Most vs Most of
What’s the difference between them?
Most
Meaning:
refers to the greatest amount or number out of a group.
Examples:
1. Most people think that being organized is important.
2. Most days, I try to take a walk in the afternoon.
3. Most people love to watch football.
Most of
Meaning:
the majority or a large number. As an adjective, it means the greatest in amount, degree, or importance. When used as an adverb with the phrase 'of,' it means nearly all of.
Examples:
1. Most of the people in the room were laughing.
2. Most of the profits will be reinvested in the business.
3. Most of the food had already been eaten.
Learn similar and opposite words to spot the difference
Synonyms
Antonyms
Most
1. Utmost
2. Maximum
3. Preeminent
4. Paramount
5. Supreme
1. Least
2. Fewest
3. Worst
4. Uncommon
5. Inferior
Most of
1. Majority of
2. Nearly all of
3. The lion's share of
4. The bulk of
5. A great deal of
1. A minority of
2. A few of
3. A tiny fraction of
4. Hardly any of
5. Scarcely any of
Tricks for mastery
Useful tips to understand the difference between confusing words "Most", "Most of".
1. Most is used to refer to the greatest amount of something.
2. Most of is used to refer to nearly the entire portion of something.
Practice English with the Promova app and avoid misusing confusing words
Frequently asked questions
When should 'most' be used?
'Most' should be used when referring to a majority or large portion of something, such as people, objects, or events. For example, you could say 'Most of the people in the room were wearing red.'
When is the appropriate context for using 'most of'?
'Most of' should be used when referring to an unspecified majority or large portion of something. For instance, you could say 'Most of the students in my class have already taken the final exam.'
Do 'most' and 'most of' share the same pronunciation?
No, most is pronounced /most/, while most of is pronounced /most ov/.
What are some common mistakes people make when using these words?
One of the most common mistakes people make when using these words is not specifying the size of the majority they are referring to. For example, saying 'Most of the students like pizza' implies a larger majority than saying 'Most of the students in my class like pizza.' Additionally, people may mistakenly use 'most' when they should be using 'all.' For instance, 'Most of the students in my class passed the exam' implies that not everyone passed the exam, whereas 'All of the students in my class passed the exam' implies that everyone passed.
Fill in the gaps to check yourself
1. _______ the students in the class were able to complete the test on time.
2. He was able to finish the assignment in _______ the allotted time.
3. She was able to understand _______ the concepts with ease.
4. _______ the people in the office were able to understand the new rules.
5. We were able to finish the project with _______ the resources that we had.
6. He was able to learn _______ the new topics quickly.
1. Most
Explanation: Most is used in the sentence to refer to the majority of the students in the class. It implies that out of the total students, the majority were able to complete the test on time.
2. Most of
Explanation: Most of is used in the sentence to refer to the majority of the allotted time. It implies that out of the total time, the majority was used to finish the assignment.
3. Most
Explanation: Most is used in the sentence to refer to the majority of the concepts. It implies that out of the total concepts, the majority was understood with ease.
4. Most
Explanation: Most is used in the sentence to refer to the majority of the people in the office. It implies that out of the total people, the majority were able to understand the new rules.
5. Most of
Explanation: Most of is used in the sentence to refer to the majority of the resources that were had. It implies that out of the total resources, the majority was used to finish the project.
6. Most
Explanation: Most is used in the sentence to refer to the majority of the new topics. It implies that out of the total topics, the majority was learned quickly.
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List of Commonly Confused Words
Finding your way around the English language can be hard, especially since there are so many confusing words and rules. So, a list of the most confusing words in English is an extremely useful tool for improving language accuracy and sharing the ideas clearly.