How to Use “Most” vs “Most Of” in English | Real Life English Practice

[00:00:00]Welcome to Speak English Fluently. I'm Maya, and I'm here with Ben to help you speak English more naturally and confidently. If you enjoy learning through simple, real-life conversations, subscribe to the channel and practice with us regularly.

[00:00:16]>> Maya, I made a small mistake at the grocery store yesterday.

[00:00:20]>> What did you say?

[00:00:22]>> I looked at my shopping cart and said, "Most of vegetables in this cart are healthy."

[00:00:27]>> I understand what you meant, but that sentence doesn't sound natural.

[00:00:32]>> I knew it. The cashier looked at me like I was giving a speech about carrots.

[00:00:37]>> Maybe the carrots were listening.

[00:00:40]>> They looked very interested.

[00:00:42]>> The natural sentence is, "Most vegetables in this cart are healthy."

[00:00:47]>> So, we don't use of there.

[00:00:51]>> Right. Today, we're going to learn when to use most and when to use most of.

[00:00:57]>> Good, because they look almost the same, but they don't always work the same way.

[00:01:03]>> Exactly. Let's begin with one simple rule.

[00:01:07]>> I'm ready.

[00:01:08]>> Use most before a general group.

[00:01:11]>> What does a general group mean?

[00:01:14]>> It means you're talking about people or things in general, not one specific group.

[00:01:20]>> Can you give me an example?

[00:01:22]>> Of course. Most people need sleep.

[00:01:26]>> That means people in general.

[00:01:28]>> Yes. We can also say, "Most children like games."

[00:01:33]>> Most cars use gas.

[00:01:35]>> Perfect.

[00:01:36]>> Most dogs enjoy walks.

[00:01:39]>> Very natural.

[00:01:40]>> And most students don't enjoy surprise tests.

[00:01:45]>> That's probably true.

[00:01:47]>> Especially when the teacher says, "Don't worry, it's very easy."

[00:01:52]>> That usually means it isn't easy.

[00:01:55]>> Exactly.

[00:01:56]>> Now, here's the second rule. Use most of before a specific group.

[00:02:03]>> How do I know the group is specific?

[00:02:05]>> Usually, you'll see words like the, my, our, these, those, or a person's name.

[00:02:14]>> So, I can say most of the students in my class are friendly.

[00:02:18]>> Correct. You aren't talking about all students everywhere. You're talking about the students in your class.

[00:02:26]>> What about most of my friends live nearby?

[00:02:29]>> Excellent. My friends is a specific group.

[00:02:34]>> Most of these cookies are gone.

[00:02:36]>> Also correct.

[00:02:38]>> That's because I ate them.

[00:02:39]>> I was wondering what happened.

[00:02:42]>> I was doing grammar research.

[00:02:44]>> Very serious research.

[00:02:46]>> So, most people is general, but most of the people at the party is specific.

[00:02:53]>> Exactly. That difference is the key.

[00:02:56]>> Let me try another pair. Most Americans drive cars.

[00:03:01]>> Good. That's general.

[00:03:02]>> Most of the Americans in this office drive to work.

[00:03:07]>> Perfect. That's a particular group in one office.

[00:03:11]>> I think I'm getting it.

[00:03:12]>> Let's practice with daily life examples.

[00:03:15]>> Go ahead.

[00:03:16]>> Complete this sentence. Blank restaurants are busy on Friday night.

[00:03:22]>> Most restaurants are busy on Friday night.

[00:03:25]>> Correct. Restaurants in general.

[00:03:28]>> Easy.

[00:03:29]>> Now, blank the restaurants near my apartment are expensive.

[00:03:34]>> Most of the restaurants near my apartment are expensive.

[00:03:38]>> Exactly.

[00:03:39]>> My wallet understands that sentence very well.

[00:03:43]>> Here's another one.

[00:03:44]Blank coworkers bring lunch from home.

[00:03:48]>> Most of my coworkers bring lunch from home.

[00:03:51]>> Right.

[00:03:52]>> Because my co-workers is a specific group.

[00:03:56]>> Yes. Now try this one. Blank parents worry about their children.

[00:04:02]>> Most parents worry about their children.

[00:04:05]>> Great. That's a general statement.

[00:04:08]>> Can we use most of with pronouns?

[00:04:11]>> Yes, and this is our third rule. Before pronouns like us, them, and you, always use most of.

[00:04:20]>> So, I should say most of us are tired after work.

[00:04:25]>> Correct.

[00:04:26]>> Most them are tired is wrong.

[00:04:28]>> Right. You need of. Say, most of them are tired.

[00:04:34]>> What about most of you understand this rule?

[00:04:38]>> Perfect.

[00:04:39]>> I hope most of you really do.

[00:04:41]>> Let's build a quick phrase pack. These are useful patterns you can use in daily conversations.

[00:04:47]>> I'll repeat them.

[00:04:49]>> Most people think.

[00:04:51]>> Most people think.

[00:04:52]>> Most students need.

[00:04:55]>> Most students need.

[00:04:57]>> Most days I >> Most days I >> Most of the time >> Most of the time >> Most of my friends >> Most of my friends >> Most of our neighbors >> Most of our neighbors >> Most of these options >> Most of these options >> Most of them >> Most of them >> Most of us >> Most of us >> Most of you >> Most of you >> Now let's do a mini quiz.

[00:05:27]>> I'm ready, I think.

[00:05:29]>> Number one.

[00:05:31]Blank people check their phones in the morning.

[00:05:34]>> Most people check their phones in the morning.

[00:05:37]>> Correct. Number two.

[00:05:39]Blank the people in this room have a phone.

[00:05:42]>> Most of the people in this room have a phone.

[00:05:46]>> Correct. Number three. Blank, my family lives in Texas.

[00:05:51]>> Most of my family lives in Texas.

[00:05:54]>> Very good. Number four. Blank, them ordered coffee.

[00:05:59]>> Most of them ordered coffee.

[00:06:02]>> Excellent.

[00:06:03]>> I got all four right.

[00:06:04]>> You did. So, let's recap. Use most with general groups like most people or most cars.

[00:06:12]>> Use most of with specific groups like most of the people or most of my friends.

[00:06:19]>> And use most of before pronouns like most of us and most of them.

[00:06:25]>> Now it sounds much clearer.

[00:06:27]>> Before we continue, answer this question in the comments.

[00:06:30]What do most people in your family enjoy doing together?

[00:06:35]>> You can write most people in my family enjoy cooking or most of my family enjoys watching movies.

[00:06:42]>> Great examples.

[00:06:44]>> And most of my family enjoys eating the food after someone else cooks it.

[00:06:49]>> That might be the most honest answer today. Let's continue with a mistake learners often make when they understand the basic rule, but still choose the wrong structure.

[00:07:00]>> That sounds like me.

[00:07:01]>> Imagine you're talking about your weekend. You say, most of weekend I stayed home.

[00:07:07]>> That sounds possible, but I'm guessing it's wrong.

[00:07:10]>> It is. We say, most of the weekend I stayed home.

[00:07:15]>> Because it was one specific weekend.

[00:07:17]>> Exactly. The weekend refers to a particular period of time.

[00:07:22]>> So, I can say most of the morning I was in meetings.

[00:07:26]>> Yes.

[00:07:26]>> Most of the afternoon I worked on a report.

[00:07:29]>> Correct.

[00:07:30]>> Most of the evening I complained about the report.

[00:07:33]>> Grammatically correct, but maybe not the healthiest routine.

[00:07:37]>> Complaining helps me organize my thoughts.

[00:07:39]>> I'm not sure that's how organization works.

[00:07:43]>> It works emotionally.

[00:07:44]>> Now, compare that with most mornings.

[00:07:48]>> That sounds general.

[00:07:49]>> Right. Most mornings, I drink coffee.

[00:07:52]>> That means on many mornings as a usual habit.

[00:07:56]>> Exactly. But most of the morning means the larger part of one particular morning.

[00:08:02]>> Let me compare them. Most mornings, I exercise.

[00:08:06]>> General habit.

[00:08:07]>> Most of the morning, I exercised.

[00:08:10]>> One specific morning.

[00:08:11]>> That was probably a very long workout.

[00:08:14]>> Or a very slow one.

[00:08:16]>> Probably slow.

[00:08:18]>> Here's another useful difference. We can say most people, but we cannot usually say the most people when we mean a majority.

[00:08:26]>> But I've heard the most people.

[00:08:29]>> You have, but it has a different meaning.

[00:08:31]The most is often used to compare quantities.

[00:08:35]>> Can you show me?

[00:08:36]>> Sure.

[00:08:37]This restaurant has the most customers.

[00:08:40]>> That means it has more customers than the other restaurants.

[00:08:43]>> Right. But most customers pay by card means the majority of customers pay by card.

[00:08:50]>> So, most customers means more than half in a general way.

[00:08:54]>> Yes.

[00:08:54]>> And the most customers means the highest number compared with others.

[00:08:59]>> Perfect.

[00:09:00]>> Let me try. Most students use laptops.

[00:09:03]>> Good.

[00:09:04]>> My class has the most students.

[00:09:06]>> Excellent.

[00:09:07]>> Most employees arrived early.

[00:09:10]>> Correct.

[00:09:11]>> The marketing department has the most employees.

[00:09:14]>> Exactly.

[00:09:15]>> That small word the changes a lot.

[00:09:18]>> It really does. Now, let's practice another common pattern. Most of what.

[00:09:24]Most of what I said or most of what we learned.

[00:09:27]>> Why do we need of there?

[00:09:29]>> Because what I said is a specific amount of information.

[00:09:33]>> So, I can say I understood most of what the teacher explained.

[00:09:38]>> Very natural.

[00:09:39]>> I forgot most of what I studied.

[00:09:41]>> Also natural, although a little sad.

[00:09:44]>> It happens 5 minutes after the test starts.

[00:09:47]>> That is terrible timing.

[00:09:50]>> Can I say most what I studied?

[00:09:52]>> No, you need of. Say most of what I studied.

[00:09:56]>> What about most of what he says is useful?

[00:10:00]>> Correct.

[00:10:01]>> And maybe a small part is just a long story.

[00:10:04]>> We all know someone like that.

[00:10:06]>> I wasn't going to say it.

[00:10:08]>> Your silence said enough. Let's do a guided practice round. I'll give you a situation and you make a sentence.

[00:10:15]>> Let's do it.

[00:10:16]>> You attended a wedding. Nearly everyone danced.

[00:10:19]>> Most people at the wedding danced.

[00:10:22]>> That's understandable, but make the group more specific.

[00:10:25]>> Most of the people at the wedding danced.

[00:10:28]>> Better.

[00:10:29]>> Because I'm talking about the people at one particular wedding.

[00:10:32]>> Correct. Next situation. In general, people enjoy music.

[00:10:37]>> Most people enjoy music.

[00:10:38]>> Good. Next, you spent nearly the entire day cleaning your apartment.

[00:10:43]>> Most of the day I cleaned my apartment.

[00:10:46]>> Perfect.

[00:10:46]>> My apartment must have been extremely messy.

[00:10:49]>> Or you were avoiding another task.

[00:10:51]>> That's more realistic.

[00:10:53]>> Next, on many days you cooked dinner at home.

[00:10:56]>> Most days I cooked dinner at home.

[00:10:58]>> Excellent.

[00:10:59]>> I see the difference now. Most days means many different days. Most of the day means a large part of one particular day.

[00:11:08]>> Exactly. Now, let's add some useful expressions to our phrase pack.

[00:11:13]>> I'm ready to repeat.

[00:11:14]>> Most of the day.

[00:11:15]>> Most of the day.

[00:11:17]>> Most of the week.

[00:11:18]>> Most of the week.

[00:11:19]>> Most mornings.

[00:11:21]>> Most mornings.

[00:11:22]>> Most weekends.

[00:11:23]>> Most weekends.

[00:11:25]>> Most of what I heard.

[00:11:27]>> Most of what I heard.

[00:11:28]>> Most of what we discussed.

[00:11:30]>> Most of what we discussed.

[00:11:32]>> Most people I know.

[00:11:34]>> Most people I know.

[00:11:35]>> Most of the people I know.

[00:11:37]>> Wait, are both correct?

[00:11:39]>> Yes, but there's a small difference.

[00:11:41]Most people I know is more natural in everyday speech.

[00:11:45]>> And most of the people I know sounds more specific or slightly more formal.

[00:11:50]>> Exactly.

[00:11:51]>> Good, that's useful.

[00:11:53]>> Let's finish with a quick quiz.

[00:11:55]>> I'm feeling confident now.

[00:11:57]>> Choose the correct sentence. Number one.

[00:11:59]Most weekends we visit my parents or most of weekends we visit my parents.

[00:12:04]>> Most weekends we visit my parents.

[00:12:06]>> Correct. Number two. Most the movie was funny or most of the movie was funny.

[00:12:12]>> Most of the movie was funny.

[00:12:14]>> Correct. Number three. Most of what she said was true or most what she said was true.

[00:12:20]>> Most of what she said was true.

[00:12:22]>> Excellent. Number four. Most customers were happy or the most customers were happy.

[00:12:28]>> Most customers were happy.

[00:12:30]>> Right. Number five. This store has most customers or this store has the most customers.

[00:12:38]>> This store has the most customers.

[00:12:40]>> Perfect.

[00:12:41]>> So, today we added three important ideas. Most of the morning is specific, but most mornings is general.

[00:12:49]>> Most customers means the majority, while the most customers means the highest number.

[00:12:55]>> And before expressions like what I heard or what she said, we use most of.

[00:13:01]>> Exactly.

[00:13:02]>> Most of what confused me before is finally becoming clear.

[00:13:06]>> That was an excellent sentence.

[00:13:09]>> I'd like to thank most of my brain for cooperating today.

[00:13:12]>> What about the rest of it?

[00:13:14]>> It's already thinking about lunch.

[00:13:16]>> Let's finish with a few natural patterns that will help you use these expressions confidently in real conversations.

[00:13:23]>> Good. I understand the rules, but I still need practice.

[00:13:27]>> That's normal. Knowing a rule and using it quickly are two different skills.

[00:13:33]>> My brain knows the rule, but my mouth sometimes makes its own decisions.

[00:13:38]>> That happens to every language learner.

[00:13:41]>> So, what's our next pattern?

[00:13:43]>> We can use most with both plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

[00:13:49]>> Can you explain those terms simply?

[00:13:52]>> A countable noun is something you can count, like books, chairs, or customers.

[00:13:58]>> One book, two books, three books.

[00:14:00]>> Exactly. An uncountable noun is something we usually don't count individually, like water, money, traffic, or information.

[00:14:10]>> So, we can say most books in this store are expensive.

[00:14:15]>> Yes, and we can also say most information online should be checked carefully.

[00:14:22]>> What about food?

[00:14:23]>> You can say most food at that restaurant is fresh.

[00:14:27]>> And if I'm talking about one specific meal?

[00:14:30]>> Then say most of the food we ordered was fresh.

[00:14:34]>> So, the same general versus specific rule still works.

[00:14:38]>> Exactly. Listen to these two sentences.

[00:14:42]Most coffee contains caffeine.

[00:14:45]>> That's coffee in general.

[00:14:47]>> Right. Now, most of the coffee in my cup is cold.

[00:14:52]>> That's specific coffee.

[00:14:54]>> Perfect.

[00:14:55]>> And all of the coffee in my cup will disappear soon.

[00:14:59]>> You're very committed to your examples.

[00:15:01]>> I learn better with snacks and drinks.

[00:15:04]>> Now, let's talk about most of it.

[00:15:07]>> We use that when the thing has already been mentioned, right?

[00:15:11]>> Exactly. Imagine I ask, "Did you finish the report?"

[00:15:15]>> I can answer, "I finished most of it."

[00:15:18]>> Correct. It refers to the report.

[00:15:21]>> If you ask, "Did you eat the pizza?" I can say, "I ate most of it."

[00:15:26]>> Yes, although that answer may upset the other people in the room.

[00:15:30]>> I would leave them one slice.

[00:15:32]>> Very generous.

[00:15:33]>> We can also say most of them for plural things.

[00:15:37]>> Right. For example, I bought 10 books, but I haven't read most of them.

[00:15:43]>> That sounds like my bookshelf.

[00:15:45]>> Or the team answered 20 questions, and they got most of them correct.

[00:15:51]>> Can we say most of this and most of that?

[00:15:54]>> Yes. I agree with most of this, or I don't understand most of that.

[00:16:00]>> What about names of places or groups?

[00:16:03]>> We often use most of when we mean a large part of a specific place or organization. For example, most of New York was covered in snow.

[00:16:13]>> Or most of the company works remotely.

[00:16:16]>> Correct. We use the before company because we mean a specific company.

[00:16:22]>> Can I say most of America drives?

[00:16:25]>> Grammatically, most of America can refer to a large part of the country or population, but that sentence sounds too broad and unclear.

[00:16:35]>> What would be better?

[00:16:36]>> Say most Americans drive if you're talking generally about people.

[00:16:41]>> So, we should choose the clearest noun, not just follow the grammar mechanically.

[00:16:47]>> Exactly. Good English isn't only about being technically correct. It should also sound clear and natural.

[00:16:54]>> That's an important point.

[00:16:56]>> Let's practice with a short conversation.

[00:16:58]>> I'm ready.

[00:16:59]>> Did you enjoy the conference?

[00:17:01]>> Yes, most speakers were interesting.

[00:17:04]>> Good. What about the workshops?

[00:17:06]>> Most of the workshops were useful.

[00:17:09]>> Excellent. Did you understand everything?

[00:17:12]>> No, but I understood most of it.

[00:17:14]>> And did Did co-workers enjoy it?

[00:17:16]>> Yes, most of them said they wanted to attend again.

[00:17:19]>> Perfect. You used four different patterns naturally.

[00:17:23]>> I deserve a grammar certificate.

[00:17:26]>> You can print one after the podcast.

[00:17:28]>> I'll write, "Most of this certificate is official."

[00:17:32]>> That sentence makes it sound very unofficial.

[00:17:35]>> Then I'll keep it private.

[00:17:37]>> Here's [snorts] our final phrase pack.

[00:17:39]Repeat these useful sentences.

[00:17:42]>> Let's go.

[00:17:43]>> Most people agree.

[00:17:45]>> Most people agree.

[00:17:47]>> Most of my day was busy.

[00:17:49]>> Most of my day was busy.

[00:17:51]>> Most of the work is finished.

[00:17:53]>> Most of the work is finished.

[00:17:55]>> I remember most of it.

[00:17:57]>> I remember most of it.

[00:17:59]>> Most of them arrived early.

[00:18:01]>> Most of them arrived early.

[00:18:04]>> Most food here is affordable.

[00:18:06]>> Most food here is affordable.

[00:18:08]>> Most of the food was delicious.

[00:18:11]>> Most of the food was delicious.

[00:18:13]>> Most of what you said makes sense.

[00:18:15]>> Most of what you said makes sense.

[00:18:17]>> Most days are different.

[00:18:19]>> Most days are different.

[00:18:21]>> Most of the week was quiet.

[00:18:24]>> Most of the week was quiet.

[00:18:26]>> Now for the final quiz.

[00:18:28]>> I'm ready for the challenge.

[00:18:30]>> Number one. Blank the water in this bottle is warm.

[00:18:34]>> Most of the water in this bottle is warm.

[00:18:37]>> Correct. Number two. Blank water is safe to drink after proper treatment.

[00:18:43]>> Most water is safe to drink after proper treatment.

[00:18:47]>> Good. Number three. I watched the movie, but I didn't understand blank.

[00:18:52]>> I didn't understand most of it.

[00:18:55]>> Correct. Number four. She invited 12 friends and blank came.

[00:19:01]>> Most of them came.

[00:19:03]>> Excellent. Number five. Blank employees want clear instructions.

[00:19:09]>> Most employees want clear instructions.

[00:19:12]>> Perfect.

[00:19:13]>> I think most of the confusion is gone now.

[00:19:16]>> Let's recap everything. Use most for general groups like most people, most students, and most information.

[00:19:25]>> Use most of for specific groups like most of the students, most of my friends, and most of this lesson.

[00:19:33]>> Use most of before pronouns such as most of us, most of them, and most of it.

[00:19:40]>> Most mornings means many mornings while most of the morning means the larger part of one specific morning.

[00:19:47]>> And remember that the most is used for comparison like this store has the most customers.

[00:19:54]>> Here's today's audience challenge. Write two sentences in the comments.

[00:19:59]>> In the first sentence, use most with a general group.

[00:20:03]>> In the second sentence, use most of with a specific group.

[00:20:07]>> For example, most people enjoy weekends.

[00:20:10]>> And most of my friends relax on Sundays.

[00:20:14]>> Subscribe to Speak English Fluently for more real-life speaking practice and share this lesson with someone who often confuses these two expressions.

[00:20:23]>> Keep practicing out loud because most grammar becomes easier when you use it in real sentences.

[00:20:30]>> Thanks for learning with us.

[00:20:31]>> And remember most of your mistakes are simply signs that you're improving.