This document provides an overview of quantifiers and the words some and any. It discusses how quantifiers are used to state quantity without an exact number, and covers common quantifiers like many, few, much, little, enough, and plenty. The document also explains the differences between some and any, noting that any is used in negative sentences and questions while some is used in positive sentences and questions expecting a positive answer. Examples are given to illustrate the proper uses of quantifiers, some, and any.
4. Agenda for Today
■ Review Activities
■ Quantifiers
■ Showing agreement or disagreement.
5. Quantifiers answer the questions
"How many?" and "How much?"
We use quantifiers with plural
countable nouns and uncountable
nouns.
6. Countable Nouns
Many I don't have many apples.
Few We know few people in the area. I
would like to get to know more.
A Few We know a few people in the area.
I know enough people to keep me
happy
7. Uncountable Nouns
Much I don't have much money.
Little I know little English. I’m going to
have a problem getting around.
A little I know a little English, at least
enough to get by in England.
8. *few/little - means that is not
enough of something.
** a few /a little - means that
there are not a lot of
something, but there is
enough.
9. Few and little describe the
quantity in a negative way:
Few people visited him in
hospital (= he had almost no
visitors)
He had little money (= almost
no money)
10. A few (for countable nouns) and a
little (for uncountable nouns)
describe the quantity in a positive
way:
"I've got a few friends" (= maybe not
many, but enough)
"I've got a little money" (= I've got
enough to live on)
11. Countable/Uncountable
Enough I have enough money.
We have enough cookies.
Plenty I have plenty of money.
We have plenty of cookies
A lot of I have a lot of money.
We have a lot of cookies.
Lots of I have lots of money.
We have lots of cookies
Some I have some money.
We have some cookies.
Any I don’t have any money.
I don’t have any cookies.
12. Enough is placed before the
noun, to indicate the quantity
required or necessary:
“There is enough bread for
lunch.”
“We didn't have enough time to
visit London Bridge.”
“Is there enough milk for
breakfast?”
“She has enough talent to
become an international
singing star.”
13. Graded Quantifiers
They are like comparatives and
hold a relative position on a scale of
increase or decrease.
INCREASE (0% to 100%)
With plural countable nouns
many more
most
With uncountable nouns
much more
14. ·
There are many people
in Uruguay, more in
Brazil, but the most
people live in China.
Much time and money
is spent on education,
more on health services
but the most is spent on
national defense.
15. DECREASE (100% to 0%)
With plural countable nouns
few fewer
fewest
With uncountable nouns
little less least
16. · Few rivers in the world aren’t
polluted.
Fewer people die young now
than in the nineteenth century.
The country with the fewest
people per square kilometer
must be Australia.
Scientists have little hope of
finding a complete cure for
cancer before 2020.
She had less time to study
than I did but had better
results.
Give that dog the least
opportunity and it will bite you.
18. When to use some and any?
Some and any are used to state
the quantity, amount of
something. When using some
or any the exact number is not
stated.
19. Some and any can be used
when:
The exact number is not known.
The exact number is not important
or relevant.
Some and any are used with
countable nouns and uncountable
nouns
20. Any
Any is used with:
Negative sentences
When asking a question.
Any is used when a sentence is
grammatically positive, but the meaning of
the sentence is negative.
■ Do you have any ice cream left?
■ I don't have any money today. I am
getting paid on Friday.
■ My brother never does any thing good.
21. Some
Some is used with:
Positive sentences. When asking a
question,
if the answer is expected to be positive or
not
relevant or you are offering something.
■ The children have some free time.
■ Please buy some bananas.
■ Can I have a glass of tea?
■ Would you like some cake?
22. Compound nouns with some- and any-
are used in the same way as some and
any.
Positive statements:
“Someone is sleeping in my bed.”
“He saw something in the
garden.”
“I left my glasses somewhere in
the house.”
23. Questions:
■ Are you looking for
someone?
(= I'm sure you are)
■ Have you lost something?
(= I'm sure you have)
■ Is there anything to eat?
(a real question)
■ Did you go anywhere last
night?”
25. There is a difference in emphasis
between nothing, nobody etc. and not
... anything, not ... anybody:
“I don't know anything about it.” (=
neutral, no emphasis)
“I know nothing about it.” (= more
emphatic, maybe defensive)
26. “ Is there anybody who speaks English
here?”
“There is nobody in the house at the
moment.”
“Does anybody have the time?”
“When I arrived there was nobody to
meet me.”
27. ANY can also be used in positive
statements to mean 'no matter
which', 'no matter who', 'no matter
what':
“You can borrow any of my
books.”
“They can choose anything
from the menu.”
“You may invite anybody to
dinner, I don't mind who
comes.”