'Every Time' or 'Every Time When'? | Mastering Grammar

(Last Updated: 9 October 2024)

Part 10

Every Time or Every Time When: Which One Is Correct?

When is unnecessary with every time because they both function as adverbs:

✅ Every time we visit Hong Kong, we make it a point to eat as much street food as possible. (= Whenever we visit Hong Kong, we make it a point to eat as much street food as possible.)
❌ Every time when we visit Hong Kong, we make it a point to eat as much street food as possible.

✅ I learn something new every time I go to his class. (= I learn something new whenever I go to his class.)
❌ I learn something new every time when I go to his class.

✅ I smile every time I get a message from you. (= I smile whenever I get a message from you.)
❌ I smile every time when I get a message from you.

The entry for the phrase every time in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

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Also by Spencer Lam

Part 1: Should We Say 'A Tiger', 'The Tiger', or 'Tigers'?
Part 2: 'Relax' or 'Relax Oneself'?
Part 3: 'Exchange Program' or 'Exchanging Program'?
Part 4: 'Yours sincerely' or 'Yours faithfully'?
Part 5: Should We Say 'Take Bus', 'Take the Bus', or 'Take a Bus'?
Part 6: 'I Afraid' or 'I Am Afraid'?
Part 7: 'Date Someone' or 'Date with Someone'?
Part 8: A Missing Relative Pronoun
Part 9: Are 'Basketball', 'Football', and 'Badminton' Countable or Uncountable?
Part 11: Should 'Mum' Be Capitalised? (Read this blog post for a more in-depth discussion of the topic.)
Part 12: 'Grammar' or 'Grammer'?
Part 13: 'List Something' or 'List Out Something'? (Read this blog post for a more in-depth discussion of the topic.)

Examples from the Media

How can we begin again when every time we're ready to draw the final curtain on the past, COVID surprises us? —Toronto Star (2022)

A law was passed every time the government wanted to raise money from investors, a situation that proved inconvenient to the exigencies of 20th-century warfare. —The Washington Post (2021)

In fact, researchers have found that every time the heart beats, the brain pulses in sync ever so slightly. —The Sydney Morning Herald (2022)

You should try moving up a gear every time the rpm hits 2,000 in a diesel car or 2,500 in a petrol vehicle. —The Guardian (2023)

Recommended Further Reading

'Everytime' or 'Every Time'?

Other Real-World Examples of Misuse

This is a screenshot of a children's TV programme called Think Big. It was broadcast on TVB and the host taught children English.

1. I eat chewing gum should be changed to I chew gum or I chew chewing gum because chewing gum is typically not swallowed. If we do swallow chewing gum, it is generally by mistake.
2. When is unnecessary with every time.
3. The indefinite article a should be used to indicate that the action occurs when boarding any plane.
4. The correct expression is due to, which is used to link the cause (the difference in air pressure) to the effect (ears popping).
(Source: St. Paul's Convent School, Primary Section)
(Also by the Same School: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8)