usage of "each" and "every"

[Techsavvy]

Here is a rule i found for each/every.

If subject is preceded with Each/Every, the verb takes the singular form.
If Each/Every is preceded with subject, the verb takes the plural form.

Now consider the following sentence:

Every Sunday,Bob and three of his college fraternity brothers (goes/go) to a neighbourhood pub and reminisce.

Correctly in the above sentence "go" is appropriate, but surely doesn't follow the rule #1.

What can be a general rule for Each/Every?

[Mister Micawber]

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[Techsavvy]

Mister Micawber

just to clarify: this rule is regarding each and every. The sentence uses only every. My question is, since subject is preceded by each, the verb "go/goes" should take the singular form ie goes. However shouldn't go be the right answer?

[Torsten]

Hi Techsavvy,

"Every Sunday" is not the subject in your sentence so it doesn't influence the verb. The subject is Bob and three of this fraternity brothers (they), hence the plural form of the verb go.
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[Techsavvy]

Hi Torsten

Yes the subject is Bob and his friends, but since in the sentence every precedes the subject it should take singular form, according to Rule#1.

is there any discrepancy in the rule?

[Torsten]

Hi Tech,

What about this sentence:

Bob and three of his college fraternity brothers meet every Sunday.

Every Sunday is an object that doesn't have any impact on the verb form. In your sentence it is put before the subject, because there is another object at the end of the sentence.

The subject is not preceded by "every" but "every Sunday" and there is no connection between "every" and the subject.

Let me know if this makes sense to you.
Regards,
Torsten
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[Techsavvy]

Hi Tech,

Bob and three of his college fraternity brothers meet every Sunday.

This sentence perfectly agrees with Rule#2 wherein if each/every is preceded by a subject the verb form should take the plural form(meet).

In General:

Rule #1: Each/Every + Subject >>> Singular form of verb

Rule #2: Subject + Each/Every >> plural form of verb

I am just confirming whether these two rules are [perfectly okay, since i read it somewhere just want to make sure about these.

[Torsten]

In your sentence, the subject is not preceded by "each" or "every". It's preceded by an object that happens to contain the word "every". Your rule doesn't say, if the subject is preceded by an object that contains each/every, the verb form should take the singular form.

In your sentence, the subject is preceded by Sunday not by "every".
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[Mister Micawber]

.
The 'rule' is faulty, I think. There is no use pursuing this question unless techsavvy can supply some example sentences from his source illustrating the rule.
.
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