mostly all of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'mostly all of' isn't used in written English because it's redundant.
Instead, you can use 'most of' which means the same thing. For example, "Most of the students in my class arrived early for the final exam."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

Of the orphans we started with - we had 23 originally - mostly all of them are married.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"I'll have plenty of company -- about 30 people, mostly all of them relatives," Brown, a Corrections Department officer at Riker's Island, said.

The New York Times - Sports

Since 2002, Frank Maresca, a Brooklyn-born photographer and art dealer who specializes in the folk art of self-taught and "outsider" artists, has donated nearly 600 snapshots, mostly all of them taken from the 1920s to the 1960s, to the Newark Museum.

The New York Times

For those viewers who find that theory a bit dubious (mostly all of them), writer and director Jamie Kastner offers a neat solution: tell the story of disco through the eyes of its "revolutionary masterminds": a sparkly trio waving their hands over a disco ball as they plot the liberation of America's underclass, using unwitting musicians who have no sense of their subversive purpose.

The Guardian - Film

As the second of six girls in a family living in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, she described a childhood of trying to keep her head down from a mother whose words, she said, "could tear us up in a minute" and a stepfather who made her "feel afraid mostly all of the time".

The New York Times

Mostly all of the architectural models had to be newly drawn in TAS, due to the data loss or wrong interpretation by TAS.

Visualization in Engineering

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Been in and out of jail mostly all his life.

The New York Times

Looking back, I'm reminded mostly of all the young men who lost their lives; of all the destroyed buildings – private houses, power stations, schools; of the huge number of people disabled, of widows and orphans left behind.

The New York Times

And we're mostly all paying all of our own expenses".

The New York Times

Hart Plaza is the center of mostly all festivals downtown, and one of Detroit's most sought out locations among tourist.

WikiHow

The town house, mostly all expats, most of whom are grandparents who have retired here.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "mostly all of" in formal writing. Opt for "most of" or "almost all of" to maintain grammatical correctness.

Common error

Using "mostly all of" is redundant because "mostly" already implies a large portion. Replace it with simpler alternatives like "most of" to avoid unnecessary wordiness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mostly all of" functions as a determiner phrase, aiming to quantify or specify the extent of a noun. However, it's considered grammatically incorrect due to the redundancy. Ludwig AI also suggests simpler alternatives.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "mostly all of" attempts to express a near-totality but falls short due to redundancy. Ludwig AI flags it as grammatically incorrect and suggests using "most of" or "almost all of" instead. While frequently found in various sources like news, science and wiki, its use should be avoided in formal writing to maintain clarity and correctness. As Ludwig AI explains, simpler, more precise alternatives are readily available and preferable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

most of

A shorter, grammatically correct alternative that conveys a similar meaning.

almost all of

Emphasizes nearness to totality, slightly stronger than "mostly all of".

nearly all of

Similar to "almost all of", stressing that only a small part is missing.

the majority of

More formal and emphasizes that more than half are included.

largely all of

Highlights the extent or degree to which something is all-encompassing.

primarily all of

Indicates that something is mainly or chiefly all of something.

predominantly all of

Highlights that a greater part has some quality or feature.

for the most part

Indicates that something is true in general but may have exceptions.

by and large

A more idiomatic expression meaning generally or on the whole.

in the main

Similar to "for the most part", implying that exceptions exist.

FAQs

What does "mostly all of" mean?

The phrase "mostly all of" is intended to mean a large majority or nearly everything. However, it's redundant; using "most of" conveys the same meaning more effectively.

Is it grammatically correct to say "mostly all of"?

No, "mostly all of" is not grammatically correct. The phrase is redundant because "mostly" and "all" convey similar meanings. A better option is "almost all of" or "most of".

What can I use instead of saying "mostly all of" in a sentence?

You can use alternatives like "most of", "nearly all of", or "almost all of" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "mostly all of" or "most of"?

"Most of" is the correct and preferred phrase. "Mostly all of" is considered redundant and grammatically incorrect.