27/9/17 The Difference between All and Everything

The Difference between All and Everything

All can mean everything, but usually only in the structure all + relative clause (all that…). Compare:

  • All (that) I have is yours.
  • Everything is yours. (NOT All is yours.)
  • She lost all she owned.
  • She lost everything. (NOT She lost all.)

This structure often has a rather negative meaning, expressing ideas like “nothing more” or “the only thing(s)”.

  • This is all I’ve got.
  • All I want is a place to sit down.
  • All that happened is that he went to sleep.

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