Category: Class

ALL / MOST / NO

ALL

• All refers to a whole group of people or things. It does not need to be followed by “the”.

Example:  All phones have screens. 

• Same goes for time expressions like all day, all night, week, all year, all summer.

Example: She studied all night and was very exhausted the next day.

• It is also used before an uncountable nouns.

Example: All food in their menu is salt-free.

• We normally use everybody or everyone instead of all people.

Example: Everyone wants to achieve their dreams. (All people want to achieve their dreams.)

MOST

• Most is used to talk about quantities, amounts, and degree.  Most used with a noun means “the majority of”.

Example: Most tap water in the region is potable.

NO

• No is used right before a noun.

Example: She has got no place to go.

ALL OF / MOST OF / NONE OF

ALL OF

• All of is usually followed by pronouns: us, them, this, that, these, those, whom, and which.

Example: Die Hard, all of which stars Bruce Willis, is Jake’s favorite movie franchise.

• All or all of can be used with demonstrative pronouns this, that, these, those.

Examples:

All (of) this nonsense has to stop!

Are all (of) these food gluten-free?

MOST OF

• Most of with a noun is used to refer to the majority of a specific group of something.

Most of the people I work with here are very professional.

The climate of most of New York State is warm summers and cold winters.

NONE OF

• None of is used before the, this, that, my, your or pronouns.

Example:

None of the topics he studied for appeared on his test.

None of her friends like her boyfriend.

COMPARE

All vs All of

All babies are cute. (=all babies in general)

All of the babies in the nursery got sick because of a virus. (=specific group of babies)

Most vs Most of

Most families have their own problems. (=most families in general)

Most of the families who live on this street have two or more cars. (=specific group of families)

USE

The imperative form is used when giving instructions, orders, and warnings. To give instructions in signs and notices, must is usually used.

FORM

1. A subject is not necessary when giving orders.

You finish your food. => Finish your food.

Do not use the infinitive to.

To go on please. => Go on please.

Use Don’t for the negative form.

Don’t enter the room without permission!

2. Do not use contraction in written instructions on signs.

Don’t cross the street. . => Do not cross the street.

3. When giving friendly instructions, use ‘you’ to soften the way the order is given. This is normally only done in spoken English.

First, you wash your face and then you use a toner. Then you moisturize.

4. Must / Must not are often used in written signs.

All guests must register.

Test takers must not talk to each other.

COMMON MISTAKE

Using to after Don’t / Must

Don’t to feed the animals.  => Don’t feed the animals.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Some adjectives are combined with certain prepositions. There is no actual pattern or rule on this. The key is familiarization.

Here are some common adjective + preposition combinations:

OF

 afraid of                    She is afraid of spiders.

ashamed of               They are ashamed of the way they behaved at the party.

aware of                     Are you aware of the problem?

capable of                 I am very capable of taking care of myself.

envious of                 They are envious of their neighbors because they are always on holiday.

proud of                     Her parents were really proud of her progress in learning French.

typical of                    This behavior isn’t very typical of him.

FOR

eligible for                 You are eligible for a scholarship abroad.

famous for                 Thailand is famous for its beautiful beaches.

thankful for               She is very thankful for all of her fans’ support.

ready for                    Get ready for your exam.

responsible for         The police are responsible for keeping the city a safe place.

suitable for                This program is suitable for young audiences.

notorious for             This newspaper is notorious for sensationalizing stories.

WITH

associated with        His depression is associated with his recent divorce.

bored with                 I am so bored with this game. Let’s play different one.

blessed with              They are blessed with two beautiful daughters.

confronted with        The new government is confronted with many problems.

crowded with            The beach is crowded with people.

disappointed with    She was disappointed with the quality of the product.

familiar with              I am familiar with this city.

fed up with                They are fed up with being poor.

pleased with             Were they pleased with the proposal?

popular with              The new video game is very popular with teenagers.

satisfied with             Marta is satisfied with her new hairstyle.

TO

attracted to                 She is attracted to Tom.

accustomed to          I am accustomed to sleeping early.

addicted to                 He is addicted to playing online games.

allergic to                   Collin is allergic to peanuts.

kind to                         Be kind to animals.

married to                  Lola is married to Gerard.

receptive to                The student is receptive to corrections.

related to                    Air pollution is related to climate change.

similar to                    These shoes are similar to your old ones.

IN

comfortable in           You need to be comfortable in using the language.

experienced in         He is experienced in sales.

interested in              I am very interested in this house.

polite in                      She was polite in rejecting the invitation.

present in                  They were present in his life.

skilled in                    Rafael is very skilled in tennis.

slow in                       He was slow in moving his broken arm.

BY

amazed by                 Everyone was amazed by his excellent performance.

delighted by              My mother was delighted by all the warm greetings on her birthday.

disturbed by              She was disturbed by her boss.

impressed by             The audiences were impressed by his act.

inspired by                This painting is inspired by life in the countryside.

FROM

made from                 She made this craft from scratch.

different from            She is very different from her twin sister.

safe from                   Always keep your child safe from harm.

absent from               John was absent from the meeting yesterday.

free from                    You need to break free from his control.

AT

amazed at                  I am amazed at how creative you are.

angry/mad at             I can’t stay mad at you.

annoyed at                Sean was annoyed at his brother.

good/bad at               She is very bad at telling lies. / I am good at speaking in public.

ON

keen on                     I am not very keen on going to attractions that use animals.