"All" and "All of"

Question

Hi! Could anyone describe a difference in a usage of those two? "All my friends" or "All of my friends" ? "All my life" or "All of my life"? And so on ... I guess there's a difference in the meaning, but just can't feel it. Greetings! Maciej

Usenet · Accepted Answer

In article , Maciej Tokarski (Email Removed) writes
[nq:1]Hi! Could anyone describe a difference in a usage of those two? "All my friends" or "All of my friends" ... of my life"? And so on ... I guess there's a difference in the meaning, but just can't feel it.[/nq]
No difference that I know of, but if the rhythm of the sentence feels as if it needs one rather than the other, then use it. Call it style.

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Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In article , Maciej Tokarski (Email Removed) writes[/nq]
[nq:2]Hi! Could anyone describe a difference in a usage of ... a difference in the meaning, but just can't feel it.[/nq]
[nq:1]No difference that I know of, but if the rhythm of the sentence feels as if it needs one rather than the other, then use it. Call it style.[/nq]
Any difference has become blurred or ceased to exist in the case of "all"/"all of" but not in the related "many"/"many of", "several"/"several of", "a few"/"a few of", "most"/"most of" and others.

If you know when to use "of" with these other words, you can try saying your sentence with "many" (for example) used instead of the "all" to see if it needs the "of" or not.

By this test, the two example sentences should include the "of".

-- http://www.dacha.freeuk.com/zodiac/6vir-0.htm Virgo (August 24th - September 23rd) Kanya - the Maiden Aset (The Virgin Isis)

"All" and "All of"

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