Lesson

All/all of most/most of no/none of

Partitive structures

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

All / All of, Most / Most of, No / None of

This lesson explains how to use all, most and no, and when to add of. These words express quantity or extent and are common in business English.

  • Use all and most before nouns: all employees, most clients.
  • Add of when a determiner or pronoun follows: all of the team, most of them.
  • Use no before a noun (no meetings) and none (or none of) as a pronoun (none of the documents).

Pay attention to whether a determiner/pronoun follows — this usually determines whether to use 'of'.

Table

Usage Summary with Examples

Form Use Example
all + plural noun Refers to the whole group without a following determiner All employees attended the meeting.
all of + determiner/pronoun Used when 'the', 'my', 'them', etc. follow All of the employees attended the meeting.
most + plural noun Indicates a majority; no determiner after 'most' is required Most clients renewed their contracts.
most of + determiner/pronoun Use with determiners/pronouns (the, these, them, my) Most of the clients responded on time.
no + noun Means 'not any' before a noun No candidates met the criteria.
none (of) + determiner/pronoun Pronoun meaning 'not any'; use 'of' with a following determiner/pronoun None of the proposals were approved.

Tip

Key Rule: Use 'of' with determiners or pronouns

Remember when to add 'of':

  • 'All' and 'most' do not need 'of' when followed directly by a noun: all employees, most projects.
  • Use 'all of' and 'most of' when followed by determiners or pronouns: all of the team, most of them, most of my files.
  • 'No' goes before a noun (no availability). 'None' is a pronoun and often needs 'of' before a determiner/pronoun: none of the applicants.

Verb agreement: 'none' can take singular or plural verbs (None of the work is finished / None of the reports were ready) — match the verb to the noun idea (uncountable vs plural).

Example

Examples in context

All employees attended the training session.

All of our clients received the updated contract.

Most suppliers delivered their invoices on time.

None of the proposals were accepted by the board.

Tip

Common mistakes to avoid

Watch out for these universal errors:

  • Using 'all of' before a bare plural without a determiner: Incorrect — 'All of employees...' (correct: 'All employees' or 'All of the employees').
  • Forgetting 'of' with pronouns: Incorrect — 'Most them agreed.' (correct: 'Most of them agreed.').
  • Confusing 'no' and 'none': 'No' modifies a noun, 'none' replaces it as a pronoun.
  • Verb agreement with 'none': choose singular/plural based on whether you mean an uncountable amount or multiple items.

When unsure, check whether a determiner or pronoun follows; that will indicate whether 'of' is needed.

Quiz

Choose the sentence that uses 'all of' correctly:

Hint: Check what follows 'all of'.

Quiz

Complete: _____ of them declined the offer.

Hint: Consider what quantity makes sense if some, but not all, declined.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Check how 'none' pairs with 'of' and a determiner/pronoun.

Key Points

Vocabulary

all

determiner/adverb CEFR A2 //ɔːl//

the whole number or amount

All employees must complete the form.

Expression

all of

determiner phrase CEFR B1 //ɔːl əv//

used before a determiner or pronoun to refer to the whole group

All of the team approved the budget.

Vocabulary

most

determiner/pronoun CEFR B1 //moʊst//

the majority of; more than half

Most clients preferred the new schedule.

Expression

most of

determiner phrase CEFR B2 //moʊst əv//

used when a determiner or pronoun follows to indicate a majority of a specific group

Most of the respondents answered the survey.

Vocabulary

no

determiner CEFR A2 //noʊ//

not any; used before a noun

No budget is available for this project.

Vocabulary

none (of)

pronoun CEFR B1 //nʌn (əv)//

not any of a group; used as a pronoun, often with 'of' + determiner/pronoun

None of the candidates met the requirement.