QUANTIFIERS

QUANTIFIERS

UNCOUNTABLE-NOUNS• Little and a Little are used with non-count nouns, that is, such

that we can't express in number but in quantity, as an amount.

Form(a) little + uncountable noun

For example: I have little milk in the fridge. It's almost finished. (talking about the amount of something, as milk is measured in some quantity, but not in number)

I ate just a little. I don't eat much in the evening. (talking about the quantity of food, food is not measured in numbers, neither)

COUNTABLE-NOUNS

Generally, Few and A Few are used with count nouns, therefore describing how big or small is the number of things.Form- (a) few + plural countable noun

For example: Few people came to the party. (talking about the number of people)

I have already talked to a few people.

Few – LittleAre used to express a negative idea. We mean unsatisfactory number or amount of something, not enough

Consider the examples:

- I feel sorry for her. She has (very) few friends.(Negative idea: She does not have many friends; she has almost no friends.)

- There was few biscuits.

- I have (very) little money. I don't even have enough money to buy food for dinner.(Negative idea: I do not have much money; I have almost no money.)

- There was little coffee.

Note: the use of very (+few/little) makes the negative stronger, the number/amount smaller.

A Few - A Little

We have a positive idea. That is, we mean the number or amount of something is satisfactory. Maybe not so many or not so much, but enough.

Consider these examples:

- She has been here only two weeks, but she has already made a few friends. (Positive idea: She has made some friends already.)

- There was a few biscuits. - I'm very pleased. I've been able to save a little money this month. (Positive idea: I have saved some money instead of spending all of it.)

- There was a little coffee. A few/ a little give a positive idea; they indicate that something exists, is present, as in the examples above.

Note: If we use a few or a little before a pronoun or determiner, we use of.

Examples: - A few of them went to the cinema.- He only kept a little of his money with him.

Making comparisons

The comparative form of "few" is fewer, and the comparative form of "little" is less.Remember: use "fewer" for plural countable nouns, and "less" for uncountable nouns.

For example, "There are fewer people here than last year" or "He drinks less coffee than I do".It is grammatically incorrect to say "There are less people here than last year", as "people" is a plural countable noun.

A LOT OF , LOTS OF

These two expressions both mean a great deal of or several. They are used before a count or non-count noun. These two expressions tend to be used in informal English.

- Form: A lot of - Lots of + singular or plural name

Examples:

- He's got lots of books.

- I've got a lot of experience at work.

- We have seen a lot of changes in this company

- There are lots of job opportunities in this country.

LOT OF

• Use a lot at the end of a sentence as an adverb. A lot is NOT followed by a noun. The meaning is the same as a great deal.

Examples: • I enjoy swimming a lot.• Mary seems to travel a lot.

ENOUGH

Form: adjective or adverb + enough enough + noun enough + of + pronoun/determiner

Usage:1. We use enough to mean sufficient.

Examples:• Your clothes are big enough to fit me.• You've done enough work. You can stop now.• Have you got enough money to buy me a drink?

2. We use enough in negative sentences to mean less than sufficient or less than necessary.

You're not working fast enough, you won't finish on time.

Sorry, I haven't got enough food for everyone.Not enough of my friends are coming to the party.

3. We can use enough without a noun if the meaning is clear.

There's a lot of food but not enough for everyone.

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