all

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Tung Quoc  #295333  Mon, 20 Nov 06 02:21 AM

Hi,

Which is correct? What is the rule?

1. I understand all now.

2. I all now understand.

3. I all understand now.

4. I now all understand.

5. Now I understand all.

6. Now I all understand.

Quoc

  
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benita  #295360  Mon, 20 Nov 06 05:57 AM

I understand all now /  Now I understand all. (correct)

Here all is a pronoun signifying totality/everything.

  
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Clive  #295379  Mon, 20 Nov 06 07:20 AM

Hi,

In sentences like this, the word 'everything' would be a lot more common than 'all'.

Best wishes, Clive

  
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benita  #295382  Mon, 20 Nov 06 07:27 AM
Yes, I did forget to put that down! Smile [:)]
  
Cool Breeze  #295512  Mon, 20 Nov 06 02:03 PM
Hi Tung Quoc

If you place an adverb of time (now) at the beginning of the sentence, it is more emphatic:
Now I understand everything.
I understand everything now.

Both are correct.

It is usually not a good idea to put anything between the main verb (understand) and its object (everything), and word order in English is very fixed. That's why the main verb is usually before its object, in other words, understand must come before everything.

Things are different in some other languages. There is a joke about two people listening to someone delivering a speech in German. One of the two didn't understand German at all, so after they had listened to the speech for a minute he asked his German-speaking friend: "What's he saying?"
"I don't know yet. We're waiting for the verb."


Cheers
CB
  
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