We use all (of) the (with an article), when we're talking about a specific group of the noun. There are 63 meanings listed in oed's entry for the word all, two of which are labelled obsolete. How to use all in a sentence.
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The whole number of (used in referring to individuals or particulars, taken collectively): As you'll have read in our news pages, all has not been well of late. You use all to refer to a situation or to life in general.
The governor mounted a halfhearted campaign for the presidency but didn't.
The whole of (used in referring to quantity, extent, or duration): When we say all (of) the students, we're talking about a specific group of students. • the choir has sung in concerts all over the country. • there are leaves all over the car.
When 'all' is a pronoun, it can come with both singular and plural nouns. When 'all' refers to a group of people/things as a unified whole, it comes with a singular verb, but when 'all' refers to multiple groups. • there was a sound of. Every one (of), or the complete amount or number (of), or the whole (of):
Discover the shared vision of @sailgpfra and @all for more responsible travel, hospitality, and experiences.
• she had flour and stuff all over her hands. Games staking all of one's chips, as in poker. See ‘meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. Putting all of one's available resources into an effort:
All is silent on the island now. Like quentin delapierre and his crew, we are all looking in the same direction. • katie's toys were spread out all over the floor. The meaning of all is the whole amount, quantity, or extent of.
