What Is Their Difference?
Everything is considered one word and it is an indefinite pronoun. But what about its alternate spelling with space between the two parts? Is it also correct?
Everything vs. Every Thing
At first glance, 'everything' and 'every thing' appear the same. But they are not 100% the same. They even have fairly similar spelling. in the past, everything was spelled like 'every thing'. One of the first things you should know is that the one-word everything is now the default and more common spelling.
Now, if we want to discuss the difference in their meaning, we can say that 'every thing' refers to things as individual things or units, while 'everything' refers to all things as a collective unit. Consider these examples:
We
need
Here, it means we need to buy every single items on this list.
We
need
Here, it means we need to buy all of the items on this list.
As you can see, the difference between these two examples is one of emphasis. In one sentence, we focus on the individual items, in another, we focus on all items as a unit.
Everything (without space between 'every' and 'thing') is the correct and most commonly-used spelling. It is defined as all things; the most important thing; the situation now; life generally.
How's
'Every thing' as two words is very rare in standard or written English. But, in some cases, we have to use the two-word version, for example when an additional adjective is placed in between these two words.
She
gets
upset
over
Stop
fussing
over
Note that even though 'everything' refers to all things in a group, it takes a singular verb.
When
we
got
home
,
we
realized
that
everything
were
stolen)
.
