English — quantifiers & determiners
Quantifiers tell us how much or how many. English chooses different words for countable and uncountable nouns, and for affirmative versus negative or interrogative sentences: some / any, much / many, little / few.
How it works
Use some in affirmative sentences (I have some money) and any in negatives and questions (I don't have any money / Do you have any money?). Some also appears in offers and requests (Would you like some tea? Can I have some water?). Use much with uncountable nouns (much time) and many with countable nouns (many friends). Little / much go with uncountables and few / many with countables; a little and a few mean a small positive amount, while little and few stress scarcity. Use a lot of / lots of with both countable and uncountable nouns (a lot of water, lots of books). Use no before a noun (no time) and none on its own (None is left).
Examples
| Quantifier | Use |
|---|---|
| some / any | some in affirmatives; any in negatives and questions |
| much / many | much with uncountable nouns; many with countable nouns |
| (a) little / (a) few | little with uncountable, few with countable — a small amount |
| a lot of / lots of | both countable and uncountable nouns; a large amount |
| no / none | zero: no before a noun, none on its own |
Good to know
Whether a noun is countable or uncountable decides much / many and little / few. Other words also quantify: all, every, each and both, either, neither. Each looks at members one by one, while every refers to the whole group as a set.