Upper Int 2 - Unit 4 - Expressions of quantity

Which of these cannot be used with countable nouns?

• a lot of

• a bit of

• several

• many

Which of these indicates a large number?

• plenty of

• a few

• some

• several

Both expressions have the same meaning, but which is the more formal one?

• a lot of

• loads of

Which of these expressions means "an absence of", zero of something?

• the majority of

• enough

• a small amount of

• a lack of

If I have a sufficient number or amount of something, which expression should I use?

• I have some.

• I have enough.

• I have hardly any.

• I have a little.

"There are hardly any people" means....

• There are a lot of people.

• There is nobody.

• There are very few people.

• There are several people.

Answer explanation

"Hardly any" indicates a very small number, with a negative focus! (Maybe I was expecting more people, or was hoping for more people...?)

"Hardly any" can only be used with...

• a negative verb

• a positive verb

Answer explanation

Remember "hardly any" is a negative expression, so we can only use it with a positive verb.

Two negatives in English cancel each other!!!

Which of these refers to something countable?

• a big number of

• a big amount of

Which of these refers to something countable?

• a big number of

• a big amount of

Which of these refers to a bigger number, in comparison?

• A few students

• Few students

Answer explanation

Remember the trick : 2 words refers to a bigger number (a few), and 1 word refers to a smaller number (few).