ENGLISH
REFERENCE

all sorts of

fixed phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

fixed phr.. A way to say 'many different kinds of' something. You use it to show there is a big variety.

fixed phr.. indicating a wide variety of items within a category


SIMPLE

The market sells all sorts of fresh fruit.

CONTEXTUAL

We ran into all sorts of problems with the new software update.

COMPLEX

The investigation uncovered all sorts of corruption, from petty bribery among junior officials to vast embezzlement schemes at the highest levels of government.

Usage

Quantifier phrase followed by a plural or uncountable noun.

Teaching tip

Point out that 'all kinds of' is an exact, interchangeable synonym; both phrases emphasize variety more than 'many' or 'a lot of'.

Pitfall

He has all sort of problem.He has all sorts of problems.Both 'sorts' and the noun that follows it should be plural to show variety.

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