ENGLISH
REFERENCE

most of

fixed phrase.
A1 Beginner General-service
Definition

fixed phrase. nearly all of a group of people or things. You use it to talk about the largest part of something.

fixed phrase. a quantifier phrase used to indicate the majority or the greater part of a specific set or mass. It requires a determiner (like 'the', 'my', or 'these') before the noun it modifies.


SIMPLE

Most of the students passed the exam.

CONTEXTUAL

I spent most of my weekend cleaning the house and doing laundry.

COMPLEX

Most of the evidence presented during the trial was circumstantial, leading to a lengthy deliberation by the jury.

Usage

always followed by a determiner or a pronoun when referring to a specific group.

Teaching tip

contrast 'most' (general: 'most people') with 'most of' (specific: 'most of the people in this room') to help students master the definite article requirement.

Pitfall

Most of students like pizza.Most of the students like pizza.when using 'most of', you must include a determiner like 'the', 'these', or 'my' before the noun.

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