QUANTIFIERS

What are they ?How to use them?

QUANTIFIERS

5. Enough, plenty (of)

4. Some, any

3. A few, a little, a bit (of)

2. Much, many, a lot (of)

6. Questions about Quantity

1. Definition

ÍNDICE

How to use them?

What are they?

Quantifiers

Quantifiers let us express the quantity of something. Therefore they are very important words for us when we are speaking English.There are several quantifiers and although they are not difficult to learn they can be a little tricky to use. In this presentation, you will see a description of each quantifier and some examples to help you understanding them and when to use them

How to use them?

What are they?

Quantifiers

A quantifier is a word that usually goes before a noun to express the quantity of the object; for example, a little milk. Most quantifiers are followed by a noun, though it is also possible to use them without the noun when it is clear what we are referring to. For example, - Do you want some milk? – Just a little. (It’s clear that I mean ‘a little milk’.)

Much, many, a lot (of)

We use many, much, a lot (of) to refer to big quantities. We use ‘many’ with countable nouns (many pencils). We use ‘much’ with uncountable nouns (much air).And we can use ‘a lot (of)’ with both countable and uncountable nouns (a lot of pencils, a lot of air). In modern English it is very common to use ‘a lot (of)’ in affirmative sentences instead of ‘many’ and ‘much’.

A Few, A Little, A Bit (of)

These are quantifiers we use to talk about small quantities.We can use ‘a few’ and ‘a little’.We use ‘a few’ with countable nouns (I got a few minutes).And when we are going to talk about uncountable nouns we use ‘a little’ (I have a little free time).It’s also possible to use ‘a bit’ with uncountable nouns, but it is used in a more informal conversation (I have just a bit of free time).

EXCEPTION! As is common in English, there is an exception to this rule. When we make requests and offers, we usually use ‘some’ instead of ‘any’. For example: Can I have some water please? Would you like some chocolates?

Some, Any

We use ‘some’ and ‘any’ when we want to refer to a plural noun or an uncountable noun, without giving a specific quantity.We use ‘some’ in the affirmative ( there are some flowers in the vase ).And, ‘any’ in questions and negatives ( there aren't any flowers in the vase / do you have any yellow flowers?).

Enough, Plenty (of)

The words ‘enough’ and ‘plenty’ express the idea of being a sufficient quantity.Both words can go with countable and uncountable nouns. We use ‘plenty (of)’ to mean there is more than a sufficient quantity of something (you have plenty of time to do your essay). We use ‘enough’ to express the idea of having, or not having, a sufficient quantity (I don't have enough time / we have enough dishes but we don't have enough glasses).

Questions about Quantity

When we want to ask the quantity of something, we use ‘how much’ or ‘how many’.We use how many with countable nouns (how many coins are there?).If we are going to talk about uncountable nouns we use how much ( how much water is there).We also use ‘how much’ when we ask the cost of something (how much are those boots? how much is that cap? how much does this shirt cost? how much do these socks cost?).

La teacher Naty

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