quantifiers
We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or how many.
Sometimes we use a quantifier in the place of a determiner:
Most children start school at the age of five.
We ate some bread and butter.
We saw lots of birds.
We use these quantifiers with both count and uncount nouns:
| all | any | enough | less | a lot of | lots of |
| more | most | no | none of | some |
and some more colloquial forms:
| plenty of | heaps of | a load of | loads of | tons of | etc. |
Some quantifiers can be used only with count nouns:
| both | each | either | (a) few | fewer | neither | several |
and some more colloquial forms:
| a couple of | hundreds of | thousands of | etc. |
Some quantifiers can be used only with uncount nouns:
| a little | (not) much | a bit of |
And, particularly with abstract nouns such as time, money, trouble, etc:, we often use:
| a great deal of | a good deal of |
Members of groups
You can put a noun after a quantifier when you are talking about members of a group in general…
Few snakes are dangerous.
Both brothers work with their father.
I never have enough money.
…but if you are talking about a specific group of people or things, use of the … as well
Few of the snakes are dangerous.
All of the children live at home.
He has spent all of his money.
Note that, if we are talking about two people or things we use the quantifiers both, either and neither:
| One supermarket | Two supermarkets* | More than two supermarkets |
|---|---|---|
|
The supermarket was closed The supermarket wasn't open I don’t think the supermarket was open. |
Both the supermarkets were closed. Neither of the supermarkets was open. I don’t think either of the supermarkets was open. |
All the supermarkets were closed None of the supermarkets were open I don't think any of the supermarkets were open |
*Nouns with either and neither have a singular verb.
Singular quantifiers:
We use every or each with a singular noun to mean all:
| There was a party in every street. | = | There were parties in all the streets. |
| Every shop was decorated with flowers. | = | All the shops were decorated with flowers. |
| Each child was given a prize. | = | All the children were given a prize. |
| There was a prize in each competition. | = | There were prizes in all the competitions. |
We often use every to talk about times like days, weeks and years:
When we were children we had holidays at our grandmother’s every year.
When we stayed at my grandmother’s house we went to the beach every day.
We visit our daughter every Christmas.
BUT: We do not use a determiner with every and each. We do not say:
The every shop was decorated with flowers.
The each child was given a prize.
Activities
| Decide if sentences are correct or incorrect |
| Choose the correct quantifier |
Search
Tags for teachers
- No terms applicable.
A - Z of Content
- 1 of 6
- ››
Grammar Support
Read more about these areas of grammar:
Comments
Hello,
I don't have major problems in learning english online. But I do have some questions in between. I do understand they way they teach but words like count and uncount nouns. I simply don't get it.
Please tell me what is count and uncount nouns?
Also, what's colloquil forms?
I'm confused what to use and when to use. Please reply soon to my comment.
Thanks
team
Hello angie_rose,
Welcome to LearnEnglish. There is a good grammar section on the site where you can find answers to your grammar questions. For example, you can find information on count and non-count nouns here and here.
We divide nouns into count and non-count (also called count and uncount nouns). Count nouns are ones which we can... count! For example, we can count apples - one apple, two apples, a thousand apples etc. These nouns can be singular or plural.
Non-count nouns are nouns that we cannot count because there is just more or less of something, not a number. For example, we can't count water. We have some water... some more water... yet more water... These nouns are always singular.
Colloquial language means language which is for everyday use rather than language which is formal or academic. You can use the dictionary window on the right of the page to check words like this and you'll get a definition and examples to help you.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Respected sir,
There is a big confusion to use each and every with children please help me to clear in these sentences.
Every child in the world deserves affection
We want each children to succeed.
team
Hello missarshmah!
Can I ask what your confusion is? Both each and every mean all. Both of your example sentences are good uses of each or every, but remember that we use the singular with each and every, so the second sentence should read:
We want each child to succeed.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
Regards
Jeremy Bee
The LearnEnglish Team
Have done
Hi.
Could you please tell me why "Neither house is really what I want." is correct?
As I got from your lesson, we have to use plural nouns after "neither", but we don`t have it here.
team
Hello pachvak!
When we use neither on its own, it is always followed by a singular noun. When we use neither of, as we do in the examples above, we use plural nouns.
Hope that helps!
Jeremy Bee
The LearnEnglish Team
thanks!
you help me so much, I did the activity again and see the difference, I need put more attention to my reading.
hi, I don´t understand why the sentences: The president shook hands with each players.And We don't have enough of information. Are incorrect according to the first activity. Please somebody tell me what I don´t understand.
team
Hello dayanb!
If you look at the page, you'll see that it tells you we use every with the singular noun. The president shook hands with every players is wrong because it should be player (no s).
For your second question, if you look at the first table of quantifiers, you'll see that is only enough with no of. We do use the phrase 'enough of', but not in a sentence like the one in the exercise.
Hope that helps!
Jeremy Bee
The LearnEnglish Team