Each in questions

[Portugueseporto]

What would be the ideal way to ask questions using each?

Here I got some present perfect questions, but am not sure if they are grammatically correct.

- "Have/has you each bought the boarding passes together?"

- "Have/has you bought each of the boarding passes together?"

- "Have/has each of you bought the boarding passes together?"

1- Assuming that EACH is singular, should the auxiliary verb "have" be singular?
2- Is it better to use EACH as an adverb (1) or as a quantifier (2, 3)?


Thanks.

 

[lingobingo]

Each (= every individual one) is always singular, but together can only relates to more than one person, so none of your sentences work. I’m not even sure whether the statement being made makes sense, but grammatically, you’d have to say something like this:

Did you [all] buy the boarding passes together?​

Or did each of you buy his/her/their own boarding pass?​

I can see no good reason to use the present perfect except maybe in this sort of question:

Have you all got your boarding passes?​

Has each of you got his/her/their boarding pass?​

 

[Uncle Jack]

1- Assuming that EACH is singular, should the auxiliary verb "have" be singular?

Use "Have you each...?" or "Has each of you...?"

There is a usage note here (each - WordReference.com Dictionary of English):

When the adjective each follows a plural subject, the verb agrees with the subject: The houses each have central heating. When each is used as a pronoun, it is singular; when it is followed by an of phrase containing a plural noun or pronoun, it requires a singular verb: Each of the candidates has spoken on the issue. However, plural verbs occur frequently even in edited writing. Usage guides also advise that when referring to each with a pronoun, the pronoun must be singular:Each club member had his own project.​

2- Is it better to use EACH as an adverb (1) or as a quantifier (2, 3)?

"Each" is surely an adjective in (1).

Sometimes you can only use "each" as a pronoun, as in (2). I don't see any difference between (1) and (3).

 

[Portugueseporto]

together can only relates to more than one person

Alright. Thanks, Lingo. I didn't know about it.

I think it is normal for the use of these words to vary from country to country. In my country, we are used to saying that you buy a boarding card. 🤑

I can see no good reason to use the present perfect

What about:

Has each of you brought your own boarding pass?

this one sounds good to my ears, although not that usual.

"Each" is surely an adjective in (1).

I thought it was qualifying the verb "have", ahhaa. THanks, Uncle.

 

[lingobingo]

Brought is the past tense of bring (not buy), so the meaning is entirely different.

Has each of you brought your own boarding pass?​

​

In the above version, the subject is really each [of you] – rather than you – so I’m tempted to change the word your to their (since we can’t use his these days, even though it would be much better English!). But these alternative versions are troublefree:

​

Have you each brought your own boarding pass? ​

Have you all brought your own boarding pass? ​

Has everyone brought their own boarding pass? ​

 

[Portugueseporto]

so the meaning is entirely different.

Yes! I'm aware, ahhaa. I consciously changed.

Let me get this straight:

---

This is fine:

Has each of you brought your own boarding pass?

Although 'their' ""complies""" with the new social impositions.

Has everyone brought their own boarding pass?

Did I get it right? 😂


Thank you again, Lingo. 🌹

 

[lingobingo]

Using everyone gets rid of the problem. But what jars, for me, in your version is the use of the second person (Has each of you brought your …?), which I feel would be more grammatical as the 3rd person (Has each of you brought their …?).

 

[Portugueseporto]

Got it.

But why would "their" be a more grammatical term in this context?

 

[lingobingo]

To match each, rather than you.