Language Focus 2: Quantifiers

Objectives

• learn to use quantifiers.
• practise using quantifiers by asking and answering questions about a theme park.

Quantifiers

• We use quantifiers to express the quantity of something.

• When the noun is countable we always use the plural form.

My sister has got too many toys.

• We use too + much/many to say that an amount is excessive. The difference between too much and too many is the same as the difference between much and many.’ Too much is used with singular (uncountable) nouns; too many is used with plurals.

There are too many books for one person to carry.

They eat too much fast food.

• We use how much/how many to ask about quantity.

How much money have you got?

How many books are there?

• We use enough to say a quantity is sufficient and not enough to say a quantity is insufficient.

I didn’t have enough time to answer all the questions.

We’ve got enough players to make two teams.

A little/a few

• We use a little and a few to express small quantities.

I’ve got a few emails that I need to reply to.

There’s a little chocolate ice cream.

• Use a few with plural countable nouns.

I’ve got a few questions about phobias.

• We use a little with uncountable nouns.

Can I have a little sugar?