrase such as every important thing may be more specific:
The reviewer considered every important thing mentioned in the proposal.
So, the choice between everything and a construction such as every important thing depends on the intended meaning, not simply on the level of formality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can “everything” refer to people?
No. Everything refers to things, ideas, events, or situations. When referring to people generally, use everyone or everybody.
Q2: Is “everything” always followed by a singular verb?
Yes, when everything is the subject, it takes a singular verb: “Everything is ready” or “Everything has changed.”
Q3: Can “every thing” appear without a modifier?
Yes, although it is less common than the standard pronoun everything. The important point is whether every is functioning separately as a determiner and thing as a noun.
Q4: Is “every single thing” more emphatic than “everything”?
Yes. Everything refers generally to all relevant things, while every single thing emphasizes each individual item.
Q5: Can I replace “everything” with “all things”?
Often, yes. For example, “Everything is ready” can be expressed as “All things are ready,” although the latter sounds less natural in many everyday contexts.
Conclusion
Use everything when you mean “all things” and the word functions as a pronoun. Use every thing only when every separately modifies the noun thing, as in every important thing or every single thing.
When you are unsure, ask whether thing needs to be named as a noun in the sentence. If not, everything is usually the correct choice.