B1 - Quantifiers - 6

Quantifiers Overview

🔢Quantifiers Overview

💡Quantifiers are words that tell us how much or how many of something we have. They work differently with countable and uncountable nouns!

📊Quantifiers Usage Chart

QuantifierCountable / Uncountable / BothAffirmativeInterrogativeNegative
MuchUncountable
ManyCountable
SomeBoth
AnyBoth
A Lot OfBoth
FewCountable
A FewCountable
LittleUncountable
A LittleUncountable

1️⃣Much (with uncountable nouns)

🌊Use much with uncountable nouns (things you cannot count individually like water, time, patience).

📝Examples:

  • Affirmative: He has much patience. (Less common, but possible)
  • Negative: He doesn't have much patience.
  • Interrogative: Does he have much patience?

2️⃣Many (with countable nouns)

📚Use many with countable nouns (things you can count like books, people, cars).

📝Examples:

  • Affirmative: She has many books.
  • Negative: She doesn't have many books.
  • Interrogative: Does she have many books?

3️⃣Some (affirmative, or for offers/requests)

Use some in positive sentences and when making offers or requests.

📝Examples:

  • Affirmative: I have some friends.
  • Negative: I don't have any friends. (Note: "Some" becomes "any" in a negative sentence)
  • Interrogative: Do you want some coffee? (This is an offer)

4️⃣Any (negative and interrogative)

🐕Use any in negative sentences and questions.

📝Examples:

  • Affirmative: (Not common)
  • Negative: I don't have any pets.
  • Interrogative: Do you have any pets?

5️⃣A lot of (with countable and uncountable nouns)

💰Use a lot of with both countable and uncountable nouns in all sentence types.

📝Examples:

  • Affirmative: They have a lot of money.
  • Negative: They don't have a lot of money.
  • Interrogative: Do they have a lot of money?

6️⃣Few vs A Few (with countable nouns)

👥Few means almost none (negative meaning), while a few means some (positive meaning).

📝Few Examples:

  • Affirmative: He has few friends. (This means almost no friends.)
  • Interrogative: Did you invite few people?

📝A Few Examples:

  • Affirmative: I have a few good ideas. (This means some ideas.)
  • Negative: I don't have a few ideas.
  • Interrogative: Did you bring a few apples?

7️⃣Little vs A Little (with uncountable nouns)

Little means almost none (negative meaning), while a little means some (positive meaning).

📝Little Examples:

  • Affirmative: There is little hope. (This means almost no hope.)
  • Interrogative: Is there little time?

📝A Little Examples:

  • Affirmative: She speaks a little Portuguese.
  • Negative: She doesn't speak a little Portuguese.
  • Interrogative: Do you need a little help?

💭Remember:

  • 📊Much/Little = Used with uncountable nouns (water, time, money)
  • 🔢Many/Few = Used with countable nouns (books, people, cars)
  • Some = Positive sentences and offers
  • Any = Questions and negative sentences
  • 😊A few/A little = Positive meaning (some)
  • 😔Few/Little = Negative meaning (almost none)