Quantifiers — much, many, a lot, (a) little/(a) few, some, any, no, none
Countable vs uncountable — quick guide
| Large quantity | Countable (plural) | Uncountable |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral/positive | a lot of / lots of / plenty of • many (rare in +) | a lot of / lots of / plenty of • much (rare in +) |
| Negative/question | many • How many…? | much • How much…? |
| Small quantity | (a) few (positive: “some, enough”) • few (negative: “not many”) | (a) little / a bit of (positive) • little (negative) |
| Zero | no + noun • none (pronoun) • not any | |
✅ a lot / lots can stand alone at sentence end: We laughed a lot / had lots. • Use of before a noun: a lot of time.
much / many
- many + plural countable; much + uncountable. Common in negatives & questions: There isn’t much coffee. • Were there many people?
- too/so much, too/so many are fine in affirmatives: so many people, too much salt.
- How much / How many to ask about quantity.
a lot of / lots of / plenty of
- Use with both countable and uncountable, usually in positive sentences: We’ve got plenty of time.
- a lot / lots (no of) only without a following noun: I like her a lot.
(a) few / (a) little / a bit of
- (a) few + plural countable; (a) little / a bit of + uncountable.
- a few / a little = some/enough (positive): We’ve got a few eggs.
- few / little = almost none/not enough (negative): There’s little milk.
Style tip: in formal English, use fewer with countables and less with uncountables: fewer cars, less traffic.
some / any / no
- some in positives: I have some questions. | any in negatives & questions: There isn’t any sugar. • Have you got any friends?
- no in affirmative sentences: There are no biscuits left.
- Use some (not any) in offers/requests: Would you like some tea? • Can I have some help?
- any can mean “it doesn’t matter which”: Ask me any question.
All three work with countable (plural) and uncountable nouns: any students / any water.
none / none of
- none is a pronoun (no noun after it): How many were left? — None.
- none of + noun/pronoun: None of the questions were answered.
- Agreement: none of + plural usually takes a plural verb in modern English: None of them are ready.
Mini examples
- There were so many people that we left.
- How much coffee have you had today?
- He always gets good results with very little effort.
- We had a few problems, but we solved them.
- “Beers?” — “No, thanks. I’ve had plenty.”
Spoken tip: lots of is friendlier/more informal than a lot of.
Exercises:
Much, many, a lot, little, few, some, any, no: Quantifiers
Choose the correct quantifiers to complete the sentences below.
1
I don’t have
patience for slow internet.
2
There are
emails to answer this morning.
3
We have
bread left — just enough for two sandwiches.
4
Unfortunately,
people applied for the internship.
5
Would you like
tea?
6
Did you buy
milk?
7
There is
parking near the theater—take the bus.
8
He eats
sugar, which is good for his health.
9
I made
mistakes in the report, so I’ll fix them now.
10
There isn’t
time to explain—we have to leave now.
Much, many, a lot, little, few, some, any, no: Quantifiers
Choose the correct quantifiers for each gap below.
1
We don’t have _____ bread left.
A.
B.
C.
2
There were _____ chairs in the hall, so everyone sat down.
A.
B.
C.
3
I’ve got _____ emails to answer today—like fifty!
A.
B.
C.
4
She has _____ friends in the city; she feels lonely.
A.
B.
C.
5
Could I have _____ water, please?
A.
B.
C.
6
Are there _____ bananas in the kitchen?
A.
B.
C.
7
We had _____ time before the train, so we grabbed a coffee.
A.
B.
C.
8
There were _____ tickets left — zero!
A.
B.
C.
9
How _____ sugar do you take in your tea?
A.
B.
C.
10
He brought _____ bottles of water for the hike.
A.
B.
C.
Much, many, a lot, little, few, some, any, no: Quantifiers
For each dialogue, fill in the gaps with the words in the box.
muchmanya lot oflots oflittlefewsomeanyno
1
A: How eggs are left in the fridge?
2
B: Not ; we used most of them.
3
B: Do we have cheese?
4
A: Yes, we have cheese — someone bought a big block.
5
B: Great. And tomatoes?
6
A: Sorry, tomatoes left at all.
lots ofplenty oflittlefew
7
A: I’ve got emails to answer.
8
B: Take your time. There’s urgency; the deadline moved.
9
A: And only teammates are in the office today.
10
B: Don’t worry — I still have free time this afternoon and can help.