There are four distributive adjectives in English: each, every, either and neither. Distributive adjectives are used with singular nouns and singular verbs.
- Each candidate was interviewed by the HR manager. (NOT Each candidates were interviewed by the …)
- Each hand has five fingers.
- Every man must do his duty.
- There are long fields of rice on either side of the river.
- Come on Tuesday or Wednesday. Either day is fine.
- Neither boy is trustworthy.
- Neither answer was correct.
Before a pronoun or a noun with a determiner (e.g. the, my, this), distributive adjectives are used with of.
- Each of the candidates was interviewed by the HR manager. (NOT Each the candidate…) (NOT Each of the candidate…)
- Every one of us must do our duty.
- Either of the children is quite capable of looking after the dog.
- Neither of the boys is dependable.
