Question e-mailed by MEM from Rome (April 6, 2013):Mr. Carillo,
I am not sure that e-mail is the right way to ask you about my doubt. If it isn’t, can you tell me what I should do to get an answer?
What is correct?
(1) “It is known worldwide that alcohol abuse is bad for health. Alcohol is a toxic substance to
all organs of the body, in particular brain and liver.”
(2) “It is known worldwide that alcohol abuse is bad for health. Alcohol is a toxic substance to
every organ of the body, in particular brain and liver.”
Thank you.
My reply to MEM:Dear MEM,
Either e-mailing me your questions or posting them in Jose Carillo’s English Forum is OK with me. It’s no problem at all.
In the two sentence constructions you presented, “every organ” is the correct, idiomatic usage. Using “all organs” is also grammatically correct, “ever” and “all” being practically synonymous in the sense of “being each individual, part, or member of a whole without exception,” but using “every organ” more closely conveys the
individual vulnerability of each of them to alcohol. The sense conveyed when “every organ” is used is that the adverse effect of alcohol on a particular organ may be different or may vary in degree compared to its effect on other organs. In contrast, when “all organs” is used, what is conveyed is the
collective vulnerability of all of those organs to alcohol. This gives the nuance that all of those organs will be adversely affected by alcohol simultaneously and to the same degree—a sense that, of course, doesn’t sound very realistic.
Your second sentence is therefore the correct choice, but its syntax needs to be improved to make its English beyond reproach and more fluent. I would recommend the following refinement:
“It is
known worldwide that alcohol abuse is
bad for the health. Alcohol is
a substance that is toxic to
every organ of the body, in particular
the brain and the liver.”
I hope this helps.
Sincerely yours,
Joe Carillo
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