each or every?

[Chicken Sandwich]

On p. 182 of English Grammar in Use, the author says the following:

Each and every are similar in meaning. Often it is possible to use each or every:
- Each time (or Every time) I see you, you look different.

But according to one of the exercises in 'I called the office two or three times, but each time it was closed' it should be each, but doesn't every also work here? It's similar to the first example sentence.

Thank you in advance.

 

[bhaisahab]

On p. 182 of English Grammar in Use, the author says the following:

Each and every are similar in meaning. Often it is possible to use each or every:
- Each time (or Every time) I see you, you look different.

But according to one of the exercises in 'I called the office two or three times, but each time it was closed' it should be each, but doesn't every also work here? It's similar to the first example sentence.

Thank you in advance.

I can understand why you would be confused. Try to look at it this way, "I called the office two or three times, but each of those two or three times it was closed."

 

[birdeen's call]

This one works in my opinion:

I called the office two or three times, but every time I called, it was closed.

It doesn't sound right without the second "I called".

Edit: OK, I'm confused too now. This one seems fine to me:

I called the office two or three times, but it was closed every time.

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

Edit: OK, I'm confused too now. This one seems fine to me:

I called the office two or three times, but it was closed every time.

But the order of words shouldn't matter... I think. If it's

I called the office two or three times, but each time it was closed

then it should also be

I called the office two or three times, but it was closed each time.

Or so it seems...

 

[bhaisahab]

This one works in my opinion:

I called the office two or three times, but every time I called, it was closed.

It doesn't sound right without the second "I called".

Edit: OK, I'm confused too now. This one seems fine to me:

I called the office two or three times, but it was closed every time.

It should still be "each time".

 

[birdeen's call]

I'll try to explain what my feeling is; perhaps I'm not completely wrong. What I have in mind is the sentence

I called the office two or three times, but it was closed every time.

with both "every" and "time" bearing strong stress, and perhaps even a short pause before "every" and a short pause between "every" and "time". I agree that without that (or maybe without some of that), "each" is the right word. But I feel that it's possible if pronounced this way. Is that incorrect? Maybe some punctuation is needed in this situation?

 

[SoothingDave]

I called the office two or three times, but it was closed every time.

Either "each" or "every" work for me in this sentence. If there's a rule that "each" must be used, I don't know it. "Every time" flows better.

 

[birdeen's call]

Either "each" or "every" work for me in this sentence. If there's a rule that "each" must be used, I don't know it. "Every time" flows better.

That's a relief! So there is a reason I can't make up my mind. Could it be a dialect difference? What do you think about this one?

I called the office two or three times, but every time it was closed.

This doesn't sound right to me at all.

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

I think that bhaisahab was refering to this "rule" in post #2.

Each and every can often be used without much difference of meaning.
You look more beautiful each/every time I see you.
But we prefer each when we are thinking of people or things separately, one at
a time. And every is more common when we are thinking of people or things
together, in a group. (Every is closer to all.) So we are more likely to say:
Each person in turn went to see the doctor.
but
Every patient came from the same small village.

Practical English Usage, p. 153

 

[SoothingDave]

That's a relief! So there is a reason I can't make up my mind. Could it be a dialect difference? What do you think about this one?

I called the office two or three times, but every time it was closed.

This doesn't sound right to me at all.

I would use "each" there. It just sounds better.