Use "At All" to Strengthen Your Questions and Negative Statements
Have you ever heard someone end a statement with "at all" and wondered what it meant? It’s actually a quick and effective way to add emphasis to your statements and questions.
It's likely that you never learned it in school, but it is commonly used both in formal and informal English communication. That means it's important for you to know!
If you need an explanation, this article will teach you all you need to know to use it like a pro.
Negative statements
“At all” is used in two major ways, and both make what you say stronger. The first use we’ll look at is in negative statements. Look at this example:
I don’t like green tea.
This statement is clear and direct. But what about the one below?
I don’t like green tea at all.
In the first example, it’s possible the speaker drinks green tea occasionally, even if it’s not their favorite drink.
On the other hand, adding “at all” to the end gives the statement a much stronger feeling. In this second example, it sounds as if the speaker will never drink green tea if they have the choice.
It was so foggy, we couldn’t see anything at all.
The extra emphasis from "at all" stresses how little the speaker could see.
It’s important to remember that "at all" is only used in sentences with a negative form of a verb.
This means a statement such as “I hate horror movies at all” is incorrect; even though the feeling of the sentence is negative (hate), the verb is in the positive form. The proper way to express this idea is "I don't like horror movies at all."
We don't eat meat at all.
They won't listen at all.
At the karaoke bar, he didn't sing at all.
However, although it is used in negative statements, the statement can still have a positive meaning. For example:
I have no problem at all recommending Miles for the job.
= I recommend Miles 100%.
Here, the speaker is expressing how much they think Miles would be good for the job; they can recommend him with no hesitation. Here's another example:
We didn’t have any trouble at all finding the hotel.
= We had no trouble.
Note that “at all” can sometimes be used in the middle of a statement instead of at the end.
I didn’t sleep on the flight at all.
I didn’t sleep at all on the flight.
The only place it cannot go is at the beginning of a sentence.
Questions
The other main way of using “at all” is in questions. Just like above, it adds emphasis. For example:
You didn’t buy anything at the market?
This is a basic question. The following example, however, sounds stronger.
You didn’t buy anything at all at the market?
This stronger question includes a nuance of surprise; the speaker is looking for confirmation that their friend really bought nothing.
Here is another pair of questions to compare:
Did she say anything?
Did she say anything at all?
Again, the second example is more intense. The nuance is that the speaker wants or needs information badly, even if it's only something small.
Responses
“At all” can also be used as a response to a question. This usage confirms something that was previously said.
You need to use it along with a negative word, which depends on what you are responding to.
A
Did you have trouble finding our house?
B
Not at all. / None at all.
= I didn't have any trouble.
A
You didn’t buy anything from the store?
B
Nothing at all.
= I didn't buy anything.
A
Do you mind if I sit here?
B
Not at all.
= I don't mind. / Please sit!
Wrap-up
Of course, you don't need "at all" to form questions and negative statements. But if you want them to have a little more impact, it's exactly what you need. Just remember that it's always used with a negative word, even if what you're saying is positive.
Give it a try in your next English conversation!
