It's becoming an everyday occurrence to see everyday and every day used incorrectly. Yes, I see it almost every day.
If you struggle to understand the difference between the two — or if you didn't realize there was a difference — this post is intended to boil it down for you.
Everyday is an adjective meaning routine, typical or ordinary.
It always modifies a noun or noun phrase that follows it.
Examples:
an everyday walk
an everyday pair of shoes
an everyday set of dishes
Every day is an adverbial phrase that describes how often an action takes place.
It also means each day.
Examples:
Cindy goes to work every day. (But she wears her everyday clothes.)
Don plays golf every day during the summer. (And he wears an everyday shirt.)
If you still have trouble keeping them straight, try substituting the word ordinary and see if the sentence makes sense. If it does, everyday is correct. If not, use every day. If you can substitute the phrase each day, then every day is correct.
Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have other memory tools for remembering the difference between everyday and every day? Your comments are always welcome. If you have a writing or grammar question, please submit it through the link in the sidebar.
If you struggle to understand the difference between the two — or if you didn't realize there was a difference — this post is intended to boil it down for you.
Everyday is an adjective meaning routine, typical or ordinary.
It always modifies a noun or noun phrase that follows it.
Examples:
an everyday walk
an everyday pair of shoes
an everyday set of dishes
Every day is an adverbial phrase that describes how often an action takes place.
It also means each day.
Examples:
Cindy goes to work every day. (But she wears her everyday clothes.)
Don plays golf every day during the summer. (And he wears an everyday shirt.)
If you still have trouble keeping them straight, try substituting the word ordinary and see if the sentence makes sense. If it does, everyday is correct. If not, use every day. If you can substitute the phrase each day, then every day is correct.
Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have other memory tools for remembering the difference between everyday and every day? Your comments are always welcome. If you have a writing or grammar question, please submit it through the link in the sidebar.
