ENGLISH
REFERENCE

all over

prep. phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

prep. phr.. This means something is everywhere in a particular place or is covering a surface completely. You often use it to describe a mess or something that has spread widely.

prep. phr.. An adverbial phrase indicating that something is present or distributed across the entire surface or area of a specified noun. It functions as a predicate adjective or postnominal modifier.


SIMPLE

There is mud all over the new carpet.

CONTEXTUAL

After the kids' art project, there was paint all over the table and chairs.

COMPLEX

The story of her unlikely victory was soon all over the internet, inspiring millions of people around the globe.

Usage

This phrase is followed by a noun phrase that names the place or surface being covered.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'throughout', which is more formal and neutral; 'all over' often carries a slightly more emphatic or even chaotic feeling (e.g., a mess).

Pitfall

The toys are all over floor.The toys are all over the floor.The noun following 'all over' almost always needs a determiner like 'the', 'a', or 'his'.

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