"All" or "All Of"?
The Quick Answer
If you use "all of" before words like "us," "you," "it," "him," and "her" (i.e., personal pronouns), you will be correct. For example:- All of us
- All of them
- All the cheese
- All the soldiers


Using "All" and "All Of"
Writers are sometimes unsure whether to use "all" and "all of." If you're not interested in the grammar or the options, then the following general guideline will see you right.General Guideline:
Use "all of" when the next word is a pronoun (e.g., us, you, it, him, her). For example:
- All of us
- All of you
- All of it
- All the soldiers
- All the nurses
- I need all the chairs.
- All the miners returned safely.
The Grammar of "All"
"All" as a determiner preceding a noun:When used by itself before a noun, the word "all" is classified as a determiner. For example:
- all men
- all the students
"All" as a determiner preceding a pronoun:
Using "all" as a determiner before a personal pronoun is usually wrong. For example:
- all we
- all they
- All we believe.
- All they are thinking.
The Grammar of "All Of"
"All" as an indefinite pronoun preceding a noun:When used in the phrase "all of," "all" is classified as an indefinite pronoun. It is perfectly acceptable to use "all of" before a noun. For example:
- all of the men
- all of the students
"All" as an indefinite pronoun preceding a noun:
Using "all of" before a personal pronoun is expected:
- All of us believe.
- All of them are thinking.
"All Of Whom" and "All of Which"
Use "all of" with relative pronouns (e.g., "whom," "which") too. For example:- I have three sisters, all of whom lead very normal lives.
(Politician Jane Byrne)
- He trained over 20 mares, all of which won more prize money in their first season than they cost.
Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?