🧠 TOEIC Trap Spotlight: All vs Whole

You walk into the meeting room.

Your colleague says:

“All the team members are here.”

Five minutes later, your manager says:

“The whole team is here.”

Same meaning?

Not quite.

They both sound natural.
They both mean “everyone is here.”
But TOEIC will test if you can feel the structure behind the sentence.

This trap isn’t about vocabulary.
It’s about knowing how to build the sentence around the idea.

TOEIC wants to see if you know when to focus on the group — and when to focus on the unit.

Let’s break the difference down.

🚨 THE TRAP

TOEIC gives you something like:

“___ report must be finished by noon.”

You get these choices:

  • All

  • The whole

Both feel possible.
But only one fits the sentence structure.

That’s the trap.

They’re not testing word meaning — they’re testing how well you understand the form of the sentence.

🧠 COACHING BREAKDOWN — GROUP PARTS vs ONE THING

Here’s the simple way to feel it:

Use all when talking about:

  • Multiple things

  • Groups or uncountable ideas

“All employees must attend.”
“All the information was helpful.”

Use the whole when talking about:

  • One complete thing

“The whole report was rewritten.”
“The whole company is moving.”

So if the noun is plural or uncountable → use all.
If the noun is a single, countable item → use the whole.

This is structure, not grammar.
Say it out loud — what feels complete? What feels grouped?

🏋️ TOEIC-Coached Questions

①
___ team is ready for the presentation.

  • All

  • The whole

✅ Answer: The whole
→ “Team” is a singular unit → use the whole

②
___ the projects were delayed due to budgeting issues.

  • All

  • The whole

✅ Answer: All
→ “Projects” = plural → use all

③
___ the feedback was very positive.

  • All

  • The whole

✅ Answer: All
→ “Feedback” = uncountable → use all

④
We reviewed ___ report carefully.

  • All

  • The whole

✅ Answer: The whole
→ Singular: “report” → needs the whole

📝 4 Practice Questions

Choose the word that best completes the sentence.

①
___ company voted to change the logo.

  • All

  • The whole

②
___ of the documents are now online.

  • All

  • The whole

③
They cleaned ___ apartment in two hours.

  • All

  • The whole

④
___ employees were required to sign the form.

  • All

  • The whole

✅ Answer Key + Coaching

① Answer: The whole
→ “Company” = one unit → use the whole

② Answer: All
→ “Documents” = plural → use all

③ Answer: The whole
→ “Apartment” = one thing → use the whole

④ Answer: All
→ “Employees” = plural → use all

🧠 Final Coaching Recap

This is not a vocabulary test.
This is about knowing how the sentence is shaped.

  • Use all with plural or uncountable things

  • Use the whole with one complete, countable thing

When in doubt:

“Am I talking about many parts or people?” → Use all
“Am I talking about one complete thing?” → Use the whole

Feel the shape.
Follow the logic.
And avoid the trap.

🧠 SEO FAQ — All vs Whole What is the difference between “all” and “whole”? “All” is used with plurals or uncountable things. “Whole” is used with one complete thing. When should I use “all”? Use “all” when talking about multiple people or things, or something uncountable. Example: All employees arrived early. When should I use “whole”? Use “whole” when talking about one single item that is complete. Example: The whole report was rewritten. Can I use “all” and “whole” in the same sentence? Yes, but they focus on different things. Example: All the parts of the machine were checked. The whole machine was tested. Why is “all vs whole” confusing in TOEIC? Because they both mean “complete,” but the sentence structure is different. You must choose based on the noun type. Can I say “all the day”? No. Use “the whole day” instead. “Day” is a single unit → use “whole.” Can I say “whole employees”? No. Use “all employees.” “Employees” is plural → use “all.” Is “all” used with uncountable nouns? Yes. Example: All the information was useful. Can “whole” be used with uncountable nouns? No. “Whole” is used with countable, singular nouns only. How do I know which one to choose on TOEIC? Look at the noun. If it’s plural or uncountable → use “all.” If it’s one single countable thing → use “the whole.”