Quantifiers in English

Quantifiers in English

Much, many, a lot of, a little, a few

Much is used before the uncountables (a large quantity of).

Examples: much labour, much joy, much water, much happiness, much love, much money.

  1. I need much labour.
  2. My life has much joy.
  3. We need much water.
  4. Her life has much happiness.
  5. They share much love.
  6. He has much money.

Many is used before the countables in the plural number (a large number of).

Examples: many students, many artists, many books, many restaurants, many ideas.

  1. Many students attend the university.
  2. The city is home to many artists.
  3. The library has many books.
  4. We have many restaurants to choose from.
  5. She has many ideas for her project.

Quantifiers in English

Little – not much, hardly any. It is used almost in the negative sense.

Examples: little support, little hope, little water, little time, little energy, little patience.

  1. The team received little support.
  2. She had little hope of recovering from her illness.
  3. The village was struggling with little water.
  4. We have little time to finish the project.
  5. After the long journey, I had little energy left.
  6. Dealing with difficult people needs patience.

A little: at least some (though not much).

Examples: A little money, A little practice, A little effort, A little time, A little sugar

  1. She invested a little money.
  2. A little practice every day will help you improve.
  3. A little effort every day will help you succeed.
  4. I need a little time to finish this project.
  5. This coffee tastes much better with a little sugar.

Quantifiers in English

The little: The whole quantity, though very little.

Examples: the little rice, the little energy, the little village, the little girl, the little bird

  1. We ate the little rice we had.
  2. She sang with the little energy she had left.
  3. The tourists got lost in the little village.
  4. The little girl in the painting was very cute.
  5. The little bird in the cage was singing a sweet melody.

Quantifiers in English

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Note: Little, a little, the little it is denoting quantity and are used before the uncountable.

Quantifiers in English

Few: not many, almost none.

Examples: few good programs, few good opportunities, few good investments.

  1. This TV channel is not good. It shows few good programmes. (almost none)
  2. She grabbed few good opportunities that came her way. (not many)
  3. He made few good investments that yielded high returns. (not many)

Quantifiers in English

A few: some at least (though not many).

Examples: A few friends, A few shops, A few hours, A few mistakes, A few dollars.

  1. Last evening, I went to the City Centre with a few friends.
  2. We spent a few hours exploring the new museum.
  3. She made a few mistakes on her first day at work.
  4. He borrowed a few dollars from his brother to buy lunch.
  5. Only a few shops were open on the holiday.

The few: all of them, though very few.

Examples: the few trees, the few people, the few steps, the few moments, the few lines

  1. The few trees left on the hillside do not bear any fruit.
  2. Only the few people who worked hard achieved success.
  3. I took the few steps required to reach the stage.
  4. We cherished the few moments we spent together.
  5. The poet wrote the few lines that touched everyone’s heart.

Quantifiers in English

Note: Few, a few, the few denote number and are used before the countables in the plural number.

A lot: ‘A lot’ means “a large quantity” or “a great deal“. It is used with uncountable nouns.

Examples: A lot of Excitement, A lot of love, A lot of character, A lot of skills, A lot of soul.

  1. The party was full of a lot of excitement and energy.
  2. She showed a lot of love and care towards her family.
  3. The historic building has a lot of character and history.
  4. He has a lot of skills and experience in his field.
  5. Her music was a reflection of a lot of soul.

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A lot of: ‘A lot of’ is a phrase that means “a large quantity” or “a great deal“. It is used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

Quantifiers in English

Examples: Uncountable Nouns

  1. The hotel has a lot of amenities.
  2. She has a lot of patience.
  3. They have a lot of fun.
  4. He has a lot of confidence.
  5. The city has a lot of pollution.

Countable Nouns

  1. I have a lot of shoes.
  2. She has a lot of brothers.
  3. They have a lot of employees.
  4. He has a lot of awards.
  5. The museum has a lot of artifacts.

Note: “A lot” can also be used with countable nouns, but the phrase “a lot of” is used instead.

Examples: I have a lot of novel books. (countable noun)

Quantifiers in English

I have a lot of work to do. (uncountable noun)

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