Meaning & use
every time
Last updated
Meanings
conjunction
On each occasion that something happens; whenever.
Grammar: Introduces a clause: Every time I see her, she smiles. Written as two words.
Patterns
- every time + clause
- every time + subject + verb
Every time I visit London, it rains.
She laughs every time he tells that joke.
Every time you call, the line is busy.
adverb
On every occasion; always.
Grammar: Used at the end or beginning of a sentence: He wins every time.
Patterns
- every time
- not every time
He wins every time.
I don't agree with you every time.
Every time, she arrives late.
Common combinations
- every time I see you
- Every time I see you, you look happier.
- every time we meet
- Every time we meet, we argue about politics.
- not every time
- It doesn't happen every time, but often.
Synonyms and how they differ
- whenever
- Means 'every time that'; whenever is more formal and can also mean 'at any time'.
- each time
- Very similar, but each time emphasizes individual occasions more.
Commonly confused: every time or everytime?
every time vs everytime
This is a common misspelling; the correct form is always two words: every time.
Practice
______ I eat spicy food, I get a stomachache.
Choose one answer.
The correct phrase is 'every time' (two words). 'Everytime' is a misspelling; 'even time' and 'all time' don't fit the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “every time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.