What are quantifiers?

Quantifiers are words that are used to state quantity or amount of something without stating the actually number.

Quantifiers answer the questions "How many?" and "How much?" Quantifiers can be used with :plural countable nouns ( uncountable nouns. and

Quantifiers must agree with the noun. There are 3 main types of quantifiers. Quantifiers that are used with countable nouns, quantifiers that are used with uncountable nouns. and the 3rd type are quantifiers that are used with either countable nouns or uncountable nouns.

A few and few, a little and little These expressions show the speakers attitude towards the quantity he/she is referring to. A few (for countable nouns) and a little (for uncountable nouns) describe the quantity in a positiveway:

Ive got a few friends (= maybe not many, but enough) Ive got a little money (= Ive got enough to live on)

Few and little describe the quantity in a negative way:

Few people visited him in hospital (= he had almost no visitors) He had little money (= almost no money)

Graded Quantifiers They are like comparatives and hold a relative position on a scale of increase or decrease. INCREASE (0% to 100%)

With plural countable nouns:

many

more

most

With uncountable nouns:

much

more

most

DECREASE (100% to 0%) With plural countable nouns:

few

fewer

fewest

With uncountable nouns:

little

less

least

Examples: There are many people in Poland, morein India, but the most people live in China. Much time and money is spent on education, more on health services but the most is spent on national defense. Few rivers in Europe arent polluted. Fewer people die young now than in the nineteenth century. The country with the fewest people per square kilometre must be Australia. Scientists have little hope of finding a complete cure for cancer before 2010. She had less time to study than I did but had better results. Give that dog the least opportunity and it will bite you.

Quantifiers with countable and uncountable nouns Some adjectives and adjectival phrases can only go with uncountable nouns (salt, rice, money, advice), and some can only go with countable nouns (friends, bags, people). The words in the middle column can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

With Uncountable Nouns How much?

With Both How much? or How many?

With Countable Nouns How many?

a little

no/none

a few

a bit (of)

not any

a number (of)

some (any)

several

a great deal of

a lot of

a large number of

a large amount of

plenty of

a great number of

a large quantity of

lots of

a majority of

Note: much and many are used in negative and question forms. Example: How much money have you got? How many cigarettes have you smoked?

 Theres not much sugar in the cupboard. There werent many people at the party. They are also used with too, (not) so, and (not) as There were too many people at the party. Its a problem when there are so many people. Theres not so much work to do this week. In positive statements, we use a lot of: Ive got a lot of work this week. There were a lot of people at the concert.

Countable Uncountable Nouns much many x Nouns x I don't have much money. I don't have many apples.

We know few people in the area. I few* x would like to get to know more. We know a few people in the area. I a few** x know enough people to keep me happy. I know little English. I am going to little* x have a problem getting around England. I know a little English, at least enough a little** x to get to England. enough plenty x x x x I have enough money. I have plenty of money.

** a few/a little - means that there are not a lot of something, but there is enough.

There are a few apples. There are enough apples. There are a few people at the meeting. There are enough people to hold a meeting. There are not a lot of people, at the meeting, but there are enough I know a little English. He knows enough English to manage. I have a little money.

*few/little - means that is not enough of something.

There are few apples. There are not enough apples. There are few people. There are not enough people at the meeting. We can't hold a meeting, because there are not enough people. There is little money. We can't buy a lot of expensive food.

If things for the holiday. I don't have enough money, then we will stay home and have a great time. They know little English. They can't get around very well. They don't know enough English to manage.

a lot of/lots of These phrases are mainly used in informal English. lots of sounds a bit more informal than a lot of. Both forms are used in singular and in plural sentences. It is not the phrase a lot of or lots of which determines singular or plural, but the subject of the sentence (here water and computers). singular

A lot of water is wasted. Lots of water is wasted.

A lot of computers are needed at schools. plural Lots of computers are needed at schools.

In formal English plenty of or much and many is used for a lot of/lots of. singular

Plenty of water is wasted. Much water is wasted.

Plenty computers are needed at schools. plural Many computers are needed at schools.

much or many much: uncountable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.) many: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.) Examples: How much money have you got? How many dollars have you got? In informal English these questions are often answered with a lot of / lots of. There is no much difference between the two phrases. a little or a few a little: non countable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.) a few: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)

Examples: He has a little money left. He has a few dollars left.

some, any some: affirmative statements, offers, requests and in questions when you expect the answer "yes" any: negative statements, questions Have you got any bananas? No, we haven't got any. But we've got some oranges.