Expressing quantity

1. Expressing quantity
March 7, 2023

2. Quantifiers
Countable / Uncountable nouns Countable nouns Uncountable nouns
Large quantities  a lot of
 lots of
 most
(so) many (so) much / (not) much
Small quantities (a) few (a) little
a bit of
No specific quantities  some (+)
 any (- ?)
* Requests / offers some (?)
Sufficient quantity  enough
 plenty of
Zero quantities  no
Colloquial (informal) forms  tons of/loads of (un montón de)  a couple of
 hundreds of
 thousands of
Questions How many …? How much ... ?
Asking for the cost How much …?

3. Much, Many, A lot
(of): for big
quantities
• There are many things to do today.
• We have a lot of time left, don’t
worry.
• Many people take the train to
work.
• Most children start school at the
age of five.
• Much Italian wine is sold abroad.
• She plays a lot of sport.
 To emphasize a really big quantity:
• There are so many passengers on
the train, it is difficult to get off.
• She has so much work to do, she
will stay at the office until midnight.

4. A Few, A Little, A Bit (of): for smaller quantities
•We need a few coins for the car park.
•Would you like a little milk in your coffee?
•They ate a few biscuits with their tea.
•The engine needs a little oil.
Would you like a little wine?
Could I have a bit of butter, please?
 Referring to a small quantity with a negative sense
Few trains arrive on time. (A small number of trains arrive on train which is a bad thing.)
Little attention is given to the problem of parking. (A small amount of attention is given to
this problem and it’s not good.)

5. Some, Any: not giving a specific quantity
We have some free time later this afternoon.
She doesn’t want any coffee.
Do they need any bread?
I went to some meetings in Rome last week.
Will there be any managers at the party?
 When making requests or offers: use ‘some’.
Can I have some water please?
Would you like some chocolates?

6. Enough, Plenty (of): sufficient quantity
 Enough
Means as much as it is necessary or as much as it is needed. When something is considered as
enough it means we do not need any more of it.
 We have enough food for all of us.
 I think we have enough vegetables so I won’t buy any more.
 Plenty (of)
Means enough or more than enough. So, it can refer to a larger amount compared with 'enough'.
 Slow down. We’ve got plenty of time to get to the station.
 Students have plenty of opportunities in this school.
 I need more plates. – No, we don’t. There are plenty!

7. Colloquial (informal) forms
You need tons of energy to keep up with a child.
I spend loads of money when I go shopping.
There are hundreds of cows in Iza, Boyacá.

8. Zero quantity
I can't go out. I have no money.
There is a lot of food but no drinks.

9. Questions about Quantity: how many …? How much …?
How many times have you visited Rome?
How many people were at the meeting?
How many chairs do we need?
How much time have you got?
How much bread does he eat?
How much petrol shall I buy?
 Asking for the cost of something $$$$
How much do these melons cost?
How much does this sofa cost?
How much are those gloves?

10. Burano, Venice
a) There are _______ colored houses in Burano.
b) There are ______ skyscrapers.
c) There aren’t _______ cars.
d) There are a __________blue boats in the
water.
e) ______ houses in Burano have vivid colors.
f) There isn’t _______ space in the streets.
enough
no
any
a couple of
lots of
most
Look at the photograph and complete the
sentences a-f below.

11. Recommending a place to the class
Think about a place you would like to recommend the class to visit. It
could be a city, a small town or village, a theme park, a water park, etc.
Say what the name of the place is and location.
Describe the place and the most important activities to do there.
Use quantifiers and information you want.