What Part of Speech is “ALL”
In spoken and written English, the word “all” has several functions. It can be used as a adjective, an adverb, a noun, or a pronoun.
- Adjective
This word can be categorized as an adjective if it is used to introduce a noun in the sentence. Generally, the word “all” expresses the entire quantity or extent of something. For example, in the sentence below:
All students were present.
The word “all” is considered as a adjective because it introduces the noun “students.”
Definition:
a. used to refer to the whole quantity or extent of a particular group or thing
- Example:
- All men are equal.
2 . Adverb
The word “all” can also be considered as an adverb if it is used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. For instance, in the sample sentence below:
She is dressed all in white.
This word is classified as an adverb because it modifies the verb “dressed.”
Definition:
a. completely; consisting entirely of
- Example:
- I have all leather couches in my home.
3. Noun
There are some cases wherein the word “all” is considered as a noun, which means the entirety of one’s energy or possessions. Take for example, the sentence below:
I gave my all.
In the given example, the word “all” is a noun that refers to the whole possession/energy of the pronoun “I.”
Definition:
a. the whole of one’s possessions, energy, or interest
- Example:
- We are giving our all for what we believe in.
4. Pronoun
Other times, the word “all” serves as a pronoun that represents the whole number or quantity of something. It is classified as a pronoun when it is used to take the place of a noun or a pronoun for the totality of something. For example, in the sentence below:
All of the gadgets were stolen.
The word “all” suggests the whole quantity and replaces the noun “gadgets.”
Definition:
a. the whole number, quantity, or amount
- Example:
- All of us are hungry.