Grammatically Correct 6/24/08
A weekly grammar tip created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors.
University of Houston-Victoria
3007 N. Ben Wilson
Victoria, TX 77901

Altogether & all together. Anytime & any time: What’s the difference?

The Author

Karalyn Jones
is pursuing a degree in education and has tutored since 2005. Karalyn is CRLA certified at the master level and is known in the Academic Center for the number of cups of coffee she can drink. 
 
Definitions

Altogether (adv)
1. wholly; entirely; completely.
2. with all or everything included.

All together (phrase)
in a group

Anytime (adv)
at any time

-Dictionary.com

 

A space can make a considerable difference when it comes to words.  It can also mean nothing at all. Let’s check this out.

Altogether vs. All together

Both of these deal with the idea of the whole, the entirety. Without the space, altogether is an adverb that means completely or wholly. With the space, all together is a noun phrase that means in a group.

The adverb altogether refers to something in its entirety.

Ex. I am altogether fed up.  Four o’clock in the morning is altogether too early.

The noun phrase all together refers to all the members of a group.  While all together is a noun phrase in form, it often functions as an adverb in the sentence.

Ex. By themselves, the Acoli were not a threat, but all together, they made a fierce and formidable force.

Ex. All together, we went to the show.

Anytime  vs. Any time

The noun phrase any time and the adverb anytime are essentially synonymous in meaning. The difference is that the preposition at is absorbed when the adverb anytime is used.

Ex. This can be done at any time.    versus    This can be done anytime.

Also, make sure to use the two-word version when the phrase contains an adjective modifying a noun that is used as a subject or object in the sentence.

Ex. I will not have any time to relax until next Thursday.

References.

Altogether. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved January 7, 2008, from Dictionary.com website.

All together.  Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved January 7, 2008, from Dictionary.com website.

Anytime. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved January 7, 2008, from Dictionary.com website.

 

Test Your Knowledge

Choose the correct word to complete each of the following sentences:

  1. This is (altogether, all together) a bad idea.
  2. (Altogether, All together), we can accomplish anything we put our minds to.
  3. Should I complete these (altogether, all together) or do one at a time?
  4. I am available for an interview (anytime, any time) during the week.
  5. You’re welcome at (anytime, any time).
  6. (Anytime, Any time) you finish is (altogether, all together) acceptable to me.

 



Answers
 

  1. This is altogether a bad idea.
  2. All together, we can accomplish anything we put our minds to.
  3. Should I complete these all together or do one at a time?
  4. I am available for an interview anytime during the week.
  5. You’re welcome at any time.
  6. Anytime you finish is altogether acceptable to me.

 

Suggested Resources

Related Academic Center Resources

Grammatically Correct is archived on the Academic Center's website, including all of our "when to use" grammar tips.  Other grammar tips that have dealt with homophones include Candice Chovanec Melzow's Complement versus Compliment (originally published on 3/15/05) and When to Use Who's and Whose (originally published on 11/28/06). 

Recommended Grammar Website of the Week

For more information on commonly confused words, check out Words Commonly Confused by Cheney and Moore. Each entry defines each word and provides a short quiz to test your understanding.

 

 

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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