Noun & Quantifier Test

Last year, there was so ______ traffic jams on 275.

• many

• much

There's little people in class today.

• the sentence is correct

• the sentence is incorrect

Answer explanation

INCORRECT

there are few people in class today

"little" is used for uncountable nouns, usually with a negative meaning -> I'm going to fail, there's little time left to finish the exam and I'm still on activity 1!

There are fewer students in class today.

• the sentence is correct

• the sentence is incorrect

Answer explanation

CORRECT "fewer" is the comparative of "few" and is used for countable nouns (although "less" is often used in informal conversations)

Are there a lot of milk in the fridge?

• the sentence is correct

• the sentence is incorrect

Answer explanation

INCORRECT you use singular verbs with uncountable nouns

is there a lot of milk in the fridge?

Can you give me some advices?

• the sentence is correct

• the sentence is incorrect

Answer explanation

INCORRECT "advice" is uncountable

can you give me some advice?

There's ... coffee left. You can have it.

• little

• a little

Answer explanation

Normally, the difference between "a little" (WITH a) and "little" (WITHOUT a) is that "a little" is positive in meaning, and "little" is negative.

‘Do you speak English?’ ‘No, I speak very little English.’ (=Negative)

‘Do you speak English?’ ‘Yes, I speak a little English.’ (=Positive)

There's ... coffee left. We need some more.

• little

• a little

Answer explanation

Normally, the difference between "a little" (WITH a) and "little" (WITHOUT a) is that "a little" is positive in meaning, and "little" is negative.

‘Do you speak English?’ ‘No, I speak very little English.’ (=Negative)

‘Do you speak English?’ ‘Yes, I speak a little English.’ (=Positive)

There ... some good news on TV today.

• was

• were

Answer explanation

WAS -> "news" is uncountable, and uncountable nouns are used with singular verbs

There's ... for 20 people here!

• enough food

• food enough

Answer explanation

"enough" is used before nouns (but after adjectives!) -> I have a big enough car to fit all our suitcases.

There were 25 ... in my yoga class this morning.

• persons

• people

Answer explanation

one PERSON, two PEOPLE -> it's an irregular plural, like child-children, wife-wives, foot-feet, etc.

"Persons" only exists in very, very formal contexts, e.g. legal texts, the constitution, etc.