Quantifiers

📄️ A bit

We use a bit (of) or bits (of) to refer to quantities. The phrases can refer to both abstract and concrete things. They are an informal alternative to some, or a piece of or pieces of:

📄️ Both

We use both to refer to two things or people together:

📄️ Either

Either is a determiner, a pronoun, an adverb or a conjunction. We can pronounce either /ˈaɪðə(r)/ or /ˈi:ðə(r)/.

📄️ Enough

Enough is a determiner, a pronoun or an adverb. We use enough to mean ‘as much as we need or want’.

We use the quantifier least to talk about quantities, amounts and degree. (The) least is the superlative form of little. We use the least with different classes of words. We use the least to make the superlative forms of longer adjectives and the majority of adverbs:

📄️ Less

We use the quantifier less to talk about reduced quantities, amounts or degree. Less is a comparative word.

📄️ Little, a little, few, a few

(A) little and (a) few are quantifiers meaning ‘some’. Little and few have negative meanings. We use them to mean ‘not as much as may be expected or wished for’.

📄️ Lots, a lot, plenty

We use lots, a lot and plenty in informal styles to talk about quantities, amounts and degree. Lots and a lot are similar in meaning to much and many. Plenty means ‘enough’ or ‘more than enough’. Lots is even more informal than a lot.

📄️ Many

We use many to refer to a large number of something countable. We most commonly use it in questions and in negative sentences:

📄️ More

We use the quantifier more to talk about additional quantities, amounts and degree. More is a comparative word.

📄️ Most, the most, mostly

Most

📄️ Much, many, a lot of, lots of: quantifiers

We use the quantifiers much, many, a lot of, lots of to talk about quantities, amounts and degree. We can use them with a noun (as a determiner) or without a noun (as a pronoun).

📄️ No, none and none of

No and none of are determiners. None is a pronoun. No, none and none of indicate negation.

📄️ Plenty

Plenty as a pronoun

📄️ Some

Some is a determiner and a pronoun.

📄️ Some and any

We use some and any in different types of clauses.