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all and whole

Pronunciation​

  • all /ɔːl/
  • whole /həʊl/

Word order​

All (of) (especially BrE) and whole can be used with singular noun phrases to mean ‘complete’, ‘every part of’. The word order is different.

Grammar

all (of) + determiner + noun

Grammar

determiner + whole + noun

  • Julie spent all (of) the summer at home.
    Julie spent the whole summer at home.
  • all (of) my life
    my whole life

Indefinite reference​

All is not generally used before indefinite articles.

  • She’s eaten a whole loaf. (not … all a loaf.)

Uncountable nouns​

With most uncountable nouns we prefer all (of).

  • I’ve drunk all (of) the milk. (not … the whole milk.)

the whole of (mainly BrE)​

Instead of whole, the whole of is also possible, especially in British English.

  • Julie spent the whole of the summer at home.
  • the whole of my life

Before proper nouns*(names) and pronouns we always use the whole of, not whole.*All (of) is also possible.

  • The whole of / All of Venice was under water. (not Whole Venice …)
  • I’ve just read the whole of / all of ‘War and Peace’.
  • I’ve read the whole of / all of it.

Plural nouns​

With plural nouns, all and whole have different meanings. All is like every; whole means ‘complete’, ‘entire’. Compare:

  • All Indian tribes suffered from white settlement in America. (= Every Indian tribe suffered …)
  • Whole Indian tribes were killed off. (= Complete tribes were killed off; nobody was left alive in these tribes.)