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Park sang joon Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
What's [all this/ this all] about?
Princess Fiona is laying the table for breakfast.
Princess Fiona: Good morning. How do you like your eggs?
Donkey: Good morning, Princess.
Shrek: What's all this about?
<From the movie "Shrek">
I'd like to know if I can rephrase "What's all this about?" as ""What's this all about?".
Thank you in advance for your help.
Princess Fiona: Good morning. How do you like your eggs?
Donkey: Good morning, Princess.
Shrek: What's all this about?
<From the movie "Shrek">
I'd like to know if I can rephrase "What's all this about?" as ""What's this all about?".
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
The meaning is not identical since in the first case "all" modifies "this", whereas in the second case it modifies "about". However, this difference may be not be terribly important in many contexts.
- The meaning is not identical since in the first case "all" modifies "this", whereas in the second case it modifies "about".
- However, this difference may be not be terribly important in many contexts.
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5 Answers
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The meaning is not identical since in the first case "all" modifies "this", whereas in the second case it modifies "about". However, this difference may be not be terribly important in many contexts.
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Thank you, GPY, for your so very kind answer. 
In the second case, I though "this" modifis "all" and "all" is the sujbect.
In the second case, I though "this" modifis "all" and "all" is the sujbect.
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park sang joonThen I'd like to know in the second case if you think "this" is the subject.Yes.
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Thank you, GPY, for your continuing support.
I'd like to ask you another question; I hope I'm not badgering you.
I'd like to ask you another question; I hope I'm not badgering you.
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"But all that changed ..." — "all" modifies "that"
"But that all changed ..." — "all" is probably adverbial. In any case, "that" does not modify "all". It's actually quite hard to think of any plausible example of "that" modifying "all". I submit: "I gave my all, but unfortunately that all was not enough".
As in the first example, any difference in meaning between the two may of
"But that all changed ..." — "all" is probably adverbial. In any case, "that" does not modify "all". It's actually quite hard to think of any plausible example of "that" modifying "all". I submit: "I gave my all, but unfortunately that all was not enough".
As in the first example, any difference in meaning between the two may of
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