We weren't all happy with the result.
Does this mean "All of us weren't happy with the result" or "Not all of us were happy with the result"?
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3At least one of us was unhappy with the result.– Jason BassfordCommented Jun 17, 2018 at 15:59
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"We weren't all" = "Not all of us were". "We all weren't" = "All of us were not". Your two different meanings are conveyed through different word orders.– RegDwigнtCommented Jun 17, 2018 at 17:54
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1 Answer
It could mean either, although it probably means the latter, that not all of us were happy with the result.
For it to mean that everyone was not happy with the result, you would have to assume that either:
(1) The word all is misplaced:
We all weren't happy with the result.
or (2) The speaker omitted the word "that":
We weren't all [that] happy with the result.
But it's better not to assume anything and conclude it's the latter.
