Talking about amounts of things: quantifiers

2.194 When you want to refer to a quantity of things or to an amount of something in everyday language, you use a quantifier.

I am sure both of you agree with me.

...a house with lots of windows.

Most of the population have fled.

I make a lot of mistakes.

In Tunis there are a number of art galleries.

I never found the rest of my relatives.

Note that all quantifiers consist of two or more words, because 'of' is needed in every case. 'Of' is printed in the lists below as a reminder.

2.195 Here is the list of quantifiers:

all of another of any of both of certain of each of either of enough of few of fewer of less of little of lots of many of

more of most of much of neither of none of numbers of one of part of plenty of quantities of several of some of various of ~

an amount of a bit of a little bit of a couple of a good deal of a great deal of a few of a little of a lot of a good many of a great many of a number of a quantity of ~

a majority of the majority of a minority of ~ the reminder of the rest of the whole of ~ heaps of loads of masses of tons of

Note that the quantifiers in the last group in this list are used in informal speech only.

2.196 Some of these quantifiers can be linked by 'of' only to noun groups that begin with a specific determiner such as 'the', 'these', or 'my'. A pronoun such as 'us', 'them', or 'these' can also be used after 'of'.

Nearly all of the increase has been caused by inflation.

Part of the farm lay close to the river bank.

Only a few of the attackers were armed.

Here is a list of quantifiers usually or always used with noun groups beginning with specific determiners:

all of another of any of both of certain of each of either of enough of

few of fewer of less of little of many of more of most of much of

neither of none of one of part of several of some of various of ~

a few of a little of a good many of a great many of ~ the remainder of the rest of the whole of

All other qualifiers can be used with noun groups beginning with either specific or general determiners.

2.197 Some of these quantifiers can also be used with place names.

The whole of America will be shocked by what happened.

...involving a large part of Africa and a large part of South America.

Here is a list of quantifiers used with place names:

all of less of more of most of

much of none of part of some of

~ a bit of a little of a good deal of

a great deal of a lot of ~ the rest of

the whole of

2.198 When you use a quantifier as the subject of a verb, the verb is singular or plural depending on whether the quantifier refers to one thing or to more than one thing.

Some of the information has already been analysed.

Some of my best friends are policemen.

with plural nouns 2.199 Many quantifiers can only be used in front of plural noun groups.

I am sure both of you agree with me.

Start by looking through their papers for either of the two documents mentioned below.

Few of these organizations survive for long.

Several of his best books are about space flight.

I would like to ask you a couple of questions.

The report contained large numbers of inaccuracies.

Here is a list of quantifiers only used with plural noun groups:

another of both of certain of each of either of

few of fewer of many of neither of numbers of

one of several of various of ~ a couple of

a few of a good many of a great many of a number of

For more information about 'each of' see paragraphs 2.203 to 2.204, about 'fewer of' see paragraph 2.206, and about 'a number of' see paragraphs 2.208 to 2.209.

Note that 'neither of' is used in a similar way to 'either of' when you are talking about two things in negative clauses. This is explained in paragraph 4.75.

with uncount nouns and singular nouns 2.200 A few quantifiers are only used with uncount nouns and singular noun groups.

Much of the day was taken up with classes.

This is a bit of a change.

There was a good deal of smoke.

If you use rich milk, pour off a little of the cream.

I spent the whole of last year working there.

Here is a list of quantifiers only used with uncount nouns and singular noun groups:

less of little of much of

part of ~ a bit of

a little bit of a good deal of a great deal of

a little of ~ the whole of

For more information about 'less of' see paragraph 2.206.

with plural nouns and uncount nouns 2.201 A very few quantifiers can be used only with plural noun groups and uncount nouns.

Her immense quantities of jewels, robes, cosmetics and carpets.

Very large quantities of aid were needed.

They had loads of things to say about each other.

We had loads of room.

...plenty of the men.

Bake us plenty of bread for our journey.

Here is a list of quantifiers only used with plural noun groups and uncount nouns:

plenty of quantities of

~ heaps of

loads of masses of

tons of

Note that when the second group of quantifiers in this list are used with an uncount noun as the subject of a verb, the verb is singular, even though the quantifier looks plural.

Masses and masses of food was left over.

2.202 Some quantifiers can be used with plural noun groups, with singular noun groups, or with uncount nouns.

...some of the most distinguished men of our time.

We did some of the journey by night.

Some of the gossip was surprisingly accurate.

Here is a list of quantifiers used with plural noun groups, singular noun groups, or uncount noun:

all of any of enough of lots of

more of most of none of some of

~ an amount of a lot of a quantity of

~ the remainder of the rest of

Note that 'an amount of' is nearly always used with an adjective such as 'small': 'a small amount of'. This is explained in paragraph 2.209.

Note also that when 'lots of' is used with an uncount noun as the subject of a verb, the verb is singular, even though the quantifier looks plural.

He thought that lots of lovely money was the source of happiness.

'Any of' is explained more fully in paragraph 2.205.

2.203 When you want to refer to each member of a particular group, you can use 'each of' and a plural noun group.

Each of the drawings is slightly different.

We feel quite differently about each of our children.

Work out how much you can afford to pay each of them.

Note that 'each one' and 'every one' can be used before 'of' instead of 'each', for emphasis.

This view of poverty influences each one of us.

Everyone of them is given a financial target.

2.204 When the quantifier 'each of' is used with a plural noun group, the verb after the noun group is always singular.

2.205 'Any of' can refer to one or several people or things, or to part of something. Note that if it is the subject of a verb, when it refers to several things, the verb is plural, and when it refers to a part of something, the verb is singular.

She has those coats. She might have been wearing any of them.

Hardly any of these find their way into consumer products.

Has any of this been helpful?

It was more expensive than any of the other magazines we were normally able to afford.

2.206 There are three comparative quantifiers, which can be used before noun groups. 'Less of' is usually used with singular noun groups and uncount noun groups, 'fewer of is usually used with plural noun groups, and 'more of' is used with all three types of noun group.

I enjoy cooking far more now, because I do less of it.

Fewer of these children will become bored.

He was far more of an existentialist.

Note that 'more of' is sometimes used in front of a noun group to intensify it.

He could hardly have felt more of a fool than he did at that moment.

She was more of a flirt than ever.

America is much more of a classless society.

Note also that 'less of' is sometimes used instead of 'fewer of', but many people think that this is not correct.

omitting 'of' 2.207 When the context makes it clear, or when you think that the person you are talking to will understand what you mean, you can sometimes reduce the structure to the quantifier only. For example, if you are talking about applications for a job and there were twenty candidates, you can say 'Some were very good' rather than 'Some of them were very good'.

A few crossed over the bridge.

Some parts can be separated from the whole.

I have four bins. I keep one in the kitchen and the rest in the dustbin area.

Most of the books had been packed into an enormous trunk and the remainder piled on top of it.

USAGE NOTE 2.208 You can add adjectives to 'a number of' and 'a quantity of' to indicate how large or small an amount or number of things is.

There are a large number of students.

We had a limited number of people to choose from.

The novel provides an enormous quantity of information.

...a tiny quantity of acid.

'An amount of' is always used with adjectives, and is usually used with uncount nouns.

He couldn't stop himself from sipping a small amount of the water.

He has a large amount of responsibility.

It only involves a small amount of time.

There has to be a certain amount of sacrifice.

They have done a vast amount of a hard work.

The plural forms of 'quantity', 'number', and 'amount' are used, especially when referring to separate amounts.

...groups which employ large numbers of low-paid workers.

Enormous amounts of money are spent on advertising.

submodifying quantifiers 2.2O9 When a quantifier contains an adjective, you can put 'very' in front of the adjective.

...a very great deal of work.

...a very large amount of money.

2.210 Some quantifiers can be submodified using 'quite'.

I've wasted quite enough of my life here.

Quite a few of the employees are beginning to realise the truth.

Most of them have had quite a lot of experience.

...quite a large amount of industry.

Here is a list of quantifiers which can be submodified by 'quite':

enough a few

a lot of a large amount of

a small amount of a number of

a large number of