1. The English liked soccer very much.

(What is the part of speech of 'English'? An adjective or a noun?)

2. English people liked soccer very much.

3. All the English people liked soccer very much.

(Does #1 mean #2 or #3?)

In #1, "English" is serving as a noun. Actually it's an adjective, but it means English people.

#2 is the closest to #1, but #3 is OK. The word "All" changes the meaning slightly.

1. In the sentence "The English liked soccer very much," the word 'English' is used as a noun. It refers to the people from England.

2. The sentence "English people liked soccer very much" is very similar to the first sentence, but it omits the definite article 'the.' Both sentences essentially mean the same thing, emphasizing that people from England in general enjoyed soccer.

3. On the other hand, the sentence "All the English people liked soccer very much" specifically refers to every single individual from England. It implies that every English person, without exception, had a fondness for soccer.

So, the difference between #2 and #3 lies in the inclusivity of the statement. #2 implies a generalization about English people, whereas #3 suggests a more all-encompassing claim about every English person.