All about all

I don’t think we need to spend too long on the basic grammar patterns with ALL.

It can be used with plurals and uncountable nouns

• All the children were invited to a big party.
• All sugar drinks rot your teeth.
• All (of) the cats have been taken to the vet.
• Thank you for all (of) your help.

ALL plus THE/THIS/MY etc. can be used with singular nouns.

• I have read all the book.
• Did you eat all your lunch?
• I can’t finish all this work today.

ALL is also used to qualify adjectives, adverbs and prepositions

• The children are all excited.
• There is dirt all over the house.
• They shouted all excitedly.

AT ALL means in any way or of any kind. It is often used in negative sentences.

• Is there anything at all to do here in the winter months?
• I am not at all happy to find out about that.

FOR ALL can mean despite.

• For all his faults, I still quite like him.

FOR ALL I KNOW/CARE suggests that you are not concerned about something or someone.

• For all I know, she could be living in Paraguay.
• For all I care, the dollar could lose half its value.

FIRST OF ALL is an expression used to emphasise the start of a speech  or presentation

• First of all, I would like to thank our hosts for this splendid evening.
• First of all, we need to look at the economic impact.

AFTER ALL means that we have reconsidered our options.

• We decided to take the later train after all. We needed extra time to pack.

ALL IN ALL is used to sum up.

• All in all, it has been a very successful meeting.

BY ALL MEANS is a way of giving permission

• By all means, leave early today. You have been working so hard.

ALL ALONG means all the time.

• I knew he couldn’t be trusted all along.

To GET AWAY FROM IT ALL means to go somewhere to escape from your usual routine

• I visit a remote island in Scotland when I need to get away from it all.

IF IT’S ALL THE SAME TO YOU is used to mean if it makes no difference/doesn’t offend.

• Thank you for inviting me to stay with you but if it is all the same to you I would prefer to stay in a hotel in the center of the city so that I can explore a bit.

ONCE AND FOR ALL means for one final time.

• I am telling you once and for all. We are not going to agree to that.

To be ALL FOR DOING IT means that you are strongly in favor.

• I am all for rejecting their offer. It is not good enough.

If it is ALL IN YOUR MIND, you are imagining something.

• His doctor told him that he wasn’t really ill and it was all in his mind.

ALL YEAR ROUND means all the year.

• The resort is open all year round, skiing in the winter and mountain biking in the summer.

ALL OF A SUDDEN means immediately, without warning

• All of a sudden, the speaker fainted and fell to the floor.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE is used to sum up a discussion and to point out the most important point.

•  When all is said and done, we cannot afford to sell at a price that is lower than our cost price.