Quantifiers (English)

1. QUANTIFIERS

2. QUANTIFIERS
Quantifiers
With
Uncountable
Nouns Only
With Countable
Nouns Only
With Both
Uncountable And
Countable
Much Many Any
A Little/Little A Few/Few Enough: As much as we need
A Bit Of One Or Two A Lot Of
Several Plenty of: More than enough
A Couple Of Some

3. QUANTIFIERS
• We use much before large uncountable quantity nouns:
Do you eat much rice?
There isn't much time.
How much water should you drink a day?
• We use many before large countable quantity nouns:
Do you know many people here?
There are many books on the table.
How many bottles of water should I drink a day?

4. QUANTIFIERS
• We use little before small uncountable quantity nouns:
I eat little rice?
• We use few before small countable quantity nouns:
I know few people here.

5. QUANTIFIERS
• We use a little before certain uncountable quantity nouns
(between large and small):
I ate a little rice last night.
• We use a few before certain countable quantity nouns
(between large and small):
I knew a few people in the town where I lived before.

6. QUANTIFIERS
• We use a lot of and some for both countable and
uncountable nouns, a lot of can replace much or many,
some can replace a little or a few:
I eat a lot of rice.
I know a lot of people.
I ate some rice last night.
I knew some people where I lived before.

7. QUANTIFIERS
• Some means a limited quantity, it's often used in positive
sentence we can also use it in question, Any is often used
in negatives and question:
I like some pop music.
Would you like some more soup?
We haven’t got any milk in the fridge.
Are there any questions?

8. NOTE
• Be careful that not all countable nouns take 's' when you
count more than one of them:
1 book, 2 books, etc. -> Many books.
1 person,2 people, etc. -> Many people.
1 child, 10 children, etc. -> Many children.
• The difference between few and a few and also little and a
little is very slight, to make it clear to the listener we often
add very to little and few:
I usually eat very little rice, but I ate a little rice last night.

9. NOTE
• If you want to make an uncountable noun countable, you
should use an appropriate unit of measurement:
Much milk -> Many glasses of milk.
Much equipment -> Many pieces of equipment.
Much bread -> Many slices of bread.
• After words like too, so , as and very, we always use
much and many Instead of a lot of:
So much information.
Too many question.

10. NOTE
• Some words that you may expect to be countable, but they
are uncountable in English:
Luggage, Money, News, Progress, Research, Software,
Traffic.
Work, Accommodation, Advice, Equipment, Evidence.
Furniture, Hardware, Information, Knowledge.

11. EXERCISE 1
• Choose the right answer.
1. I haven't got (some/any) paper.
2. I'll buy (some/any) paper when I go to the shops.
3. Is there (some/any) petrol in the car.
4. Yes. I put (some/any) yesterday.
5. I bought (some/any) fruit, but they didn't have (some/any) vegetables.
6. Do you have (some/any) change? I need 50p.
7. I saw (some/any) change on the table a minute ago.
8. I need (some/any) help with my homework. Are you free?

12. EXERCISE 1 SOLUTION
1. (any)
2. (some)
3. (any)
4. (some)
5. (some) (any)
6. (any)
7. (some)
8. (some)

13. EXERCISE 2
• Choose the right answer between much and many.
1. How ----- eggs have we got?
2. How ----- flour do we need?
3. How ----- children does she have?
4. How ----- butter do you?
5. How ----- bedrooms does it have?
6. How ----- people are coming?
7. How ----- plays did he write?
8. How ----- money does she earn?

14. EXERCISE 2 SOLUTION
1. (many)
2. (much)
3. (many)
4. (much)
5. (many)
6. (many)
7. (many)
8. (much)

15. EXERCISE 3
• complete the sentences with a little, a few, or a lot of.
1. I have ----- close friends. two or three.
2. He has ----- money. he's a millionaire.
3. Do you take sugar in coffee? just ----- half a spoonful.
4. Have you got ----- CDs? hundreds.
5. I'll be ready in ----- minutes.
6. She speaks good French, but only ----- Arabic.

16. EXERCISE 3 SOLUTION
1. (a few)
2. (a lot of)
3. (a little)
4. (a lot of)
5. (a few)
6. (a little)