All of us/you/them can be the subject or object of a
clause. All of us can come tomorrow. (NOT All we...) She's invited all of you. Mary sent all of them her
love.
3 pronoun + all
We can put all after pronouns used as objects.
She's invited you all.
Mary sent her love to them all.
I've made us all something to eat. This does not happen with complement pronouns or in short answers.
Is that all of them? (NOT 4s that them all?)
'Who did you invite?' 'All of them! (NOT "Them all.') All can follow a subject pronoun (e.g. They all went
home), but in this case it belongs grammatically with the verb (see 36) and may be separated from the
pronoun (e.g. They have all gone home).
For the American plural pronoun you all, see 424.2.
a.
4 types of noun
All is used mostly before uncountable and plural nouns.
all the water all my friends
However, all can be used before some singular countable nouns referring to things that can naturally be
divided into parts.
all that week all my family all the way With other singular countable nouns, it is more natural to use whole
(e.g. the whole story). For details, see 38.
For the difference between all and every, see 37. ^
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5 negative verbs
It is not very common to use all + noun as the subject of a negative verb (e.g. All Americans don't like
hamburgers). We more often use not all + noun + affirmative verb.
Not all Americans like hamburgers. Note the difference between not all and no. Compare:
Not all birds can fly. No birds can play chess.
6 leaving out the
It is sometimes possible to drop the after all (e.g. all day, all three brothers). See 69.6 for details.
16 all (4): with verbs
When all refers to the subject of a clause, it can go with the verb, in 'mid-position' (like some adverbs - see
15).
auxiliary verb + all :
am/are/is/was/were + off',
We can all swim.
The guests have all arrived.
Those apples were all bad.
all + other verb
My family all work in education.
They all liked the soup.
Note that these meanings can also be expressed by using all (of) + noun/pronoun as the subject (see 35).
All of us can swim. All (of) the guests have arrived.
all and every
All and every can both be used to talk about people or things in general, or about all the members of a
group. There is little difference of meaning; every often suggests 'without exception*. The two words are
used in different Structures.
every with singular nouns; all with plurals
Every is used with a singular noun. To give the same meaning, all is used with a plural noun. Compare:
- every + singular
Every child needs love. (NOT All child needs love.) Every light was out.
- all+ plural
All children need love. All the lights were out.
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2 all with determiners
We can use all, but not normally every, with certain determiners (articles, possessives or demonstratives).
Compare:
- all + determiner + plural
All the lights were out. I've written to all my friends.
- every + singular
Every light was out. (NOT The everylight...) I've written to every friend I have.
(NOT every my friend I my every friend.)
3 all with uncountables
We can use all, but not every, with uncountable nouns. I like all music. (NOT.. . every music.)
4 flH='every part of
We can use all with place names and some singular countable nouns to mean'every part of','the whole of'.
All London was talking about her affairs.
I've been round all the village looking for the cat. Note the difference between all day I week etc and every
day I week etc. _, -
She was here all day. (= from morning to night)
She was here every day. (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,...)
For the difference between all and whole, see 38.
For detailed rules for the use of all, see 33-36.
For the difference between every and each, see 174. ;i, ;
38 all and whole
1 pronunciation
all /y.l/ whole /haul/
2 word order
All (of) and whole can both be used with singular nouns to mean 'complete', 'every part of. The word order
is different.
determiner + whole + noun all (of) + determiner + noun
- Julie spentthe whole week athome. Julie spent all (of) the week at home.
- my whole life all (of) my life
3 indefinite reference
All is not generally used before indefinite articles.
She's eaten a whole loaf. (NOT ... all a loaf.) >
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CUZ IlgllL 0.111-* l——»0"* —"
4 uncountable nouns
With most uncountable nouns we prefer all (of).
I've drunk all (of) the milk. (NOT ... the whole-milk,)
5 the whole of
Instead of whole we can generally use the whole of.
Julie spent the whole of the summer at home.
the whole of my life
Before proper nouns (names) and pronouns we always use the whole of, not whole. All (of) is also
possible.
The whole of/All of Venice was under water. (NOT Whole Venice...)
I'vejustread the whole of/all ofWdr and Peace'.
I've read the whole of/all of it.
6 plural nouns
With plural nouns, all and whole have different meanings. AM is like every;
whole means 'complete', 'entire'. Compare:
All Indian tribes suffered from white settlement in America.
(= Every Indian tribe suffered...) Whole Indian tribes were killed off.
(= Complete tribes were killed off; nobody was left alive in these tribes.)
39 all right and alright
The standard spelling is all right. Alright is common, but many people consider it incorrect.
40 allow, permit and let
1 allow and permit
These words have similar meanings and uses. Permit is more formal. Both words can be followed by
object + infinitive.
We do not allow/permit people to smoke in the kitchen. When there is no personal object, an -ing form is
used.
We do not allow/permit smoking in the kitchen. .^,.' Passive structures are common; personal subjects and
gerund (-ing form) subjects are both possible.
People are not allowed/permitted to smoke in the kitchen.
Smoking is not allowed/permitted in the kitchen. The passive structure with it is only possible with permit.
It is not permitted to smoke in the kitchen.
(BUT NOT It is not allowed to smoke...} Allow, but not permit, can be used with adverb particles.
She wouldn 't allow me in.
Mary isn't allowed out at night.
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almost ana nearly 41
2 let
Let is the least formal of these three words, and is followed by object + infinitive without to. Compare:
Please allow me to buy you a drink, (polite and formal)
Let me buy you a drink, (friendly and informal) Let is not usually used in the passive.
I wasn't allowed to pay for the drinks. (NOT I wasn't lot...) Let can be used with adverb particles; passives
are possible.
She wouldn't let me in.
I've been let down.