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Victorycountry Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

At all

Hi,

I often hear from customers coming into the store,
"Do you have something (.e.g. battery, film, or tape) at all?"
or
"Do you take passport photos at all?"

I believe the "at all" act as an adverbial, but I don't really feel it's a necessary phrase.
...
So I am thinking that it might be another polite way of saying or it might be just emphasizing such inquiries (as examples above) a little bit more.

Could anyone help me understand it please.

Thanks in advance.
  

Top answer

"at all" is used with negatives and interrogatives. It's a prepositional phrase in form, and an adverb in function. It means, in any way, to any extent.

— Casi

  • "at all" is used with negatives and interrogatives.
  • It's a prepositional phrase in form, and an adverb in function.
  • It means, in any way, to any extent.
  • Ex: Did you sleep at all?
  • Ex: You don't like it at all, do you?
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1 Answers
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"at all" is used with negatives and interrogatives. It's a prepositional phrase in form, and an adverb in function. It means, in any way, to any extent.

Ex: Did you sleep at all?
Ex: You don't like it at all, do you?
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