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Question

Hi,Which is correct? What is the rule?1. I understand all now.2. I all now understand. 3. I all understand now. 4. I now all understand. 5. Now I understand all.6. Now I all understand.Quoc

Benita · Accepted Answer

I understand all now / Now I understand all. (correct)

Here all is a pronoun signifying totality/everything.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

In sentences like this, the word 'everything' would be a lot more common than 'all'.

Best wishes, Clive

Benita · Answer

Yes, I did forget to put that down! <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Cool Breeze · Answer

Hi Tung Quoc

If you place an adverb of time (now) at the beginning of the sentence, it is more emphatic:
Now I understand everything.
I understand everything now.

Both are correct.

It is usually not a good idea to put anything between the main verb (understand) and its object (everything), and word order in English is very fixed. That's why the main verb is usually before its object, in other words, understand must come before everything.

Things are different in some other languages. There is a joke about two people listening to someone delivering a speech in German. One of the two didn't understand German at all, so after they had listened to the speech for a minute he asked his German-speaking friend: "What's he saying?"
"I don't know yet. We're waiting for the verb."

Cheers
CB

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