You've been learning English for several years and you feel quite confident in your ability.

You sit down to read a classic English novel and come across the following sentence:

"Altogether, we were all together."

 A confused man

Learning English sure is difficult, isn't it? Luckily, help is here!

Learn the difference between "altogether" vs. "all together" so you don't get confused anymore!

What does "all together" mean?

"All together" refers to people or things grouped together, either in a physical place or united in the same action.

Examples include:

My family is all together for the holidays.

A family is feasting together

The choir sang all together during the performance.

A choir is singing joyously.

The crowd cheered all together when their team scored a point.

A crowd cheers

Quiz

Where would "all together" fit most appropriately? Select all that apply:

What does "altogether" mean?

The word "altogether" means wholly or completely.

Examples include:

I abandoned my dreams altogether after all my money was stolen from me.

A man has empty pockets.

The jury found the defendant's story altogether unbelievable.

Seth Myers says,

Since the man felt ill, he canceled his daily meetings altogether.

All meetings on a daily schedule are canceled.

"Altogether" could also mean all told or all things considered. It refers to how a complete situation turned out or how an ongoing situation is currently doing overall.

Examples include:

Altogether, the project was a success!

Borat says,

Altogether, the lemonade stand earned record profits.

A man upgrades his lemonade stand into a fancier model.

To achieve his dream, he needed to work hard and have a bit of luck, and, altogether, he was able to do it.

A baby raises his arms in celebration.

Quiz

Where would be the best place to use "altogether"? Select all that apply:

Quiz

A big family

"All together" or "altogether"?

Eileen did not expect that her family would come __________ at the same time to her house. She thought they would visit seperately. She was disappointed because she thought it would drain her energy to deal with them all at once. However, that was not the case. __________, she had a wonderful time with all of her family.

Quiz

Where do the words best fit?

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Yes, English can be confusing but, altogether, it isn't so bad!

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