Cohesive Devices - Exercise

'All' can go with a singular verb or a plural verb depending on the situation.

Singular Verb with "All"

When "all" introduces a collective noun or an uncountable noun, it is followed by a singular verb. For example:

• All of the milk is stored in the refrigerator.
• All of the committee meets on Mondays.

In these examples, "all" refers to the entire quantity of a single entity, and thus, a singular verb is appropriate.

Plural Verb with "All"

However, there are instances when "all" is used with plural nouns, and it is crucial to use a plural verb to maintain subject-verb agreement. For instance:

• All of the students are preparing for the exam.
• All of the books have been borrowed.

Here, "all" pertains to multiple individuals or items, necessitating the use of a plural verb.

Determining the Verb Based on the Noun

Remember that the choice of a singular or plural verb should be influenced by the noun following "of." If the noun is singular, the verb should be singular. If the noun is plural, the verb should be plural. Consider the following examples:

• All of the money is accounted for. (Money is a singular noun.)
• All of the employees are attending the conference. (Employees is a plural noun.)

 

All is or All are?

If you can replace the word (which represents 'all') with “it,” then the form is singular. If you can replace “all” with “they,” then it is plural.