UNIT

13
EXPRESSION OF QUANTITY
(2016-2017)

OUTLINE
1.Theore?cal framework
2.The expression of quan?ty
3.Nouns
4.Numerals
5.(Indenite) pronouns
6.Determiners
7.Par??ve construc?ons

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Although there is no consensus of opinion on the number of levels to be dis5nguished,
the usual descrip5on of a language comprises four major components:

phonology

phonological

Pronuncia5on
of singular and
plural forms
(/s/, /z/, /iz/)

grammar

morphological
and syntac5c

Deals with The order of

plural
the words in
markers
the sentence
(determiner +
noun)

lexicon

lexical

Expressions,
choice of verbs
(rain-pour),
par55ve
construc5ons

seman5cs

seman5c

Meaning,
e.g. You
can be
singular or
plural

THE EXPRESSION OF QUANTITY

The no5on of quan5ty refers to the number or the amount of items we
are dealing with, and it is the answer to ques5ons such as

How many?

How much?

Answers are directly drawn from dierent sources, such as:

nouns
one book, two
books

par??ve construc?ons
a glass of milk

pronouns
nobody, everybody,
somebody

verbs
shout vs scream

determiners
a, the, my, some,
every, each

idioms
She is as cold as a
cucumber

NOUNS
Nouns can reect the category of number with the contrast between:
They can be singular or plural (carrot, carrots), as they denote things that we can
count.
Most of them are concrete (apple-apples) although some are abstract (idea-ideas)

COUNTABLE
UNCOUNTABLE
They are always singular (followed by a verb in the singular form) and are not used
with indenite ar5cles (a, an)
They are oSen preceded by quan5ers like some, any, no, a li9le
They are abstract terms such as names of substances (bu9er, rice, water); abstract
nouns (advice, experience, fear, relief); and other nouns countable in other
languages (baggage, camping, damage, furniture, shopping).

NUMBER IN NOUNS

Regular
Singular (1)

Variable

Uncountable

Irregular
Plural (+1)

Countable

Singular
Invariable
Plural
Dual (2)

Both, either,
neither

COUNTABLE NOUNS

Variable

They can be
transformed into plural

Invariable

They are always

singular and they take a
verb in the singular
form

Singular (1)

Regular
Countable
Variable
Plural (+1)

Irregular
Invariable

Dual (2)

SINGULAR NOUNS
VARIABLE

INVARIABLE

They can take plural form.

They are always singular so they always take a verb in

the singular form.

Concrete non-count noun (cheese, milk, sugar,

butter)
Abstract non-count nouns (music, love, time)

Some proper nouns (The Alps, London)

Some nouns ending in s (news), -ics (Physics),
some games (dominoes), some diseases (measles)
Abstract adjectival heads (The unthinkable, the
unbelievable)

PLURAL NOUNS

VARIABLE

They can be REGULAR or IRREGULAR.

REGULAR

Pronunciation
/S/, /Z/, /IZ/
Form the plural en s, -es

Spelling -s, -es,

- ies

IRREGULAR

foreign
plurals
(formulaformulae)

-en plural
(childchildren)

Voicing
(wife-wives)

Mutation
(foot-feet)

zero plural
(fish)

PLURAL NOUNS

INVARIABLE

They cannot be singular.

They always take a verb in the plural form.

Summation plurals or binary nouns: entities

comprising two parts (trousers, scissors)
Pluralia tantum in s: comprise an indefinite
number of parts (The Middle Ages, outskirts)
Some plural proper nouns : the title applies to
more than one succedding the name (the Kennedys)
Unmarked plural nouns: they are not plural in form
(people)
Some personal adjectival heads of human nature,
such as the rich, the young

Note that collective nouns take a singular verb if we consider the

word to mean a single group or unit (e.g. Our team is the best) or
a plural verb if we think of a number of individuals (e.g. Our team
are wearing their new jerseys).

DUAL NUMBER
They always refer to TWO (both, either, neither)
COMPOUND NOUNS HOW DO THEY FORM THE PLURAL?
By adding the plural to
First element

Passer-by
Passers-by

First and last

elements
Manservant
Menservants

Last element

Boyfriend
Boyfriends

THE MOST
COMMON
ACRONYMS
They can be made plural. E.g. MP or MPs (Members of Parliament)

NUMERALS
The expression of quan5ty by means of numerals
is given by three sets:
Cardinal
numbers

They can func5on as pronouns or as determiners, except for 0 (instead, we use no= determiner and
none=pronoun).
They are: zero, one, two, three
We say 0 in dierent ways: nought (the gure), nil (in games), oh (when we say gures and numbers
together or gures separately, that is, codes, telephone numbers), love (in tennis), zero (for temperature)

They can also func5on as pronouns or as determiners.

Ordinal They are used to express order or priority and also with frac5ons and decimals (3/6 = three sixths)
numbers They are usually preceded by the denite ar5cle the rst, second, third

Cardinal Note that aSer a noun we tend to use a cardinal number instead of an ordinal number.
vs
Ordinal e.g. The third chapter vs chapter three / The second act vs Act two

Frac5ons We can use two structures:

of a + singular noun (three quarters of a kilo);
&
decimals decimals + plural noun 0.54 (nought point ve four miles.

Note also the use of Roman numbers (not very common in modern English), but they are s5ll
used in:
names of kings and queens (Henry VIII), some clock faces and occasionally with centuries (XX c.);

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

Quan5ers

Universal

Par55ve

UNIVERSAL PRONOUNS
EVERY-.

EACH

ALL

BOTH

Some of them are compounds. They form the compounds with the following
suxes:

EVERY+
-one /-body
For people

-where
For places

-thing
For objects

The compound universal pronouns have singular form (take a verb in the singular form)
but have collec5ve reference (usually three or more).
(The non-compound forms are also determiners).

Everything / everybody / everyone + singular verb

preferred: Everyone is ready.
Each (refers to two or more: adj & pronoun) + singular
verb: Each (man) knows )
Both (only applied to two people. It takes plural verb:
Both doors were open)
All (it has plural reference. It refers to a number of people
or things considered as a group: all went to the cinema).

PARTITIVE PRONOUNS
They can be: asser?ve,

non-asser?ve

and

nega?ve.

Some of them are compounds. They form the compounds with the following
suxes:

SOME+
-one /-body
For people

ANY+
-where

For places

NO+
-thing
For objects

The compound par55ve pronouns have singular form (take a verb in the singular form)
but have collec5ve reference, excep for no-compounds which refer to 0.
(The non-compound forms are also determiners).

PARTITIVE PRONOUNS

Asser5ve pronouns Somebody for personal count nouns in singular, and something for non-personal count nouns. For plural
count and non-count, some is used.

Non-asser5ve pronouns (?/-), we have anybody and anyone.

Nega5ve pronouns: Nobody and no one for personal count nouns in singular (Nobody has arrived). None and neither are
used for singular count nouns (neither nor + arma5ve verb / either or + nega5ve verb it was neither large nor bright)
and none for plural count and non-count nouns. No and none + arma5ve verbs (No work was done).

QUANTIFYING PRONOUNS

(a.k.a. QUANTIFIERS)

Some of them can be just pronouns, just determiners or both.

They refer to the increase or decrease of the totality, lack of, or par5al amount of
something
The universal and par55ve pronouns together, thus someone, somebody, something;
anyone, anybody, anything; everyone, everybody,everything; and no one, nobody,
nothing, and none: I seem to have forgo9en everything and None of the girls has/
have been invited
Numerals are included here, especially cardinal numbers (I bought three).
MANY and MUCH
Many is used only with plural count nouns (He said many stupid things) and much
only occurs with non-count nouns.
They can be combined with too, so, or as in order to provide a nega5ve feeling
to the amount of under considera5on (too many children were at home).
A great deal of or a large number of+plural noun (There are a large number
of witnesses) or a large amount of+ singular noun (We have a great deal of
Cme).
Few or a few or several are used with count nouns.
Liple and a liple, or a liple of occur with non-count nouns, in singular.

DETERMINERS
From the viewpoint of their posi?on in the noun phrase
in rela?on to each other, three subsets of determiners
can be iden5ed.

PRE-
DETERMINERS

POST-
DETERMINERS

CENTRAL
DETERMINERS
Some universals, par55ves and quan5ers can func5on as determiners.

PARTITIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
They denote a part of the whole.

A pint of beer, a
spoonful of medicine,
a pound of bu9er, a
slice of cake/bread/
meat, a roast of meat,
a few loaves of bread,
a bowl of soup, a
bo9le of wine, a cup of
coee, a packet of
sugar, a blade of grass,
some specks of dust

Non-count

A ock of sheep/
pigeons, two ocks of
sheep; an army of
ants; a company of
actors; a crowd of
people; a series of
concerts, two series of
concerts; a pair of
scissors

Cardinal n +
countable noun + of +
______
a piece of a leather
belt, a page of a book,
two pieces of a broken
cup, two acts of a play.

Plural count
nouns

Singular
count nouns

OTHER MEANS
Other means of expressing quan5ty may be drawn from the seman5c choice of
verb, adverbial phrases, and certain idioms which may imply the no5on of
quan5ty.

Verbal choice
Talk vs
whisper
Hit vs smash
Eat vs gulp

Adverbial
phrase
Frequency
adverbs
I always do
my homework
vs I never do
my homework

Idioma?c
expressions
She is very
sensiCve vs
She is as cold
as ice

UNIT 13: THE EXPRESSION OF QUANTITY

Variable
Singular (1)
Invariable

Uncountable
Nouns

Regular

Countable
Cardinals
Ordinals

Variable
Plural (+1)

Irregular
Invariable

Dual (2)

Numerals
Frac5ons
Roman numbers

Pronouns
(indenite)

Determiners

Universal

Everyone (-body, -thing, -where), each, all, both

Par55ve

Somebody (-one, -thing), anybody (-one,-thing), nobody (one,-

thing)

Quan5ers

Liple, few, lots of, plenty of, many, much

Pre-

all, both, half, twice

Central

A, an, some (+); either, any; neither, none, no

Post-

Cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, next, last, few, liple,

Non-countable

A bar of chocolate, a pint of beer

Singular

Countable

Cardinal n + countable noun + of +

______
Two chapters of a novel

Plural

A bunch of owers

Par55ve
construc5ons