Practice
All is or all are: match the verb to the meaning
Sign in to saveAt the start of a meeting, you may check whether all the guests are present. Before sending a report, you may check whether all the information is present. The word all stays the same, but the meaning after it changes the verb.
Choose is or are after all by identifying whether all refers to a singular whole or a plural group.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
All of them are ready /ɔːl əv ðəm ɑː ˈred.i/
The short answer
Use all are present for a plural group, such as all the students. Use all is present when all means everything as one whole or an uncountable amount, such as all the information.
All the documents are present, but all the information is not yet complete.
Why it works: Documents are separate, plural items. Information is treated as one uncountable amount.
6 more examples
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All the visitors are present for the safety briefing.
Visitors are individual people, so the subject is plural and takes are.
Not this:All the
equipment ispresent for the safety briefing. What changes: Equipment is uncountable, so it takes the singular verb is. -
All of the invitations are on the table.
Invitations can be counted as separate items, so use are.
Not this:All of the
mail ison the table. What changes: Mail is treated as an uncountable collection here, so use is. -
All of them are waiting outside.
Them refers to more than one person or thing, so the verb is are.
Not this:All of
it isready to be reviewed. What changes: It refers to one thing or one whole amount, so the verb is is. -
All the chairs are in the meeting room.
Chairs are countable and plural, even though all refers to the complete set.
Not this:All the
furniture isin the meeting room. What changes: Furniture is an uncountable noun for the whole collection, so it takes is. -
All is ready for the presentation.
Here all means everything needed for the presentation, viewed as one complete situation.
Not this:All the
presenters areready for the presentation. What changes: Presenters are several people, so the sentence needs are. -
All the data is backed up on the secure drive.
In this sentence, data is treated as an uncountable body of information, so is is a common choice.
Not this:All the
figures arebacked up in the spreadsheet. What changes: Figures are separate countable numbers, so use are.
Read the full guide
Do not choose the verb from the word all alone. First ask what all stands for. If you can replace it with they, use are. If you can replace it with it or everything, use is. This check works with all of them, all of it, and noun phrases such as all the staff or all the equipment.
Start with what all means
All does not have one fixed verb. It can point to several people or items, to an uncountable amount, or to everything in a situation. Find that meaning before you choose is or are.
All the tickets are printed.
Tickets are separate items, so are is correct. In All the paper is printed, paper is an uncountable amount, so use is.
What does all refer to in All the luggage is here: separate bags, or luggage as an amount?
It refers to luggage as an amount. Luggage is uncountable, so the sentence uses is.
Use are with plural people and things
Use are when all comes before or stands for a plural countable noun. The group may be complete, but its members are still plural: guests, keys, reports, and workers all take are.
All the staff are in the training room.
All the staff are names people as a group of individuals. All the work is finished names work as an uncountable amount.
Choose the verb: All the keys ___ in this drawer.
Use are: All the keys are in this drawer. Keys is a plural countable noun.
Use is with uncountable nouns and whole situations
Use is when all refers to an uncountable noun or to everything as one whole. Common uncountable nouns include information, equipment, furniture, traffic, and advice.
All the advice is in the email.
Advice is not counted as individual items in this sentence, so it takes is. All the suggestions are in the email uses are because suggestions can be counted.
Choose the verb: All the furniture ___ included in the price.
Use is: All the furniture is included in the price. Furniture is uncountable.
Check the noun after all of
All of follows the same meaning rule. All of them refers to a plural pronoun, so it takes are. All of it refers to one thing, one amount, or a whole situation, so it takes is.
All of them are available on Thursday.
All of them are available refers to several people. All of it is available refers to one whole amount or thing.
Which phrase takes is: all of them or all of it?
All of it takes is because it refers to a singular or uncountable whole.
Make a clear sentence when all stands alone
Without a following noun, all needs a clear context. Use All is ready when you mean everything is ready. Use All are ready for a known plural group, but everyday English often uses Everyone is ready instead.
All is ready for the launch; the materials, room, and schedule are prepared.
All is ready treats preparation as one complete situation. Everyone is ready points directly to the people.
You mean every person in your class. Which everyday sentence is clearest?
Say Everyone is ready. It clearly names people and sounds more natural than All are ready in many conversations.
Use a quick replacement test
When you are unsure, replace the all phrase for a moment. If it becomes they, choose are. If it becomes it or everything, choose is. Then put the original words back into the sentence.
All the files are saved. They are saved.
All the software is installed. It is installed. The replacement shows why the first sentence uses are and the second uses is.
Replace all the forms in All the forms are complete. Does the replacement become they or it?
It becomes they because forms is plural. Keep are in the original sentence.
Before you go
Remember this
Look at the thing that all refers to. Use are for a plural group: all the guests are present and all of them are ready. Use is for an uncountable amount or a whole situation: all the equipment is present and all of it is ready.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "All is or all are: match the verb to the meaning"
Is all is present or all are present correct?
Both can be correct. Use all are present when all refers to several people or separate items. Use all is present when all means everything as one whole, or when it refers to an uncountable noun. The surrounding noun or context decides the verb.
All the visitors are present for the safety briefing.
Why do we say all the visitors are present?
Visitors is a plural countable noun, so it takes the plural verb are. The word all means every visitor in the group, but it does not make the plural noun singular. The same rule applies to documents, chairs, and invitations.
All the equipment is present for the safety briefing.
Why do we say all the equipment is present?
Equipment is an uncountable noun. English treats it as one amount or collection rather than as separate countable items, so it takes is. Use a plural verb only when the noun after all is plural, such as tools, boxes, or reports.
All of the invitations are on the table.
Do all of them and all of it take the same verb?
No. All of them takes are because them refers to more than one person or thing. All of it takes is because it refers to one thing, an uncountable amount, or a complete situation. Use the pronoun after of as your clue.
All of the mail is on the table.
Is everyone is present more natural than all are present?
Often, yes. Everyone is present clearly refers to people and is common in everyday English. All are present is grammatical when the group is known, but it can sound formal or incomplete without context. Say all the students are present when you want to name the group.
All of them are waiting outside.