When we say all (of) the students, we're talking about a specific group of students. Every one (of), or the complete amount or number (of), or the whole (of): Games staking all of one's chips, as in poker.
When 'all' is a pronoun, it can come with both singular and plural nouns. The meaning of all is the whole amount, quantity, or extent of. The whole of (used in referring to quantity, extent, or duration):
• there are leaves all over the car. How to use all in a sentence. All is silent on the island now. As you'll have read in our news pages, all has not been well of late. We use all (of) the (with an article), when we're talking about a specific group of the noun. • she had flour and stuff all over her hands. • katie's toys were spread out all over the floor. Discover the shared vision of @sailgpfra and @all for more responsible travel, hospitality, and experiences.
There are 63 meanings listed in oed's entry for the word all, two of which are labelled obsolete. You use all to refer to a situation or to life in general. When 'all' refers to a group of people/things as a unified whole, it comes with a singular verb, but when 'all' refers to multiple groups. The whole number of (used in referring to individuals or particulars, taken collectively): See ‘meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. Like quentin delapierre and his crew, we are all looking in the same direction. • there was a sound of. • the choir has sung in concerts all over the country.