GUIDE ENGLISH GRAMMAR BOOK

PAGE 223
178 Whole and part quantities
f Quantifier without a noun • 181
Most have two decks.
We can use all quantifiers except every and no.
g
h
Object pronoun + quantifier
I've heard it all before. We tested them both.
We can use all and both in this pattern.
Quantifier in mid position
We all agreed. They were both tested.
We can use all, both and each in mid position, like an adverb.
2 All, most, half and none
a
We can use all/most + noun to make a generalization.
All rabbits love green food.
Most package systems have two cassette decks.
Most pollution could be avoided.
These are about rabbits, package systems and pollution in general.
Compare these sentences.
Most people want a quiet life.
(people = people in general)
Most of the people here are strangers to me.
(the people = a specific group of people)
NOTE
a For Rabbits love green food, • 162.
b As well as most, we can also use majority of and more than ha/f
The majority of package systems have two cassette decks.
More than half the pollution in the world could, be avoided.
The opposite is minority of or less than half.
A minority of systems have only one deck.
b
When we are talking about something more specific, we use all/most/half/none + of
+ determiner + noun.
All (of) our rabbits died from some disease.
Most of the pubs around here serve food. NOT the most of the pubs
Copying takes half (of) the normal playing time.
None of these jackets fit me any more.
We can leave out of after all and half. But when there is a pronoun, we always use of.
We had some rabbits, but all of them died.
I read the book, but I couldn't understand half of it.
NOTE
a We can use half a/an to express quantity.
We waited half an hour. I could only eat half a slice of toast.
b We can use a number after all, e.g. all fifty systems.
c
We can use all after an object pronoun.
The rabbits died. We lost them all/all of them.
It can also come in mid position or after the subject.
The systems can all copy a tape from one deck to the other.
The rabbits all died.
Who went to the disco? ~ We all did.