QUANTIFIERS
1.
2.
Numbers
1.1. Cardinal numbers: We’ve got one micro and two electric typewriters in our office.
1.2. Fractions: a/one half, a/one quarter a
1.3. Decimals: 0.5 nought point five or point five
Some, any
SOME
ANY
With affirmative verbs: They bought some honey.
With negative verbs: I haven’t any matches.
In questions where the answer ’yes’ is expected: Did some In questions when we are not sure about the answer or
of you sleep on the floor? (I expect so).
expect ‘no’: Have you got any paper-clips in the box? (I
don’t know if you’ve got).
In offers, requests, invitations and suggestions when the
In sentences containing a negative word other than not,
answer ‘yes’ is expected: Would you like some (more)
such as: hardly, never, seldom or without: There’s hardly
coffee?
any petrol in the tank.
OR when there is any suggestion of doubt with if or
whether: I don’t think if/whether there is any news form
Harry.
To mean ‘certain, but not all’: Some people believe
With ‘at all’ and ‘whatever’ for special emphasis: I haven’t
anything they read in the papers.
got any idea at all/whatever about what happened.
2.1. Special uses of some and any: apart from its use as a quantifier, can be used to refer to an unspecified person or thing
SOME
ANY
‘several’: I haven’t seen Tom for some years.
‘usual’: This isn’t just any cake. (it’s special)
‘approximately’: There were some 400 demonstrators.
‘ the minimum/ maximum’: He’ll need any help he can
get.
‘extraordinary’: That’s some radio you’ve bought!
‘ I don’t care which’: Give me a plate. Any plate/one will
(informal)
do.
‘ an unknown’: There must be some book which could
help.
‘no kind of’: That’s some consolation, I must say! (ironic)
3.
not any, no, none: can be used with affirmative verbs to express a negative
NO (particle with adjectival function)
NONE (pronoun)
‘no’ meaning ‘not any’ is a determiner and can only be
‘none’ stands on its own: (There isn’t any bread) There’s
used before a noun: There’s no bread.
none.
No + noun can be subject of a sentence: No work was
None +of is quite usual as a subject of a sentence: None
done.
of the tourists wanted to climb the mountain.
4.
much, many
MUCH
Uncountable nouns
MANY
Countable nouns
Negative sentences
There aren’t many pandas in China.
Questions
Is there much milk in that cartoon?
Have you had many inquiries?
Formal affirmative statements
Much has been done to improve conditions of work.
Many teachers dislike marking piles of exercise books.
In short answers commonly occurs: not much, not many
Can be modified by: a great/good deal of.
Can be modified by: a good/a great, so/as/too
He spends a great deal of money on his house.
I made a good many friends there.
I haven’t much time.
5.
a lot of/ lots of
5.1. Appear in affirmative sentences instead of much, many: I’ve got a lot of/lots of time. (informal)
5.2. Occur in negative sentences especially when we are emphasising a negative or denying: I haven’t got a lot of patience
with hypochondriacs.
5.3. Can be modified by quite/rather: Jimmy’s caused quite a lot of trouble at his new school.
5.4. Plenty of/a lot of/lots of can be used with singular or plural verbs depending on the noun that follows them: There
has been a lot of/lots of/plenty of gossip about her. There have been a lot of/lots of/plenty of inquiries.
6.
(a)few/(a) little
FEW
LITTLE
Plural countables
(singular) uncountables
Negative, suggesting ‘hardly any at all’, often used after
Negative, suggesting ‘hardly any at all’, often used after
‘very’: Kate has had very few opportunities to practise her ‘very’: He has very little hope of winning the race.
English.
In everyday speech we prefer ‘not…many’ or ‘hardly any’: In everyday speech we prefer ‘not…much, ‘hardly any’: He
Kate hasn’t had many/ has had hardly any opportunities hasn’t much hope/ has hardly any hope of winning this
to improve her English.
race.
Can convey the idea of ‘not as many as we were
Can convey the idea of ‘not as much as was expected’: We
expected’: A lot of guests were expected, but few came.
climbed all day but made little progress.
A FEW
A LITTLE [informal = a bit(of)]
Positive, suggesting ‘some, a(small) number’: The police
Positive, suggesting ‘some, a(small)quantity’: I’d like a
would like to ask him a few questions.
little( or a bit of) time to think about it please.
Can be used to mean ‘more than none, more than
Can be used to mean ‘more than none, more than
expected’: Have we run out of sardines? – No, there are a
expected’: Have got any flour? – Yes, there’s a little in the
few tins left.
packet.
A few can combine with: just, only, quite, a good,
A little can combine with: just, only
dozen,100,1000, the, my, etc.
Few/Little can be modified by e.g. extremely, relatively
A few/A little can modify other quantifiers: a few more, a little less
7.
Fewer/the fewest and less/the least (comparative and superlative forms of few and little)
7.1. fewer/the fewest should be used only with plural countables: Fewer videos were sold this year than last.
7.2. less/the least should be used with only with uncountables: Less oil was produced this year than last.
7.3. less (not fewer) is used before than for prices and periods of time.
8. much, more, most
8.1. much meaning a lot can modify negative verbs: He doesn’t ride much nowadays.
8.2. In the interrogative much is mainly used with how.
8.2.1. In questions without how, much is possible but a lot is more usual: How much has he ridden? Has he ridden a
lot/much?
8.2.2. In the affirmative as/so/too +much is possible. Otherwise a lot/a good deal of/a great deal is preferable: He
shouts so much that… He rides a lot/a great deal.
8.3. very much meaning greatly can be used with: blame, praise, thank (Thank you very much) and with a number of
words concerned with feelings
8.4. much meaning a lot can modify comparative or superlative adj. and adv: Much better, much the best
8.5. most can mean very if placed before an adjective or adverb
9. Enough meaning ‘adequate in quantity or number’ can be used in front of plural countable nouns and (singular)
uncountable: Have we got enough books to read while we are on holiday?
10. ‘NOT’ before quantifiers:
10.1. to begin statements: Not much is happening in our office at the moment.
10.2. to emphasise the opposite in front of e.g. a few, a little: She’s had not a few proposals of marriage in her time. (=a lot)
10.3. in short negative answers: How much did they offer you? - Not enough!
DISTRIBUTIVES
1.
‘Both’, ‘all’, ‘half’ + plural countable nouns
1.1. Both means ‘not only one, but also the other’:
1.1.1. refers to two people, things
1.1.2. the reference is to specific items
e.g. (interchangeable) both books, both the books, both of the books
1.2. Half + plural countable refers to ‘more than two’. Half of cannot be used without a determiner (the, this, my) before
plural countables
1.3. All refers to ‘the whole number of’ people, things, etc.
1.3.1. with ‘the; the reference is to specific items
1.3.2. ‘all’ with or without ‘the’ when it is followed by a number before a plural countable refers to specific items
e.g. All (the) thirty passengers on the boat were saved.
1.4. ‘All’ and ‘half’ + uncountable nouns.
All bread gets stale quickly.
All the bread was stale.
All of the bread was stale.
Half the bread was stale.
Half of bread was stale.
2.
3.
4.
5.
This statement with ‘all’ is general.
These statements are interchangeable and refer to a
specific amount of bread.
These statements are interchangeable and refer to a
specific amount of bread.
1.5. ‘All’ and ‘half’ + singular countable nouns:
1.5.1. when referring to a specific thing, we must use the or of the after all and half
1.5.2. we use ‘half a’ to refer to one thing divided into halves, e. g. Half a loaf, half a minute
‘Both’ and ‘all’: word order with verbs
2.1. Used normally after auxiliary verbs (be, have) and modal auxiliaries like can, could, e. g. The girls are both ready =
Both girls/ Both the girls/ Both of the girls are ready.
2.2. Both/ all come before auxiliaries and modal verbs in short answers: - Are you ready? – Yes, we both are/ Yes we all
are.
2.3. Both and all as pronouns must be used before full verbs, e.g. The girls both left early. And note both/ all before have
as a full verb, e.g. We all have our books.
‘Both’, ‘all’, ‘half’: word order with pronouns:
3.1. pronoun subject: Both and all must be followed by of before pronouns like us, them: Both of us/ them left early. (We/
They both left early.)
3.2. Pronoun object with verbs and prepositions: I love both/ all of you. or I love you both/all.
3.3. Half as a distributives: Half (of) the bottles are empty. (half of them are not empty). Half as an adverb: The bottles are
half empty (no bottle is completely empty).
The negative of ‘all’ and ‘both’: all vs none of; both vs neither of
‘All (the)’ compared with ‘(the) whole’
5.1. With nouns:
5.1.1. the whole is not normally used with plurals and uncountables but with singular concrete nouns.
5.1.2. All and the whole combine with a number of nouns: all my business/ my whole business, all my life/ my whole
life, all the time/ my whole time
5.1.3. we use only all in: all my hair, all the money
5.1.4. we use only the whole in: the whole situation, the whole story, the whole truth; whole can follow a, as in: a whole
collection, a whole loaf, a whole week/ hour
5.2. Time references:
All
The whole (stronger than all)
(the) day, (the) night, (the) week, (the) year, (the)summer, (the) day, (the) night, (the) week, (the) year, (the)summer
cannot be used with hour and century
and can be used with hour and century
5.3. ‘All’ and ‘whole’ + plural countable nouns have different meanings in: e.g.
All forests in North Africa were destroyed during Roman
= every single one of them
times.
Whole forests...
= entire areas of forests
6.
‘All’ compared with ‘every’:
All
Refers to a collection of things seen as one, or to an
amount: I’ve read all these books (this whole collection)
Can be used before a noun or on its own
7.
8.
Every
Emphasizes single units within a group and is used only
with singular countables: I’ve read every book in the
library (every single one)
Can never stand on its own
Often found in time references: every day
Can be followed by ordinal and cardinal numbers and
other: every third day, every other day, every six weeks
All and every are not interchangeable in time references: Monica spent all day with us (= one whole day). Monica spent
every day with us while she was here on holiday (all the days of her holiday, thought of separately).
‘All’ compared with ‘everyone/ everybody/ anyone/ anybody’
8.1. all, meaning ‘ everybody’ is uncommon in modern English
8.2. all can occur in formal contexts to mean ‘all the people’, but it generally needs to be qualified by e.g. a relative clause:
8.3. All (those) who wish to apply...= Anyone/ Anybody who wishes to apply...
8.4. all, used on its own to mean ‘all the people’ occurs in a few fixed expressions: A good time was had by all. The law
applies equally to all.
9.
‘All’ compared with ‘everything’
9.1. all and everything + singular verb can be used interchangeably
9.2. all used to mean ‘everything’, occurs in a few fixed phrases: Winner takes all.
9.3. all (but not everything) can be used to mean ‘the only thing’: All he wants is more pay for less work
10. ‘Every’ compared with ‘each’
10.1. With reference to ‘more than two’. Every and each refer to particular people or things.
10.1.1. each more individual, suggests one by one’ or ‘separately’; refer to a definite and usually limited number; each
cannot be modified
10.1.2. every can be modified by almost, nearly, practically and follow by single: I answer almost every single letter I
receive.
10.1.3. We can use not in front of every, but not in front of each
10.1.4. each referring to both members of a pair: As they both worked so hard, they each received a bonus.
10.1.5. both means ‘to items considered together’: I spoke to both of the twins this morning.
10.1.6. each considers two things separately: I spoke to each of the twins this morning.
11. ‘Each’ word order
11.1. Combining with a plural subjects, takes a plural verb: After an auxiliary- They have each taken their own share. Before
a full verb- They each have their own share.
11.2. Takes a singular verb when it begins a subject phrase: Each of us...
11.3. Can occur at the end of a statement
12. ‘Another’ compared with ‘(the) other(s)’
12.1. Another and others are indefinite
12.2. The other and the others are definite
The other
Another
Other
followed by a singular or plural noun Followed by a singular noun
Followed by a plural noun
This seat is free; the other is taken.
There must be another way of solving There must be other ways of solving
These seats are free; the other are
problem; that can’t be the only way.
the problem.
taken
12.3. The other + one or a noun refers to a specific alternative: I don’t like this shirt. Can I try the other one, please? Can I try
another (one)? (any other one, non- specific)
12.4. The other(s) used in contrast to one: One has buttons and the other hasn’t.
12.5. Others used in contrast to some: Some people enjoy exercise, others don’t.
13. ‘Each other’ and ‘one another’ - in everyday speech can be interchangeable but in writing (incl. exam, not)
13.1. Each other - used to refer to two people
13.2. One another - used to refer to more than two
14. Either’ compared with ‘neither’- refer to two people/ things/ etc. (singular nouns)
14.1. Either means ‘one or the other’
14.2. Neither means ‘not one and not the other’
14.3. ‘Either’ and ‘neither’ + ‘of’ = refer to each of two items: Which pot shall I use? – Either (of them). It doesn’t matter
which.
14.4. ‘Either + or’; ‘neither + nor’: You can have either this one or that one.Neither this house nor the house next door has
central heating.
15. ‘Either’ and ‘both’ compared.
15.1. Either refers to two things considered separately: You can’t have either of them. (you can’t have one or the other). You
can’t have both of them. (you can have only one of them)
15.2. ‘Either’ + negative verb can replace ‘neither’ + affirmative expect when neither is the subject of a verb: I’ve read
neither of these (books). I haven’t read either of these (books).
16. Some, any, no, none (adjectives and pronouns).
16.1. Some and any:
16.1.1. mean ‘a certain number or amount’
16.1.2. used with or instead of plural or uncountable nouns
16.2. Some and any used with singular, countable nouns:
some
any
or other
‘an unspecified or unknown’
practically every’, ‘no particular (one)’ to emphasize that the speaker isn’t
very interested