• there was a sound of. When we say all (of) the students, we're talking about a specific group of students. 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.
There are 63 meanings listed in oed's entry for the word all, two of which are labelled obsolete. The whole of (used in referring to quantity, extent, or duration): The whole number of (used in referring to individuals or particulars, taken collectively):
When 'all' is a pronoun, it can come with both singular and plural nouns. • 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. • she had flour and stuff all over her hands.
All is silent on the island now. Every one (of), or the complete amount or number (of), or the whole (of): As you'll have read in our news pages, all has not been well of late. See ‘meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
• the choir has sung in concerts all over the country. Putting all of one's available resources into an effort: • there are leaves all over the car. The meaning of all is the whole amount, quantity, or extent of.
The governor mounted a halfhearted campaign for the presidency but didn't. Like quentin delapierre and his crew, we are all looking in the same direction. We use all (of) the (with an article), when we're talking about a specific group of the noun. How to use all in a sentence.