Understanding distributives

The most common distributives

Distributives are words that describe the specific members or divisions in a group. No matter what noun or object you’re discussing, if you’re denoting an amount or a pair of items, distributives are your best friend. Some of the most common distributives are:

• any
• both
• each
• either
• every
• half
• neither
• none

Some distributives refer only to pairs of items: both, neither, and either are only used for groups of two. Here are some examples:

• Both basketball teams playing this weekend are from Los Angeles.
• Neither Steve nor Robert went to the concert that night.
• You can rent either the sedan or the SUV, as there’s nothing else available.

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Singular and plural distributives

If you’re writing about the individual members of a group, you can use singular distributives. These refer to each individual item within a group one at a time. Examples include:

• Each
• Every
• Any

These are used in the following ways:

• New episodes of my favorite sitcom air each Thursday.
• Every one of the candy bars in the Halloween haul is mine.
• Any of these roles are suitable to Amy’s resume.

Here, “each” refers to all parts of a group, but only as individual units. Similarly, “every” refers to all similar parts of a group as one distinct whole.

Plural distributives refer to groups or sets of items. Examples include:

• All
• Several
• Most

See how these distributives are used in the following examples:

• All of the vegetables in the refrigerator are expired.
• Several of the band members couldn’t make it tonight.
• I ate most of the pizza tonight.

How to use distributives

Distributives can be used as both pronouns and determiners—words that go before a noun to clarify what it’s referring to. Consider the following examples:

• I like both.
• I like neither.
• I like every cat.
• I like each option you mentioned.

In the first two examples, “both” and “neither” act as pronouns standing in for an unspecified object. In the latter two examples, “every” and “each” modify nouns (“cat” and “option”).

Many distributives are also part of correlative conjunctions . These are pairs of words that connect other elements in a sentence. Both/and, either/or, and neither/nor are all correlative conjunctions and are commonly used with their partner words.

How distributives clarify sentences

Distributives are important in clarifying the meaning of your sentences, ensuring the reader or listener understands how items are distributed or shared.

Each and every

Because they’re so similar, each and every are among the trickiest elements in grammar to distinguish. While they’re both singular distributives, there are differences in their usage. Each refers to individual objects when there are two or more of them. Every highlights the entire collective:

• Each student brought a calculator.

The students are considered individuals, especially in a group of two or more. They all brought a calculator.

• Every student brought a calculator.

Here, the entire student body brought calculators. They’re more considered a unified group than each individual student.

Both and all

Both and all are plural distributives, but both is used when referring to two specific items, while all encompass the entire group.

• Both cats are taking a nap.

There are only two cats, and they’re doing the same thing.

• All the cats are taking a nap.

An entire group of cats is taking a nap.

Using fractions as distributives

Fractional distributives like half, a fraction of, or a majority of can add precision to your writing. Half refers to 50% or more of an object, while a fraction of refers to a section of this object that’s less than half. A majority of is the opposite: it means most of the object or group.

• Half of the pie has been eaten.

This sentence refers to approximately 50 percent of the pie.

• A fraction of the team voted for the proposal.

Only a part of the team agreed, and likely not enough to comprise a majority.

• A majority of students in this school are from low-income families.

More than half of the students referred to in this sentence share the same attribute.

Using the right distributive can eliminate ambiguity, convey your message precisely, and make your sentences more accurate. If you’re looking to further your writing and grammatical skills, check out more tips for putting together portmanteaus, understanding clauses, or how to avoid the fallacies of the “slippery slope.”