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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Everything or all

Hello,

I have a doubt about why to use "everything" and not "all" in these sentence:

    We live in a world where we must do everything very fast.

    It sounds better to me to say here everything than all but I don't understand grammatically why. Also What about when we say "All I can do is to wait". Here it sounds better to me to put "all" and not everything.

    Please if someone could help me I've searched everywhere ...

    Thanks!
  

Top answer

All and Everything by Raymond Murphy in English Grammar In Use: Sometimes you can use all or everything: I'll do all I can to help. or I'll do everything I can to help. You can say 'all I can'/'all you need' etc but we do not normally use all alone: He thinks he knows everything (not 'he knowsall') Our holiday was a disater.

— Dave Phillips

  • All and Everything by Raymond Murphy in English Grammar In Use: Sometimes you can use all or everything: I'll do all I can to help.
  • or I'll do everything I can to help.
  • You can say 'all I can'/'all you need' etc but we do not normally use all alone: He thinks he knows everything (not 'he knowsall') Our holiday was a disater.
  • Everything went wrong.
  • (not 'All went wrong') We use all in the expression all about: They told us all about their holiday.
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1 Answers
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All and Everything by Raymond Murphy in English Grammar In Use:

Sometimes you can use all or everything:

  • I'll do all I can to help. or I'll do everything I can to help.
You can say 'all I can'/'all you need' etc but we do not normally use all alone:

  • He thinks he knows everything (not 'he knowsall')

  • Our holiday was a disater. Everyt
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