Alternative usage of "all"?

Démarré par chrysalis, 24 Avr 2009 22:06

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chrysalis

I've just read the following sentences:
"It's all so sparkly and new."
"It'll all be so easy to keep clean"

What does the "all" word stand for in this context?

Can you give other examples of "all" used in a similar way?

Another thing I've read in the same text:
"Sorry? Didn't quite catch that. Was busy out checking all these cupboards"

The "I" is obviously missing before the verbs. When can it be omitted? Is it very informal? Does it only "work" for "I"?

Thanks for your help,

-Frank.

Thomas

You're right, we do omit the subject of a sentence in informal speech. Quite often you will hear a question asked "See the new James Bond movie yet?" without the word "you". It's pretty common to hear, but yes, it is informal.

As for the "all" -- it signifies that there is a large amount of something, and also signifies that what you are saying applies to all of it (as opposed to some or a part). If you say "It's all so sparkly and new" or "It's so sparkly and new" (without the all), the first one sounds like there is more of "it." Here are some more examples of this usage...

I can't believe you read all those books!
Look at these flowers, they're all so beautiful!
He's been answering all his emails in Spanish lately.

There is another use of "all" that is similar, as seen in the sentence "He's all sad about his dog." In this case, the word all is a modifier, and is similar to "very." Sometimes these usages overlap, so with the example you gave "It's all so sparkly and new," it might mean "It's very sparkly and new" instead.

Hope that helps! :)
Hello, and welcome to Apprendre l'anglais.
Bonjour, et bienvenue à Apprendre l'anglais.

chrysalis

Thanks a milion for your help Thomas.
Yes, it helps a lot, your answer is crystal clear.

Thomas

Hello, and welcome to Apprendre l'anglais.
Bonjour, et bienvenue à Apprendre l'anglais.