all, both – quantifiers

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  • All/both: Grammar chart

    all, both – quantifiers

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    All/all the; both/both (the)

    We can use both or both the/my/etc. + noun in the same way to refer to two people or things.

    • Both students/Both the students passed the exam. 
    • They won both matches/both the matches.  

    We use all + noun (without the) to refer to things/people in general.

    • All students hate homework. (all + plural countable nouns)
    • All music makes people feel something. (all + uncountable nouns)

    We use all + the/my/etc. + noun to refer to particular people or things.

    • All the students in my class hate homework. (all the + plural countable nouns)
    • All the music I download makes me feel something. (all the + uncountable nouns)

    All (of) the; both (of the)

    We can use all/both + of before both/all of the/my/Tom’s + noun. But it is often omitted.

    • All (of) the students in my class hate homework.
    • Both (of the) students passed the exam. 

    But we cannot use both/all of + noun when there isn’t a determiner, i.e. the, my, this etc., before the noun.

    • All/Both of students passed the exam.
    • All/Both of the students passed the exam.

    All/both: word order with pronouns

    All of us / both of them / etc. (subject)

    We can use all/both of + you/us/them before a verb (as the subject of a sentence).

    • All of us were at the party.
    • Both of them are wrong. 

    ❗ Note that of is necessary; we cannot omit it.

    • All us were at the party.
    • All of us were at the party.

    Us all / them both / etc. (object)

    We can use you/us/them + all/both after a verb (as the object of a sentence).

    • The judge sent them all to jail. (=The judge sent all of them to jail.)
    • She loves them both. (=She loves both of them.)

    All/both: word order with verbs (mid position)

    All and both can be used in mid position. Mid position is:

    ➟ Before the verb.

    • We both like going to the cinema. (=Both of us like going to the cinema.)
    • They all left without saying goodbye. (=All of them left without saying goodbye.)

    ➟ After the verb be when it’s the only verb in a sentence.

    • The boys were all happy. (=All the boys were happy.)
    • The players are both tired. (=Both [the] players are tired.)

    ➟ After an auxiliary verb or after the first auxiliary verb if there is more than one.

    • They are all going to disappear. (=All of them are going to disappear.)
    • The robbers have both been arrested. (=Both [the] robbers have been arrested.)

    ➟ In questions, mid position is after the subject.

    • Have they both finished?