Quantifiers

Quantifiers are of one of the eight different types of determiners in English.

They are used to communicate the general quantity (amount) of something without being specific about it. Meaning, they don’t say an exact number.

There are generally three types of quantifiers:

• Those that talk about large quantities.

• Those that talk about small quantities.

• Those that talk about zero quantities.

Remember that determiners always go in front of nouns. If you know that, then this is mostly a vocabulary lesson, because you just need to remember what each word or phrase means: large, small, or zero.

However, some of the words change depending on whether the noun is countable or uncountable. This will be the hardest part of this lesson.

Large:

A lot of

Lots of

Many

Much

Plenty of

Let’s go through examples with each.

A lot of / Lots of: These are the exact same and can be swapped at any time. They can be used for both countable and uncountable nouns.

We have a lot of homework to do this weekend.

There are lots of restaurants in Phnom Penh.

Many / Much: These are the exact same, but we use many with countable nouns and much with uncountable nouns.

Many students in this class study during the weekend.

Learning grammar isn’t much fun.

I don’t have many friends.

I don’t have much money.

Plenty of: This can be used for both countable and uncountable nouns. It means you have a lot more of something than you need.

For example, if I have 50 candies and there are 20 students in my class, I have plenty of candies.

Speaking of this enough means that you have as many of something as you need. For example, if I have 20 candies and there are 20 students in my class, then I have enough candies.

If we want to talk about there being more of something than we want, then we can add the adverb too before much or many.

There is too much traffic in Phnom Penh.

There are too many mosquitos in Cambodia.

You can also use the adverb too without a determiner to talk about the intensity of a single thing, rather than the amount of something. For example:

Turn off the lights! They’re too bright.

Phnom Penh is too big. I’m going back to my province.

Small Quantities:

Little / Few

Little / Few: These are the exact same, but we use little with uncountable nouns and few with countable nouns.

I have little water left.

I know few words in Chinese.

You can also use a before little / few. In fact, it’s more common to hear people speak this way.

I have a little water left.

I know a few words in Chinese.

You can add the adverb very before little / few to make the amount even smaller.

I have very little water left.

I know very few words in Chinese.

NOTE: You cannot use a and very at the same time.

I have a very little water left.

I know a very few words in Chinese.

Zero Quantities:

Negative + any

No

We use any to refer to all amounts above zero. For example:

Do you have any eggs?

Do you have any money?

It is only used with plural or uncountable nouns. So, don’t use it with singular nouns that are countable:

Do you have any book?

Since any refers to all numbers other than zero, the negative of it is zero. So, we use the negative of any to refer to a zero quantity. For example:

I don’t have any pens.

He didn’t go to any class.

There isn’t any money in my wallet.

There aren’t any lions in Cambodia.

No: You can also use no as a determiner to refer to a quantity of zero. For example:

There are no students in the classroom.

I have no money.

You have no brains!

Notice that no is also only used with plural and uncountable nouns. So, we can’t say:

I have no book.