Quantifiers

Quantifiers

1. 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.

   • Large Quantities
     • A lot of/Lots of; Many; much
       • We use many, much, a lot (of) to refer to big quantities. We use ‘many’ with countable nouns and ‘much’ with uncountable nouns, and we can use ‘a lot (of)’ with both countable and uncountable nouns. In modern English it is very common to use ‘a lot (of)’ in affirmative sentences instead of ‘many’ and ‘much’.
   • No
     • Unlike the particle “no,” “none” can be used without being accompanied by a name, countable or uncountable.
   • Some; any
     • When we want to refer to a plural noun or an uncountable noun, without giving a specific quantity, we use ‘some’ and ‘any’. We use ‘some’ in affirmatives and ‘any’ in questions and negatives.

2. Small Quantities

   • A few/few; a little/little
     • To talk about small quantities we can use ‘a few’ and ‘a little’. We use ‘a few’ with countable nouns and ‘a little’ with uncountable nouns.