What's the Difference Between "All" and "Whole"?

In the Hebrew language the same word is used for "all" and "whole". I only know this because I was asked about the difference between the two words by an Israeli recently. I responded by turning to Practical English Usage by Michael Swan. This is what I found:

2. word order
All (of) and whole can both be used with singular nouns to mean 'complete', 'every part of'. The word order is different.

determiner + whole + noun
all (of) + determiner + noun

• Julie spent the whole week at home.
• Julie spent all (of) the week at home

• my whole life
• all of my life

3. indefinite reference

All is not generally used before indefinite articles.

She's eaten a whole loaf. (NOT ... all a loaf.)

4. uncountable nouns

With most uncountable nouns we prefer all (of)

• I've drunk all (of) the milk. (NOT ... the whole milk.)

5. the whole of

Instead of whole we can generally use the whole of.

Before proper nouns (names) and pronouns we always use the whole of, not whole. all (of) is also possible.

• The whole of/All of Venice was under water.
• Ive just read the whole of/all of 'War and Peace'.

6. plural nouns

With plural nouns, all and whole have different meanings. All is like every; whole means 'complete', 'entire'. Compare:

• All Indian tribes suffered from white settlement in America. (= Every Indian tribe suffered...)
• Whole Indian tribes were killed off. (= Complete tribes were killed off; nobody was left alive in those tribes.)

Practical English Usage is a dictionary of common English language problems for English language learners and teachers. It has been the first choice of students and teachers for over 20 years.

David Hurley
http://succeed-in-english.com

Long & Short Sounds: Pronunciation Practice - Part 1

How good is your pronunciation of English? In each of the following sentences the vowels in bold have the same sound. 

Practise reading them out loud:

Long Sounds

• The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
• The leaves of the trees shook in the breeze.
  
• How bright the moonlight shines.
  
• Cold, cold is the stony floor.
  
• The duke duly paid the money due to the Jew before the dew was off the ground on Tuesday.
  
• How far and fast the ship recedes.
  
• Her tall and stalwart pillars falling down.
  
• The noise of many waters and the voice of thunder.
  
• The howl of the wolves as they prowled around.
  
• How cool is this gloomy pool.

Short Sounds

• A glad batch of lads standing with a man at the match.
  
• A red thread well stretched.
  
• I sit and knit, while the birds flit and twit. 
  
• A hot spot on the grass plot.
  
• She took and shook her good book.

David Hurley

Succeed-In-English.com