CHEIKH ANTA DIOP UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF ANGLOPHONE STUDIES
LICENCE 1

ENGLISH GRAMMAR
SEMESTER 2
ANG 123

PART 2 : QUANTIFIERS

Dr Pierre SAMBOU

YEAR : 2019-2020

1
TOPIC 4 : QUANTIFIERS

A quantifier is a word or phrase which is used before a noun to indicate the amount or quantity.
'Some', 'many', 'a lot of' and 'a few' are examples of quantifiers.

Quantifiers can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

Examples of quantifiers
With countable nouns With uncountable nouns With both
many much all
a few/few/very few ** a little/little/very little * enough
a number (of) a bit (of) more/most
several a great deal of less/least
a large number of a large amount of no/none
a great number of a large quantity of not any
a majority of much some
any
a lot of
lots of
plenty of
Note 1: Countable nouns vs uncountable nouns
- Countable nouns
Anything that can be counted, whether singular : a dog, a house, a friend, etc. or plural : a few
books, lots of oranges, etc. is a countable noun. The following countable noun examples will
help you to see the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. Notice that singular
verbs are used with singular countable nouns, while plural verbs are used with plural countable
nouns.

1. There are at least twenty Italian restaurants in Little Italy.

2. Megan took a lot of photographs when she went to the Grand Canyon.
3. Your book is on the kitchen table.
4. How many candles are on that birthday cake?
5. You have several paintings to study in art appreciation class.
6. There’s a big brown dog running around the neighborhood.

Uncountable nouns

Anything that cannot be counted is an uncountable noun. Even though uncountable nouns are
not individual objects, they are always singular and one must always use singular verbs in
conjunction with uncountable nouns. The following uncountable noun examples will help you to
gain even more understanding of how countable and uncountable nouns differ from one another.
Notice that singular verbs are always used with uncountable nouns.

1. There is no more water in the pond.

2. Please help yourself to some cheese.
3. I need to find information about Pulitzer Prize winners.
4. You seem to have a high level of intelligence.
2
 5. Please take good care of your equipment.
6. Let’s get rid of the garbage.

FOCUS 1 : MUCH – MANY – A LOT OF – LOTS OF

Much – Many
A lot of – lots of
= a large quantity of something

Much and Many are mainly used in negative sentences and questions.
They are not common in affirmative sentences though still possible.
Much is used with uncountable nouns.
Many is used with countable nouns.

MUCH MANY

+ UNCOUTABLE NOUNS + COUNTABLE NOUNS

- I don’t have much time. -There aren’t many chairs in the room.
- She doen’t need much money. - I don’t have many friends.
- Does it use much electricity ? - Do you think many peiple will go ?

With affrimative sentences, we prefer A LOT OF

instead of much/many. A lot of / lots of are not
common in negative sentences or questions. A lot of
can be used with countable nouns and uncountable
nouns. A lot of = lots of

A LOT OF
A LOT OF

+ UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS + PLURAL COUNTABLE NOUNS

- I need a lot of coffe. (= I need lots of coffe) - She has a lot of friends. (= she has lots of friends)
- There is a lot of traffic today. - There are a lot of cars on the street.

Note 2 :

-Many and Much can also be combined with “too” or “so” to express the idea of an excessive
quantity.

Examples A : - There are too many changes for me.

-There are so many things I want to do!

3
Examples B : -There is too much work

- We have so much work to do!

FOCUS 2 : FEW – LITTLE – A FEW – A LITTLE

FEW - LITTLE
A few - a little
= a small quantity ; a smal amount

FEW + Plural +Countable Nouns = not many ; not enough ; nearly no…
A FEW + Plural +Countable Nouns = some ; a small amount
LITTLE + Uncountable Nouns = not much, not enough ; nearly no…
A LITTLE + Uncountable Nouns = some ; a small amount

FEW LITTLE
= NOT MANY = NOT MUCH

(few norally conveys a neagtive idea) (little normally conveys a negative idea)
-He has few good friends. –There was litle time to finish it.
-Few people went to the concert. – He has little patience with others.
- She has a few awards. - They have little money to spend.

A FEW =SOME A LITTLE = SOME

(a small amount) (a small amount)

-He hasa a few friends that will help. – I have a little milk you can use.
- I have a few days off next month. – She has a little time to relax now.
-She has won a few awards. – I have earned a little extra money.

FOCUS 3 : SOME – ANY – NO - NONE

 SOME : means an unspecified, but limited quantity.
“Some” is used with both uncountable nouns as well as countable nouns in plural. It is
used in affirmative sentences and occasionally with interrogative sentences (to affirm
something). In negative and interrogative sentences, “some” is replaced with “any.

Examples:

Affirmative sentences /countable nouns :

- She has some apples.
4
Affirmative sentences / uncountable nouns :
- There is some milk in the kitchen.
Interrogative :
Would you like some coffee? (the expected answer is ‘YES’)

 ANY : means an unspecified quantity, one or more.

“Any” is used in the same contexts as “some”, but only in negative and interrogative
sentences.

Examples:

Negative Sentences /Countable Nouns :

- I do not have any cats.
Negative Sentences / Uncountable Nouns :
- He does not have any money.
Interrogative Sentences / Countable Nouns :

- Are there any changes?

Interrogative Sentences / Uncountable Nouns :

- Is there any milk?

 NO, NONE : mean not any.

As opposed to “no”, “none” can be used without a noun (countable or uncountable). It is

therefore generally found at the end of a sentence and only in response to a question that refers
to quantity. Examples:

Interrogative Sentences / Countable Nouns :

- How many pencils are there? None

Negative Sentences /Countable Nouns :

- There are no pencils.
Interrogative Sentences / Uncountable Nouns :
- How much money do you have? None.
Negative Sentences /Uncountable Nouns :
- I have no money.
5
 FOCUS 4 : ANOTHER VS. OTHER VS. OTHERS

Rule : another + singular noun

other + plural noun
others (a pronoun to replace other + plural noun)

 I need another cup. (cup is singular so we use another)

 I need other cups. (cup is plural so we use other)
 I need others. (refers to other cups)

 ANOTHER = one more, an additional, an extra, an alternative one, a different one

Another is a determiner (and a qualifier) that goes before a singular countable noun or a
pronoun.

 Another + Singular Countable noun

1. He has bought another motorbike.

2. Would you like another cup of coffee?
3. Don’t worry about the rain. We can go another day.
4. I think you should paint it another colour.
5. We are having another baby.

 Another + One

Another can be placed before “one” when the meaning is clear from the text before it.

 I have already eaten two sandwiches though now I want another one. (= an additional
sandwich)
 A: You can borrow more of these books if you like.
 B: Ok, I’ll take another one. (= another book, one more book)

 Another as a pronoun

Sometimes another is used as a pronoun.

 That piece of cake was tasty. I think I’ll have another. (another = one more piece of
cake)
 I don’t like this room. Let’s ask for another. (another = another room)

Note 3: You can also say: “I think I’ll have another one.” and “Let’s ask for another
one.”

 Another + number + plural noun

Another can be used before a plural noun when there is a number before that noun or before
phrases such as a couple of, a few, etc.

 In another 20 years my laptop is going to be obsolete.

 I like this city so much that I’m going to spend another three days here.
6
  We need another three teachers before classes begin.
 He was given another couple of months to finish the sculpture.

Remember another is ONE word not two words (an other is incorrect)

 OTHER=more in addition to the already mentioned alternative one, different one

Other is a determiner that goes before plural countable nouns, uncountable nouns or a
pronoun.

 Other + Plural Countable Noun

Other can be followed by a plural countable noun.

1. We have other styles if you are interested.

2. Have you got any other dresses, or are these the only ones?
3. Some days are sunny though other days can be very rainy.
4. I have invited some other people.
5. I can’t help you because I’m busy with other things.

 Other + Ones

Other can be placed before the pronoun “ones” when the meaning is clear from the text before
it.

- We don’t need those books, we need other ones. (= different books)

A: You can borrow my books if you like.

B: Thanks, but I need other ones. (= other books)

Note 4: You can say other one when it refers to wanting the alternative.

- I don't want this one, I want the other one.

 Others as a pronoun

Others replaces “other ones” or "other + plural noun".

Only others can be used as a pronoun and not other.

 I don’t like these postcards. Let’s ask for others. (others = other postcards)
 Some of the presidents arrived on Monday. Others arrived the following day.

 Others - the others

Often “(the) others” refers to “(the) other people”.

 He has no interest in helping others. (= in helping other people)

 What are the others doing tonight?

7
  What is the difference between other and others?

Other is followed by a noun or a pronoun

Others is a pronoun and is NOT followed by a noun.

 These shoes are too small. Do you have any other shoes?
 These shoes are too small. Do you have any others? (no noun after others)

FOCUS 5 : ALL - EVERY - EACH

All - Every - Each

All Every Each
(total) (collectively)
x x x
X X X X
X X X X x x (one by one)

We use ALL to talk about the We use EVERY to talk about We use EACH to talk about
total number of things things collectively as a group the individual members of a
considered as a group and not more than individually. group as seperated items.
individually.
Minimum of three things Not for two things For two things or more
ALL is used for the entire EVERY is used for a large EACH is usally for a small
amount of someting. number. number.
ALL + Plural Noun EVERY + Singular Noun EACH + Singular Noun
-All students need to have a -Every house on the street lokks Each student received a present.
sholarship. the same.

FOCUS 6 : BOTH- EITHER - NEITHER

We use both, either and neither to refer to two people or things.

 BOTH

Both = the two; that one and the other one; this one AND that one

 Both can be used as a pronoun to refer to two things that we have already mentioned.

 A: Do you want the blue shirt or the red one?

B: I’ll buy both (= the blue shirt AND the red shirt = both shirts)

 Both X and Y = not only X but also Y

Both + Adjective + and + Adjective

 He’s both tall and handsome.

 I’m both happy and confused at the same time!
 I have had a long, hard day and I’m both tired and hungry.

8
Both + Noun + and + Noun

 Both can be used with a singular noun + and + singular noun

 She speaks both English and Arabic.

 They have both a cat and a dog.
 He is both an actor and a director.

 We can also use Both + plural noun

Example : She speaks both languages.

 Both or Both of?

Both or Both of can be used without a difference in meaning though Both of is more common
in the United States.

Both (of) + determiner + plural noun

You can use Both or Both of before a determiner (my, his, these, the, etc.) and a plural noun.

1. Both (of) my friends arrived late to class.

2. Both of the wheels wobble too much.
3. A prize was given to both of the players.

Note 5 :When we use Both (without of), we drop the article the.

1. Both of the parents were nervous.

2. Both parents were nervous.

 Both of + Object Pronoun

When using Both with a plural object pronoun (us, them), we need the preposition OF before
that pronoun.

1. He has invited both us. (incorrect)

2. He has invited both of us. (correct)
3. I’ll take both of them. (correct)
4. I need to speak to both of you. (correct)

 Verb + Object pronoun + both

We can use both after a plural object pronoun.

 I hope they invite us both (= I hope they invite both of us)

 Do you need them both? (= Do you need both of them)
 The teacher sent them both to the principal’s office.

9
  To be + both

Both comes after To Be (or an auxiliary such as have or modal verbs).

1. He is both intelligent and agile.

2. My sister and I are both ready for the trip.
3. We were both happy with our exam results.

 Modal verb + both + verb

1. My parents can both speak French.

2. They should both try harder.
3. My brothers would both be shocked if they knew the truth.

 Both + other verbs

Both goes before the other verbs. If there is an accompanying auxiliary verb, then it goes in the
middle of the two verbs (i.e. auxiliary + both + verb)

1. We both wanted to stay in bed and not go to work.

2. They both liked the surprise.
3. My parents both work in the same building.
4. They have both studied a lot.

 Both - Negative

We don’t use both in negative structures. Instead, we normally use Neither.

1. We don’t say: Both of them are not ready (incorrect)

2. We say: Neither of them are ready (correct)

 NEITHER
NOTE : Pronunciation of Either and Neither

You will hear the word Either pronounced two different ways:

 /ˈaɪðər/ (eye-the – with a long I sound at the beginning) – British English

 /ˈiːðər/ (ee- the – with a long E sound at the beginning) – American English

Both forms of pronunciation are correct and supposedly one is British English and the other
American English. However within each country you may hear both forms used.

The same happens with the pronunciation of the word Neither:

 /ˈnaɪðər/ – British English

 /ˈniːðər/ – American English

Neither = not one and not the other

Neither is a negative word and is accompanied by an affirmative singular verb.

10
Neither X nor Y

 Neither … nor … is used as a conjunction. It is the opposite of “Both … and …” If a

verb comes after this phrase, that verb is in the singular form (Sometimes you will hear it used
in the plural form though it is not grammatically correct).

1. Neither John nor Fred likes doing the dishes. (= “Both John and Fred don’t like doing
the dishes”)
2. I want neither the red shirt nor the blue shirt.
3. I neither smoke nor drink.

 Neither + singular noun

Neither is used as a determiner before a single noun.

1. Neither team wanted to lose.

2. That tennis game was very close. Neither player had a clear advantage.
3. Neither parent knew about the accident.

 Neither of + determiner + plural noun

You can use Neither of before a determiner (my, his, these, the etc.) and a plural noun.

1. Neither of my friends came to class today.

2. Neither of the parents understood what the baby was trying to say.
3. Neither of our cars has enough petrol so we have to take the bus.

 Neither of + Pronoun

When using Neither + of + pronoun (you, us, them), we need the preposition OF before that
pronoun. (If a verb comes after this phrase then it is in singular form)

1. The present is for neither of us.

2. Neither of them is married.
3. Neither of us expected to be fired.

 Neither in short responses

Neither is frequently used as part of a short response when someone says something negative and
you agree with them.

 A: I have never been to Switzerland

 B: Neither have I.
 A: I don’t want to go.
 B: Neither do I.

 Neither can also be used alone.

 A: Would you like a blue tie or a green tie?

11
  B: Neither. (= Neither tie)

 Neither vs. Either

You can use Either with a negative verb to replace Neither with a positive verb

1. I have neither time nor money.

2. I don’t have either time or money.

 EITHER

Either = any one of the two = this one or the other one
Either is accompanied by an affirmative singular verb and is mostly used in questions or
negative sentences

 Either X or Y

Either … or … is used as a conjunction. It is used to express alternatives and or a choice between

two (and sometimes more) things. It is used a verb in singular form (Sometimes you will hear it
used in the plural form though it is not grammatically correct).

1. Either you or John has to finish the report before 5pm.

2. You can have either the red shirt or the blue shirt. (= but not both)
3. Either you leave the building now or I call the security guards.

 Either + singular noun

Either is used as a determiner before a single noun.

1. There are only two options and I’m not interested in either film.
2. A: Do you want it ready for Thursday or Friday?
3. B: Either day is fine for me.

 Either of + determiner + plural noun

You can use Either of before a determiner (my, his, these, the etc.) and a plural noun.

1. We’ve been dating for 6 months and I haven’t met either of her parents.
2. I haven’t read either of these books.
3. I don’t want either of those apples. Do you have one that is not rotten?

 Either + of + Pronoun

When using Either + of + object pronoun (you, us, them), we need the preposition OF before
that pronoun.

1. I don’t think he is going to invite either of us.

2. A: Which photo do you prefer?
3. B: I don’t like either of them
4. I think I left my keys and wallet at the office. I don’t want to lose either of them.

12
  Either can also be used alone. It means it doesn’t matter which alternative. Sometimes it
is accompanied by the pronoun “one”.

 A: Would you like a coffee or a tea?

 B: Either (one). (= I don’t mind if it’s coffee or tea, both alternatives are fine)

 Either in short responses

Either can be used at the end of a negative sentence when you agree with something negative
someone else has said. It is similar to meaning TOO and ALSO (which are used in affirmative
sentences).

 A: I wasn’t thirsty.
 B: I wasn’t either. (You cannot say “I wasn’t too”)
 A: I’ve never been to Portugal.
 B: I haven’t either.
 A: I didn’t go to class yesterday.
 B: I didn’t either.

FOCUS 7 : LOTS, A LOT, PLENTY

We use lots, a lot and plenty in informal styles to talk about quantities, amounts and
degree. Lots and a lot are similar in meaning to much and many. Plenty means ‘enough’ or
‘more than enough’. Lots is even more informal than a lot:

 Lots, a lot, plenty with a noun

When we use lots, a lot or plenty with a noun, we need of:

- I’ve got lots of plans for today.

-There’ll be a lot of your friends there.

There’s no need to rush. We’ve got plenty of time.

Not: We’ve got plenty time.

 Lots, a lot, plenty without a noun

We usually leave out the noun after a lot, lots and plenty when the noun is obvious. When
there is no following noun, we don’t use of:

A:I haven’t got any money

B:Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty. (plenty of money)

-She didn’t bring anything to eat but we’ve got lots anyway.

Not: … but we’ve got lots of anyway.

13
  Formal styles: a great deal of, a good deal of, a large number

We prefer to use expressions like a great deal of (+ singular uncountable nouns) or a large
number of (+ plural nouns) in more formal styles:

There’s a great deal of truth in what he said.

From here, a large number of roads led back to various parts of the city.

FOCUS 8 : EITHER…OR - NEITHER …NOR – BOTH…AND

In the English language there are many words that help us connect ideas. These words are called
conjunctions.In this handout we will study:

 NEITHER...NOR
It is used to deny two possibilities.‘Neither’ must be preceded by a positive statement as we never
use two negative formsin the same sentence.e.g.: Wednesday is neither the first nor the last day
of the week.

 EITHER...OR
It is used to express a possibility only between two options. e.g.: I am going to see you either on
Monday or Tuesday. (one day)

 BOTH...AND
It is used to talk about two people, things, places or actions within the same context.e.g.: Both
Peter and Jennifer are from Colorado state.

A Real life situation. Adialog between mother and son.

Son : Mom, can we invite both Peter and John to have lunch today?
Mother : I’m sorry dear, I’m afraid we can only afford lunch for either one or the other.
Son : But I’d like to have both of them here with us.
Mother : Well then, neither Peter nor John will be able to come.

Exercise : Connect these sentences using the conjunction in parenthesis

1. Michael got his Christmas presents. Sarah got hers too. (both...and)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. I can’t find my towel. I can’t find my sunglasses. (neither ...nor)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. We can rent an apartment. We can stay in a motel. (either...or)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. Jim never reads newspapers. He doesn’t read magazines. (neither...nor)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. My sandwich has cheese. My sandwich has ham. (both...and)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. We can pay cash. We can pay with a credit card. (either...or)

14
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

EXERCISES ON QUANTIFIERS

Exercise 1 - some, any, much, many, a lot of, a little, a few

1. There aren't... car parks in the centre of Oxford. (much / many)

2. Eating out is expensive here. There aren't….cheap restaurants. (some / any)

3. Liverpool has….of great nightclubs. (a lot / many)

4. Hurry up! We only have…..time before the coach leaves. (a few / a little)
5. We saw….beautiful scenery when we went to Austria. ( a little / some)
6. There are a…..shops near the university. ( few / any)
7. It's very quiet. There aren't …..people here today. (much /many)

Exercise 2 : some or any? – Choose the correct answer.

1.We need ………bananas.

2. You can't buy …..posters in this shop.
3. We haven't got …….oranges at the moment
4. Peter has bought ……..new books.
5. She always takes …….sugar with her coffee.
6. I have seen …..nice postcards in this souvenir shop.

Exercise 3 :Complete each sentence by choosing one of these quantifiers.

None -both –every –much –little - some –any-many

1. I've sat in that chair a time and thought about poor Joseph.
2. Meg and Clare were in agreement about the cost of the repairs.
3. Why do you get me so upset time you come to the house?
4. moment now, John will arrive saying he's feeling sick and needs to go
home.
5. Daniel, you have notion of what it takes to be successful.

Exericise 4 : Choose a word from the table below to fill each space. Some words may be used
more than once.

15
 a few – any- a little- much- some- many- an- a lot- a lot
of

1. How children do you and Tony have?

2. I don't have patience and I find jigsaw puzzles boring.

3. We only have carrots. We should go and buy some more.

4. "Do we need any mushrooms?" "No, we have . Look, three bags!"

5. There was an explosion at the factory and people were injured. We don't know
how many yet.

6. When you make the pie, put wine in too. But not too much! It makes it really
tasty.

7. When you go out, buy me apple and a bottle of Coke.

8. I don't need advice from you. You don't understand the problem!

Exercise 5 : Complete the following sentences, using neither ... nor or either ...or.
1. I’m too opinionated. People are_______ for me ________ against me.
2. No, it’s 8:25. _________ your watch is fast ________ mine is slow.
3. The accused is _________ guilty ________ not guilty
4. Nobody is ___________ completely bad___________ perfectly good
5. I ____ see ______ hear from Harry anymore.
Exercise 6 : Write sentences about cities, using neither and both . Use the information given
inparenthesis
1. Valencia, Hiroshima (capital cities)
2. Hong Kong, Singapore (overpopulated)
3. San Francisco, Buenos Aires (Europe)
4. Tokyo, Athens (coffee producers)
5. Paris, Lyon (France)
6. Santiago, Mexico City (highly polluted)

16
Exercise 7 : Multiple choice : Choose the sentence which is grammatically correct:
A.
There aren't some flowers in the garden.
There isn't some flowers in the garden
There isn't any flowers in the garden.
There aren't any flowers in the garden.

B.
Choose the sentence which is grammatically correct:
How many time do you have?
How much time do you have?
How some time do you have?
How much time you have?

C.
Choose the sentence which is grammatically correct:
She is taking an english class in london this july.
She is taking an English class in London this july.
She is taking an English class in London this July.
She is taking an english class in London this July.

D.
Choose the sentence which is grammatically correct:
There are a lot of women in the class.
There are a lot of womans in the class.
There are much women in the class
There are lots of womans in the class.

17