Quantifier + Noun — General Statements Without 'The' or 'Of'
Learn to use all, most, every and each directly before a noun for general statements — no article, no 'of' — and the singular or plural noun each one requires. 6 exercises.
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___ children need love, attention and a safe home.
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All
For a general statement, use 'all' + a plural noun, with no 'the'.
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___ people enjoy spending a holiday by the sea.
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Most
For a general statement, use 'most' + a plural noun, with no 'the'.
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___ student in the class passed the final exam.
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Every
'Every' is followed by a singular noun — 'every student'.
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___ water contains some natural minerals.
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All
For a general statement, use 'all' + an uncountable noun, with no 'the'.
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___ room in the hotel has its own small balcony.
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Each
'Each' is followed by a singular noun — 'each room'.
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___ teenagers spend a lot of time on social media.
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Most
For a general statement (no 'the'), use 'most' with no 'of'.
Quantifier + Noun: Making General Statements Without 'The' or 'Of'
When a quantifier is followed directly by a noun — with no article and no 'of' — the sentence makes a general statement about an entire category rather than a specific, identified group. All and most combine with a plural or uncountable noun in this pattern: 'all children', 'most people', 'all water'. Every and each combine with a singular noun instead, even though both refer to every member of a group: 'every student', 'each room'. The choice between 'every' and 'each' is one of focus rather than grammar — 'every' treats the group as a single whole, while 'each' considers its members one at a time — but both require a singular noun and a singular verb. Inserting 'the' or 'of' into any of these patterns turns a general statement into a reference to a specific group, which follows different rules.
All and Most + Plural or Uncountable Noun
Used without 'the' or 'of', 'all' and 'most' describe a category as a whole rather than a specific, identified group. This is the default form for proverbs, facts, and generalisations:
All water contains some natural minerals. (general statement — uncountable noun, no 'the')
Most people enjoy spending a holiday by the sea. (general statement — plural noun, no 'of')
Most teenagers spend a lot of time on social media. (general statement — no 'of')
Every and Each + Singular Noun
Both 'every' and 'each' are followed directly by a singular countable noun, never a plural. This holds even though the meaning covers every member of the group:
Each room in the hotel has its own small balcony. ('each' + singular noun)
Common Mistakes
✗ All the children need love and attention. → ✓ All children need love and attention. (a general statement about children, not one specific group)
✗ Every students must register. → ✓ Every student must register. ('every' takes a singular noun)
✗ Each rooms has a balcony. → ✓ Each room has a balcony. ('each' takes a singular noun)
Last updated: · Satori Editorial