Grammar-Quizzes › Noun Phrases › Determiners › Quantifiers
Quantifiers
Summary of Practices
Agreement Diagnostic Quiz: identify specific points that need review
This is a grammar diagnostic page with study links.
Quiz 1: beginning – intermediate
Quiz 2: intermediate – advanced
Quantifiers (Increasing or Decreasing Amount)
Quantity Phrases: indicate how much or how many
Intermediate ESL / Native Speakers
Each of the techs knows the solution.
Both of the techs know the solution.
Most of the techs know the solution.
Most of the techs knows the solution.
A number of techs know the solution.
The number of techs is ten.
Agreement—Nouns with Modifiers: recognize the true subject in agreement with the verb
Intermediate ESL, Native Speakers
Quantity Phrase Agreement (w/relative clause)
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Practice 2 – correct/incorrect
At least three quarters of the monkeys – in the zoo – suffer from nutritional deficiencies.
The monkey – under the bananas – is hiding.
The monkeys – under the bananas – are hiding.
The chimpanzee is one of the monkeys that is/are closely related to humans.
Some / Any: specify sufficient quantity for count and noncount nouns
Beginning – Intermediate ESL
Any–polarity (in negative environments)
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Practice 2 – correct / incorrect
Practice 3 – edit
I'd like some tea.
I didn't get any tea.
Would you like some / any tea?
I doubt that there are any oranges here.
Not one of the shops has any tea.
I don't think that any oranges are left.
—What kind of tea is it?
—I don't know… some tea he bought last week.
Much/ Many: specify large quantity for count and noncount nouns
Beginning – Intermediate ESL
Not many good snacks are in the refrigerator.
Not much junk food is in the refrigerator.
Are there many good snacks in the refrigerator?
Is there much junk food in the refrigerator?
There are many good snacks in the refrigerator. (ok)
~There is much food in the refrigerator. (awkward)
Much food can be grown in the fertile valleys of California. (reference books, scientific writing)
Little/ Few: specify insufficient or minor quantity for count and noncount nouns
Beginning–Intermediate ESL
I have little water in my glass.
I have a little water in my glass.
I have few friends.
I have a few friends.
Much / More: a large quantity vs an additional amount
Beginning–Intermediate ESL
Practice – multiple choice
People have much more knowledge about eating right.
Many more people are eating healthier diets.
People eat too much fat, sugar and salt.
People eat too many chips, cookies and candy bars.
He is much too old for her.
She is far too young for him.
Fewer vs. Less : specify a barely sufficient or smaller quantity
Beginning–Intermediate ESL
Fewer (count) / Less (noncount)
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Practice 2 – formal / informal
Practice 3 – read and edit
*Do you want less lines and wrinkles on your face?
fewer lines than before / less wrinkling than before
We use fewer toxic chemicals. (number)
We use less toxic chemicals. (percentage, composition)
Less is more (noun)
Most vs. Most of the: specify a majority in a group
Intermediate– Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Most students ask questions.
Most of the students in my English class ask questions.
A number of the students ask questions.
The number of the students who ask questions is low.
Food Quantifiers: specify amounts or units
Beginning ESL – Intermed.
We bought a sack, a bag, a box of rice.
I'd like a glass, a bottle, a gallon, a liter of milk.
We bought a stalk of celery, a spear of asparagus, a head of lettuce, a wheel of cheese, an ear of corn, a cube of ice, a bar of chocolate.
a pork chop, a beef steak, a roast lamb, a leg of lamb, a ham
Beef comes from a steer. Veal comes from a calf.
Related Pages
A Determiner: recognize a variety of noun markers
Beginning–Intermediate ESL
Determiners (list)
Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)
Practice 1 – correct / incorrect
Practice 2 – multiple choice
Also see Quantifiers.
A friend called. / *Friend called. Friends called.
This / that friend called.
These / those / some / three friends called.
A hair is on your sweater.
Hair makes a guy look young.
Last week, this week and next week will be cold.
Another / The other: specify one more or the rest
Beginning– Intermediate ESL
Practice 1 – complete the sentence (MC)
Practice 2 – complete the sentence (MC)
Practice 3 – edit paragraph
She ate one. (a cookie)
Then she ate another. (one more)
Then she ate the others. (the rest)
She wanted other cookies not these.
Each other / One another: express a reciprocal relationship
Beginning–Intermediate ESL
Genitive Reciprocal Form (possessive)
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Sophie and Jim get angry at each other.
Sophie and Jim get angry at one another.
They think each other is selfish. (sub-clausal)
*Each other is selfish.
We pass gossip to one another.
They don't care about each others' feelings.
Common Mistakes: avoid the top 20 agreement errors
Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Practice – multiple choice
Fashions come and go.
* Everyone have problems balancing comfort with fashion.
Agreement in Context: Identify subject-predicate agreement
Intermediate–Advanced. ESL
Thirty million barrels of oil is "a drop in the bucket" compared to U.S. demand.