Quantifiers

Quantifiers

1. Definition

   • Indicate the number of people, animals or things. They are answers to the question "How many?". Like articles, quantifiers define a noun and are always placed before the noun. Some can be used only with countable nouns, others only with uncountable nouns, and still others with both.

2. Grammar rules

   • The choice between one quantifier or another depends on whether it accompanies a countable or uncountable noun. In addition, it is necessary to take into account if the noun is accompanied by an article (the) or a determiner (these, those, yours, etc.).

3. Much, many

   • The quantifiers much and many both express a large quantity of something, but much accompanies uncountable nouns and many accompanies countable nouns.
     • Swedes don’t carry much cash.

4. Few, little

   • The quantifiers (a) few and (a) little have the opposite meaning to much, many and a lot of/lots of; that is, they express a small amount of something and are almost equal to zero. The quantifier (a) few is used with countable nouns and (a) little with uncountable nouns.
     • There are few advantages to going cashless.

5. Enough

   • The quantifier enough is used in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences to express that there is a sufficient amount of something.

6. Some, any

   • The quantifiers some and any can both be used with countable and uncountable nouns. Some is used in affirmative and interrogative sentences and any is used in negative and interrogative sentences.

7. Lots of, a lot of

   • The lots of and a lot of quantifiers are the most versatile in English and therefore the most used. They can be used in affirmative sentences, negative sentences and interrogative sentences as well as with all kinds of nouns and before articles and determiners. They are largely interchangeable, although a lot of is used more frequently.

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