All This or All These(Pls clear my doubt)

[yeecharles]

A friend of mine made such sentences:

Coming together is a beginning, working together is a process and staying together is a success. If every one can do all these, our school can become an outstanding institution.

My doubt is, can the underlined words be 'all this'? In my opinion, the first sentence is a group of actions.

[Bennevis]

Coming together is a beginning, working together is a process and staying together is a success. If every one can make all of these work, our school can become an outstanding institution.

[5jj]

'All these' is fine; 'all this' appears possible.

[yeecharles]

Why is 'all this' possible?

[5jj]

Why is 'all this' possible?

You suggested the answer yourself - the three actions are viewed as one group of actions.

[yeecharles]

You suggested the answer yourself - the three actions are viewed as one group of actions.

Thanks.

[Raymott]

Why is 'all this' possible?

You've answered your own question in your first post: "the first sentence is a group of actions." It's one group of actions. If everyone can accomplish this group of actions, the school will be outstanding (and probably a little boring).

PS: 5jj and I crossed in posting.

[emsr2d2]

I agree that "all this" is possible for the same reasons.

Here's another example:

- While I'm at work, please do the washing up, hoover and clean the oven?
- I'll try!
- If you can do all that, I'll buy you a huge bar of chocolate!

Although the person is being asked to do three separate things, they can be viewed as one list of things to do. Consequently, I would happily use "that" which is singular, as is "this". I would be unlikely to say "If you can do all those, I'll buy you chocolate".

[yeecharles]

Thanks, every one, for your enlightening explanations.