Quantifiers

Express quantity and amount: some, any, much, many, a lot of, few, little

What are Quantifiers?

Quantifiers express how much or how many of something. The choice depends on whether the noun is countable (books, apples) or uncountable (water, money), and whether the sentence is positive, negative, or a question.

Some & Any

SOME - positive sentences:

I have some money. (uncountable)
There are some books on the table. (countable)
She bought some apples.
We need some time.

SOME - offers and requests:

Would you like some coffee? (offer)
Can I have some water? (request)

ANY - negative sentences and questions:

I don't have any money. (negative)
Do you have any questions? (question)
There isn't any milk left.
Are there any problems?

ANY - meaning "it doesn't matter which":

You can take any seat. (any seat is fine)
Any time is good for me.

Much & Many

MANY - countable nouns:

How many books do you have?
There aren't many people here.
I don't have many friends.
Are there many students?

MUCH - uncountable nouns:

How much money do you need?
I don't have much time.
There isn't much water left.
How much does it cost?

Note: Much/many mainly in negatives and questions

Positive: I have a lot of money. (NOT "I have much money")
Question: Do you have much money? ✅

A Lot Of / Lots Of

Both countable and uncountable (informal):

I have a lot of friends. (countable)
She has a lot of money. (uncountable)
There are lots of people here.
We have lots of time.

Few & Little

FEW - countable (not many, negative meaning):

There are few people here. (not many - negative)
I have few friends. (almost none)
Very few students passed.

A FEW - countable (some, positive meaning):

I have a few friends. (some friends - positive)
There are a few problems.
Can you wait a few minutes?

LITTLE - uncountable (not much, negative):

There is little time. (almost no time)
I have little money.
Very little water remains.

A LITTLE - uncountable (some, positive):

I have a little money. (some money)
There's a little milk left.
Can you give me a little time?

Other Common Quantifiers

All (everything/everyone):

All students must attend. (countable)
All the water is gone. (uncountable)

Most (majority):

Most people agree.
Most of the time, I'm busy.

Several (some, countable only):

I've been there several times.
Several students were absent.

Enough (sufficient amount):

I have enough money. (uncountable)
Are there enough chairs? (countable)

No / None:

There is no time. (= not any time)
I have no friends here.
None of them came. (not one)

Countable vs. Uncountable Quick Reference

	Countable	Uncountable	Both
Questions	How many?	How much?	How many/much?
Large quantity	many	much	a lot of
Small (negative)	few	little	-
Small (positive)	a few	a little	-

Common Mistakes

❌ I don't have some money. → ✅ I don't have any money.
❌ How much books? → ✅ How many books? (countable)
❌ I have much friends. → ✅ I have many friends. (countable)
❌ There's few water. → ✅ There's little water. (uncountable)
❌ I have little friends. → ✅ I have few friends. (countable)

Practice Tips

🔢 Count test: Can you count it? Books (1, 2, 3...) = many/few. Water (can't count) = much/little.
✅ Some/Any rule: SOME in positive sentences and offers. ANY in negatives and questions.
💡 Few vs. A few: "Few" = almost none (negative). "A few" = some (positive). Same for little/a little.
🎯 Much in positive: Sounds formal/unnatural. Use "a lot of" instead: "I have a lot of time" NOT "I have much time."
📝 Learn chunks: "How much money," "How many people," "a lot of time," "a few minutes."