Quantifiers

Quantifiers

Lengua Extranjera II

Mtro. Gonzalo Olivares Oropeza

Quantifiers

(much & many)

Quantifier

• Today we are going to talk about different ways of expressing quantity in English.

• A quantifier is a word or number that shows an amount or number.

• You probably already know how to use common quantifiers like much and many. For example:

• How many apples would you like?

  How much fruit would you like?

• The quantifier many is used before apples, which is a count noun. Much is used before fruit, a noncount noun.

Quantifier

• Quantifiers are adjectives and adjective phrases that go before nouns.

• They give information about how much or how many of an item you are talking about.

• Some quantifiers, like many, go only before count nouns.

• Others, like much, go only before noncount nouns.

• And a few quantifiers can go before count or noncount nouns.

Examples with many & how many

• I have many postcards.

• There are many students in the class.

• There aren’t many people in the streets.

• How many eggs?

• How many apples?

• REMEMBER! Many is used with count nouns.

• And how many is used with plural nouns.

Examples with much & how much

• She has got much influence on you.

• There is much orange juice in the glass.

• There isn’t much sugar in the kitchen.

• How much flour?

• How much butter?

• How much money?

• REMEMBER! Much & how much is used with a non-count nouns

Multiple Choice

How _____ money do you have?

• much

• money

Multiple Choice

Carla doesn't have ____ friends.

• many

• much

Multiple Choice

How ____ apples do we have for preparing the chocolate cake?

• many

• much

Multiple Choice

I don't need ____ oil to cook fried eggs.

• much

• many

Quantifier that can be used with count and noncount nouns.

Some, Any, Plenty of & All

Quantifiers used with both count and noncount nouns

• There are some quantifiers that can go with both count and noncount nouns. 

• Some is the most popular. Most, plenty of, all and any are other options.

• Read these examples:

• He cut some wood. (noncount noun)

  Most Americans speak English. (count noun)

  I have plenty of money. (noncount noun)

  All children are special. (count noun)

  Do you have any coffee? (noncount noun)

Quantifiers used with both count and noncount nouns

• To refer to the absence or lack of something, simply use no before a count or noncount noun.

• There was no rice left. (noncount noun)

  There were no books in the library. (count noun)

  She had no love for her ex-husband. (noncount noun)

  No, when used as a quantifier, has the same meaning as zero.

Quantifiers used with both count and noncount nouns

• Lots and a lot of are very popular quantifiers but as lots and a lot of are overused and unsophisticated and they are informal. 

• Both forms are used in singular and in plural sentences.

• You should avoid lots and a lot of in formal writing. Native speakers usually shorten a lot of to “a lotta” in casual speech.

• I have got lots of storybooks.

  Are there a lot of people in the queue? Yes, there are.

  There is a lot of milk in the jug.

Quantifiers used with both count and noncount nouns

• Read carefully to these two sentences:

  I have a few friends.

  I have few friends.

• What is the difference? The first sentence contains the article a. This little word makes a big difference in meaning.

• I have a few friends focuses on a positive idea. The speaker is satisfied with the number of friends he has.

• The second sentence, I have few friends, focuses on a negative idea, his lack of friends. The speaker wishes he had more friends.

Quantifiers used with both count and noncount nouns

• The same positive-negative distinction applies to a little and little.

• Use little and a little before noncount nouns.

• I have a little money means the speaker has some money.

• I have little money means the speaker does not have enough money.