Key Difference

• “All” is used alone before most nouns and sometimes before pronouns.
• “All of” is required in certain cases, especially when followed by pronouns and specific nouns for clarity.

1. Using “All”

Use “all” before most nouns and when you’re speaking generally or about an entire group. You’ll find “all” handy when there isn’t a possessive pronoun (like them, us, or you) right after it.

• Examples:
  • “All children enjoy stories.” (General group, no possessive pronoun after “all”)
  • “All students must complete the form.” (Specific group, but “all” works fine alone)

1. Using “All of”

You’ll need “all of” before:

• Pronouns (like us, them, it)
• Proper nouns (like all of London, all of Spain)
• Some uncountable nouns for added clarity
• Examples:
  • “All of us are going to the party.” (Pronoun after “all”)
  • “All of the cake is eaten.” (Using “all of” for clarity with an uncountable noun)
  • “All of France was excited for the event.” (With a proper noun)

Quick Tips for Remembering

• If there’s a pronoun (like “them” or “us”) right after, use “all of.”
  • Example: “All of us were surprised.”
• If you’re speaking generally without a pronoun, just “all” usually works.
  • Example: “All birds migrate seasonally.”

Practice Exercise

Try filling in the blanks with “all” or “all of” to see if you’ve got it:

1. ___ my friends are coming to the wedding.
2. ___ London turned out for the festival.
3. ___ students in the class passed the exam.
4. ___ of the water spilled from the bottle.
5. ___ them decided to join the project.

Answers:

1. All of my friends
2. All of London
3. All students
4. All of the water
5. All of them