all

all
all
1. all or all of.
All can be used before singular or plural nouns, and of is not needed except before pronouns standing alone (all human life / all the time / all children / all tickets / all of them / all you people). The construction with of is comparatively recent (first recorded c.1800) and is probably due to association with none of, some of, little of, much of, etc.

• (He will have to be all of these things —Anita Brookner, 1986

• All of the company's profits had been used to salary him —B. Ripley, 1987

• At each stop, all of us visitors were greeted by a hail of celebratory statistics —New Yorker, 1989).

There is also a common idiomatic use with quantities

• (It must have been all of fifteen minutes of…dull, homesick silence —Mark Twain, 1883

• Even I, all of eight years old, couldn't stand another second of his shrieking —Me Three Magazine, AmE 1944).

2. When all is the subject of the verb to be followed by a plural complement, the linking verb is expressed in the singular:

• All I saw was fields —Nigel Williams, 1985

• In some sense, all we have is the scores —incomplete and corrupted as they often are —New Yorker, 1989.

3. See also all right, all that, all together, all told, already; for all but see but 7.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • all — [ ɔl ] function word, quantifier *** All can be used in the following ways: as a determiner (followed by an uncountable or plural noun): They had given up all hope. All children deserve encouragement. as a predeterminer (followed by a word such… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • All — All, adv. 1. Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very; as, all bedewed; my friend is all for amusement. And cheeks all pale. Byron. [1913 Webster] Note: In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all too much, all so long, etc., this word …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • All — All, n. The whole number, quantity, or amount; the entire thing; everything included or concerned; the aggregate; the whole; totality; everything or every person; as, our all is at stake. [1913 Webster] Death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • All to — All All, adv. 1. Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very; as, all bedewed; my friend is all for amusement. And cheeks all pale. Byron. [1913 Webster] Note: In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all too much, all so long, etc., this… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • All-to — All All, adv. 1. Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very; as, all bedewed; my friend is all for amusement. And cheeks all pale. Byron. [1913 Webster] Note: In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all too much, all so long, etc., this… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • All — All. Aller, alle, alles, ein Wort, welches in den meisten Fällen den Begriff der Allgemeinheit ausdrucket, und in dreyerley Gestalt üblich ist. I. * Als ein Umstandswort, welches dessen ursprüngliche Gestalt ist, der Zahl, Menge und innern Stärke …   Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart

  • All — All, a. [OE. al, pl. alle, AS. eal, pl. ealle, Northumbrian alle, akin to D. & OHG. al, Ger. all, Icel. allr. Dan. al, Sw. all, Goth. alls; and perh. to Ir. and Gael. uile, W. oll.] 1. The whole quantity, extent, duration, amount, quality, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • all-in — ˈall in adjective an all in rate or price is one that includes all services, parts etc, with no additional costs: • For an all in price of £990, investors get an annual subscription as well as the hardware and software required. all in adverb : • …   Financial and business terms

  • all — all·en·ar·ly; all·hal·lows; all·ness; all·spice; car·ry·all; ly·all·pur; sew·all; my·all; over·all; All; all·hal·low; …   English syllables

  • All — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. {{{image}}}   Sigles d une seule lettre   Sigles de deux lettres > Sigles de trois lettres …   Wikipédia en Français

  • all — O.E. eall all, every, entire, from P.Gmc. *alnaz (Cf. O.Fris., O.H.G. al, O.N. allr, Goth. alls), with no certain connection outside Germanic. Combinations with all meaning wholly, without limit were common in Old English (e.g. eall halig all… …   Etymology dictionary

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