These English quantifiers come before a singular count noun: either, neither, each, every.
English Articles
What are quantifiers in English?
By: revel arroway, Isabel McKay Thu Sep 12 2024
In English, a quantifier (or quantifying adjective) is a word or phrase that describes the general amount of something. We use quantifiers to answer the questions how much or how many, without using a number. Here are some examples of English quantifiers:
some peoplemany toysa few cats
a lot of souplots of pizzaa bit of cheese
several ideasno thoughtsany chairs
In this post we’ll introduce you to the basics of how to use quantifiers in English. We’ll talk first about where to put them, then we’ll talk about the most important quantifiers that are used for different purposes. At the end, we’ll get to some more advanced topics, like the rules for using quantifiers like a lot of and lots of and the difference between quantifying adjectives and indefinite pronouns.
Are you ready to learn to use some quantifiers? I hope you have enough time to study up on them! Most of these adjectives are really important!
Table of Contents
Where to put a quantifying adjective in a sentence?
A quantifying adjective, like almost all adjectives in English, comes before the noun it modifies. The basic pattern is:
quantifier
noun
John has some eggs in his fridge.
When there are descriptive adjectives in the sentence, the quantifying adjective will come before the descriptive adjective:
quantifying adjective
descriptive adjective
noun
John has some fresh eggs in his fridge.
Here are a few more rules to follow:
After a quantifier, mass nounsNo definition set for mass nounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. are singular (as always), but count nounsNo definition set for count nounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. are usually plural.
mass nouncount nounsome money (singular)
some people (plural)
Exception!
Some quantifiers can only be used with mass nouns. Other quantifiers can only be used with count nouns. Some quantifiers can be used before both!
count nounmass noun✅many people
❌many money→ many can only come before a count noun❌less people
✅less money→ less can only come before a mass noun✅some people
✅some money→ some can come before count nouns and mass nouns!Have a look at this list of quantity words for mass nouns vs. count nouns in English to learn more!
Quantifiers are usually determinersNo definition set for determinersLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. This means that:
They do not follow other determiners like the, my, that, or Sarah’s:
❌the some people
We do not use them after a linking verb like be:
❌The people are some.
👍Take note!
All quantifiers can be determiners, but…
Some quantifiers can also be adjectives, so they do not always follow the two rules above:
✅This is one of the few exceptions you must learn.
→ here few comes after the because it is an adjective not a determinerSome quantifiers are set phrases that include a determiner (e.g. a lot of or a little of). We’ll talk more about these phrases at the end of the post.
How to use the most common quantifiers in English?
In this section we’ll talk about the main uses of quantifiers in English, and introduce you to the most important ones to use for each purpose.
To ask about a quantity/amount
In English, we use how much to ask about the amount of a mass noun and how many to ask about the amount of a count noun.
count nounmass noun
How many pencils does Joe have? → 2 pencils
How much money does Joe have? → 2 dollars
To ask whether the quantity is greater than zero (in a yes-no question) use the word any. You can use this with count or mass nouns.
count nounmass noun
Does Joe have any pencils? → yes
Does Joe have any money? → no
Tip
Check out our post on any and some in English to learn more about the uses of this word!
To describe a large quantity
The following quantifiers describe a large quantity: a lot of, lots of, much, many, several, numerous, a good/great deal of, substantial, abundant, and plenty of.
The most common way to describe a large quantity is with the quantifiers a lot of or lots of. These can be used with count nouns and mass nouns.
count nounmass noun
Pat has a lot of toys.
Pat has a lot of homework.
count nounmass noun
Pat has lots of toys.
Pat has lots of homework.
Tip
Lots of and a lot of have exactly the same meaning, but a lot of is more common in the U.S.A.
The more formal quantifiers much and many are also used to talk about large quantities. Have a look at our post on using much and many in English to learn more!
To describe a small quantity
To describe a small quantity, use few or a few (with count nouns) and little or a little (with mass nouns).
count nounmass noun
Kara had a few toys. 😁
Kara had a little fun. 😁
count nounmass noun
Kara had few toys. 😢
Kara had little fun. 😢
Tip
Here is the difference between few / little and a few / a little:
a few and a little are more common and are optimistic. The amount is small, but that is okay.
few and little are formal and are more negative. The amount is too small.
For a less formal alternative to few / little, use a lot of in a negative sentence.
😢Kara didn’t have a lot of toys.😢
😢Kara didn’t have a lot of fun.😢
To describe a general quantity
To describe a general quantity greater than a little and less than a lot, use the word some.
count nounmass noun
Marco made some cookies.
Marco made some coffee.
You can also use several with count nouns, but this is more formal.
Important
There is a lot to learn about using some! For example, we do not usually use some in negative sentences:
❌Marco didn’t make some scones.
Have a look at our post on some and any in English to learn more!
When the quantity is zero
The word no describes a zero quantity:
count nounmass noun
Paolo has no pets.
→ 0 pets
Paolo has no time.
→ 0 time
Tip
Using no is fairly formal. The most common way to say that the amount of something is zero is to use the word any in a negative sentence.
count nounmass noun
Paolo doesn't have any pets.
Paolo doesn't have any time.
Have a look at our posts on some and any in English or on no and none in English to learn more.
To compare quantities
When describing the larger or the largest quantity, use more or the most.
count nounmass noun
Melissa has more friends than Kelsey.
Melissa has more cereal than Kelsey.
Paolo ate the most hot dogs.
Paolo drank the most soda.
To describe the smaller or the smallest quantity, fewer / less or the fewest / the least:
count nounmass noun
Kelsey has fewer friends than Melissa does.
Kelsey has less cereal than Melissa does.
Marcus ate the fewest hot dogs.
Paolo drank the least soda.
You might hear some native speakers use less used with a count noun, as in the common grocery store sign: “ten items or less” instead of “ten items or fewer”!
To learn more about where these quantifiers come from, check out our posts on English comparative adjectives and English superlative adjectives.
To give percentages
The quantifiers every, each, and all describe 100% of a group.
count nounmass noun
Every student passed the test.
→ 100% of the students passed
Each student passed the test.
→ 100% of the students passed
All cats have tails.
→ 100% of cats in general have tails
All milk is white.
→ 100% of milk in general is white
Tip
Check out our post on each, every, and all in English to learn more about the differences between these similar words!
The word most describes >50% of a group in general.
count nounmass noun
Most cows have spots.
→ >50% of cows in general have spots
Most milk comes from cows.
→ >50% of milk in general comes from cows
To say whether you have the amount that is needed to complete a task
We use the quantifiers enough, plenty of, sufficient (formal), and adequate (formal) if a quantity is equal to or greater than the amount we need to complete a task. The most common is enough.
count nounmass noun
Kelsey doesn't have enough chairs for her guests.
Kelsey has enough money to buy a computer.
Tip
When the amount is not enough, you can sometimes use the very formal words insufficient or inadequate:
count nounmass noun
Kelsey has insufficient funds to buy a computer.
Kelsey has inadequate strength for the task.
To describe a group with two members
The words both, either, and neither are only used when you are talking about a group with 2 members. For example, if I am talking about two children, Joe and Fran, I can say:
Both children speak English.
→ John and Fran
Does either child speak English?
→ John or Fran
Neither child speaks English.
→ not John and not Fran
Tip
Check out our post on both, either, and neither to learn more about these tricky words!
Quantifying adjectives vs. indefinite pronouns
Quantifying adjectives and indefinite pronouns in English are both used to describe a quantity in general terms. The main difference is that a quantifying adjective describes a noun, while an indefinite pronoun replaces a noun.
Question: How many children did you see?
Answer 1:
I only saw a few boys.
→ It comes before a noun.
Answer 2:
I saw a few.
→ It replaces a noun.
Most English quantifying adjectives can also be used as indefinite pronouns, but some can only be one or the other. For example, no can only be a quantifying adjective, while none can only be a pronoun.
✅I saw no children.
❌I saw none children.
→ none is not an adjective
❌I saw no.
✅I saw none.
→ no is not a pronoun
What’s the difference between ‘most’ and ‘most of’?
The difference between most + noun and most of + noun comes down to whether most is being used as a quantifying adjective or an indefinite pronoun.
One other way to use English indefinite pronouns is in this structure:
indefinite pronoun
of
specific noun
none of the cake
some of the cake
a lot of the cake
So most + noun and most of + noun have two different patterns:
most + noun → quantifying adjective + noun
most of + noun → indefinite adjective + of + specific noun
Let’s compare the two structures to see the differences in meaning and grammar.
quantifying adjective + noun e.g. some cheese | indefinite pronoun + of + specific noun e.g. some of the cheese |
Describes a quantity or proportion in general | Describes a quantity or proportion that is taken from a specific set |
The noun never has a determinerNo definition set for determinerLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. | The noun always has a definite determinerNo definition set for definite determinerLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (the, my, that…) |
Here are some examples to illustrate the difference in meaning:
Quantifying Adjectives | Indefinite Pronouns |
|---|---|
most people → the majority of people in general | most of the people → the majority of people in a specific group |
no cake → a total absence of cake | none of the cake → 0% of a specific cake |
many students → a large number of students in general | many of her students → a large percentage of her specific students |
a little time → a small amount of time in general | a little of the time → a small amount of a specific window of time |
This simple difference will work for most quantity descriptions!
Important
There are a few set phrases that end in of that we use as quantifying adjectives. These include:
a lot of
tons of
lots of
a bunch of
a bit of
loads of
a ton of
plenty of
We call these quantifying adjectives because they can come before a noun with no determiner and it refers to a quantity in general.
a lot of people
→ a large number of people in general
a bit of soup
→ a small amount of soup in general
plenty of lemons
→ a significant number of lemons in general
However, if you remove of from these set phrases you can create an indefinite pronoun:
quantifying adjectiveindefinite pronoun
I met a lot of people. → I met a lot.
I served a bit of soup. → I served a bit.
I picked plenty of lemons. → I picked plenty.
And these indefinite pronouns can come before of + specific noun:
I met a lot of the people.
→ a large number from a specific group
I cooked a bit of that soup.
→ a small amount from a specific soup
I picked plenty of these lemons.
→ a sufficient amount of some specific lemons
Summing up
Whew! We’ve covered a lot of information in this post on quantifying adjectives. How about a quick reminder?
Quantifying adjectives (aka. quantifiers) are adjectives that answer the questions how many and how much, giving a specific or general idea of quantity of a noun.
Quantifiers mostly come before plural count nouns or singular mass nouns, and are not used with determiners (the, that, my...).
Some quantifying adjectives are used with count nouns, others with mass nouns, and others with both.
We saw some quantifying adjectives to use with large, small, general, and zero quantities.
We also saw how to use quantifying adjectives for other things, like comparing quantities, discussing percentages, and how to discuss whether a quantity is sufficient to perform a task
Finally, we looked at the difference between quantifying adjectives and indefinite pronouns, particularly how and when to use quantifier + noun vs. indefinite pronoun + of + noun.
Ready to start practicing? Try out our English quantifier activities! Or, keep exploring by following some of the links in the sections above!
