this (these) all

Use these (or all of these) for multiple items; use this (or all of this) for a single situation. If you see "this all," check whether the referent is singular or plural, then rewrite to match number or to a clearer phrasing.

The quick fix

If you mean several items, use these or all of these. If you mean one unit or situation, use this or all of this. Clear rewrites: "All of this...", "All of these...", "These X all...", or "It all...".

Wrong: This all happened because of a miscommunication. - Mismatch: this (singular) + all (group sense).
If one situation: All of this happened because of a miscommunication.
If multiple events: These events all happened because of a miscommunication. Or: All of these events happened.

Core explanation: what's wrong with "this all"

"This" is singular; "these" is plural. Since "all" usually signals a group, "this + all" creates a number clash unless you mean one combined thing.

Tight fixes: switch to these, or rewrite as "all of this / all of these", or name the group and place all after the noun (for example, "these problems all...").

Use "this" / "all of this" for one combined situation.
Use "these" / "all of these" for multiple items.
Prefer specific nouns (these issues, these emails) over vague demonstratives when possible.

Grammar basics: demonstratives, number, and "all"

this/that = singular demonstratives; these/those = plural. "All" can be a pronoun ("All were late") or part of a phrase ("all of the emails"). Match number between demonstrative and referent.

Singular: All of this was unexpected. (or This was all unexpected.)
Plural: All of these were unexpected. / These were all unexpected.
Avoid "this all" when the meaning is plural, especially in formal writing.

Examples: six common wrong/right pairs

Choose the rewrite that matches whether the speaker means one combined situation or several items.

Wrong: This all happened after the merger. -
Right: All of this happened after the merger.
Wrong: This all contributed to the drop in sales. -
Right: These factors all contributed to the drop in sales.
Wrong: This all caused the experiment to fail. -
Right: All of this caused the experiment to fail.
Wrong: This all made the report hard to follow. -
Right: These points all made the report hard to follow.
Wrong: This all led to the misunderstanding. -
Right: All of this led to the misunderstanding.
Wrong: This all happened during the outage. -
Right: These incidents all happened during the outage.

Work examples: emails, reports, and meetings

In professional writing, prefer explicit number agreement and specific nouns for faster comprehension.

Wrong: This all happened because we skipped the QA step. - Better: All of this happened because we skipped the QA step.
Wrong: This all caused the backlog to grow. - Better: These delays all caused the backlog to grow.
Wrong: This all is on the project plan. - Better: All of this is on the project plan, or These items are all on the project plan.

School examples: essays, lab reports, and presentations

Academic readers expect precise agreement and specific labels for data or events.

Wrong: This all supports the hypothesis. - Better: All of these results support the hypothesis.
Wrong: This all happened during the experiment. - Better: These events occurred during the experiment.
Wrong: This all shows a trend in the data. - Better: These data points all show a trend, or All of this shows a trend if you mean one combined pattern.

Casual examples: texts, chats, and conversations

In speech and informal messages people often say "this all" and listeners infer meaning. For clearer written messages, apply the same number check.

Casual: "This all happened so fast." - spoken: usually fine. Written: All of this happened so quickly.
Casual: "This all went downhill after lunch." - clearer written: These things all went downhill after lunch, or It all went downhill after lunch.
Casual: "This all needs fixing." - options: These items need fixing; All of this needs fixing (if you mean one combined system).

Try your own sentence

Read the whole sentence aloud and ask: is the referent one combined thing or a list of items? That single check resolves most cases.

Real usage and tone: when "this all" slips through

Native speakers often use "this all" in conversation; context fills in number. For writing that others will read later, choose a clearer construction.

Neutral alternatives that avoid demonstrative choice: "It all happened" (single summary) or "They all happened" / "These things all happened" (plural summary).

Spoken: "This all happened so fast" - acceptable in conversation.
Written: prefer "All of this happened so fast" or "These things all happened so fast."
Neutral short options: "It all happened" (singular summary) or "They all happened" (plural summary).

Rewrite help: step-by-step editing workflow

When you spot "this all," run three quick checks and choose a rewrite.

Step 1: Identify the referent - singular situation or multiple items?
Step 2: If singular → use this / all of this / it all. If plural → use these / all of these / these X all.
Step 3: Replace vague "this/these" with a specific noun when possible (these emails, these errors).

Rewrite:
Original: This all went wrong because of poor planning. - All of this went wrong because of poor planning.
Rewrite:
Original: This all delayed the launch. - These delays all pushed back the launch.
Alternative: All of these delays pushed back the launch.
Rewrite:
Original: This all made the conclusion unclear. - These issues all made the conclusion unclear. Or: All of this made the conclusion unclear (if you mean one combined problem).
Quick fixes: "These items need to be fixed" or "All of this needs to be fixed" (choose based on meaning).

Memory trick, spacing, and hyphenation

Memory trick: "this = 1, these = many." If "all" refers to many, switch to "these" or rewrite to "all of these."

Spacing and hyphenation: never hyphenate "all of these" or "this all." Use normal spacing. Hyphens belong in compound adjectives; better to reword than to force hyphenation.

Mnemonic: this → single; these → multiple.
Spacing: correct - All of these examples. Incorrect - All-of-these examples.
Hyphenation: avoid "all-of-this" as an adjective; rewrite (the overall effect, the combined effect).

Similar mistakes to watch for

Mixing demonstrative number causes other errors: "this everyone," "that all" (when you mean those), and vague "this" that should be a specific noun.

Replace "this everyone" with "everyone here" or "all of them."
Replace "that all" with "all of those" or "those X all."
When in doubt, name the group: these students, those emails, these changes.

Wrong: This everyone needs to sign the form. -
Right: Everyone here needs to sign the form, or All of them need to sign the form.
Wrong: That all were delayed by rain. -
Right: All of those were delayed by rain, or Those shipments were delayed by rain.
Wrong: This people were unhappy with the service. -
Right: These people were unhappy with the service.

FAQ

Is "this all happened" ever correct?

In casual speech listeners often accept it, but in writing it's usually a mismatch. Prefer "All of this happened" (one situation) or "These events all happened" / "All of these happened" (multiple items).

Can I say "these all happened"?

"These all happened" is grammatically acceptable because "these" is plural, but it can sound awkward. More natural: "These events all happened" or "All of these events happened."

What's a fast rewrite for "This all happened because of a misunderstanding"?

If you mean one situation: "All of this happened because of a misunderstanding." If you mean several events: "These events all happened because of a misunderstanding."

Is "this all" OK in texts or chats?

Yes, in informal chat it's usually fine. For messages others will read later (work chat, emails, assignments), prefer clearer rewrites.

How do I check my sentence quickly?

Ask: does the referent point to one combined thing or multiple items? If multiple, change this → these or rewrite to "all of these" or "these X all." Replace vague demonstratives with specific nouns when possible.

Need quick help with a sentence?

Read two rewrites aloud: one with "this/all of this" and one with "these/all of these." The version that sounds natural and matches the intended referent is the right choice.

Use a grammar checker for context-aware suggestions when you want both formal and casual options.