ENGLISH

USAGE OF ‘ALL’ AND ‘WHOLE’

1) Use of All

‘All’ is used in the sense of ‘the whole number of’ before plural countable noun or ‘All’ is also used in the sense of ‘the whole amount of’ before singular uncountable noun.

Example

All the books were old.

2) Use of Whole

‘Whole’ is used in the sense of ‘full’ or ‘complete’ before singular noun.

Example

He wasn’t telling the whole truth.

Note:

a)Difference between ‘All and Whole’. ‘All’ is used to express ‘the number of persons or things’ while ‘whole’ is used to express ‘the complete parts of persons or things’.

b) ‘Whole’ is used before singular common noun but ‘whole of’ is used before proper noun.

Example

The whole town.( Singular Common Noun)

The whole of Patna.( Proper Noun)

c) ‘Whole’ is also used in the sense of ‘not broken’ or ‘damaged’ as an adjective.

Example

Owls usually swallow their prey whole.

d) ‘The whole lot’ is used in the sense of ’everything’ or ‘all of something’ as an idiom.

Example

I have sold the whole lot.

e) ‘On the whole’ is used in the sense of ‘everything’ or ‘all of something’ in general.

Example

On the whole I am in the favour of the idea.

f) ‘All’ is used with singular nouns showing something has been happening for a whole period of time as an adjective.

Example

He has worked hard all year.

g) ‘All’ is also used in the sense of ‘any whatever’ as an adjective.

Example

He denied all the knowledge of the crime.

h) ‘All’ is used in the sense of ‘completely’ as an adverb.

Example

She dressed all in white.

i)’All’ is used in the sense of ‘completely’ in combining form of adjectives and adverbs.

Example

An all- inclusive Price

j) ‘All’ is used in the sense of ‘in the highest degree’ in combining form of adjectives and adverbs.

All -important