Quantifiers are the words that answer how much or how many. Some water, many books, a lot of money, too much noise, enough time. They sit in front of a noun and tell you about amount without giving an exact number. The reason they cause trouble is not their meaning, which is usually obvious, but the fact that English picks a different word depending on the kind of noun that follows. Sort out that one distinction and the rest falls into place.

The rule that governs everything: countable or uncountable

Before you choose a quantifier, you have to know what sort of noun you are dealing with.

• Countable nouns are things you can count one by one, so they have a plural. one apple, two apples; a car, three cars; a book, five books. You can put a number in front of them.
• Uncountable nouns are things you treat as a mass, so they have no plural and take no number. water, money, rice, time, information, advice. You cannot say two waters or three moneys.

Almost every quantifier below cares about this split. Many needs a countable noun; much needs an uncountable one. Get the noun type right first, and the correct quantifier is usually the only one left standing.

some and any

Some and any both mean an unspecified amount. The choice between them is mostly about whether the sentence is positive or negative.

• Use some in positive sentences. I have some money. There are some books on the table.
• Use any in negatives and in most questions. I do not have any money. Are there any books on the table?

Both work with plural countable nouns (some apples, any cars) and with uncountable nouns (some water, any rice).

The one exception worth learning: offers and requests take some, even though they are questions. When you offer or ask for something, some sounds warmer and more polite than any.

• Would you like some tea? (an offer)
• Can I have some water, please? (a request)

Ask Would you like any tea? and it sounds cold, almost as if you doubt they want it. So the plain rule is: any in questions, but some when you are offering or asking for something.

much and many

This is the pair learners get wrong most often, and the fix is simple.

• many goes with countable nouns. many books, many people, many cars, how many children.
• much goes with uncountable nouns. much water, much money, much time, how much sugar.

Notice that much and many live mainly in negatives and questions. I do not have much money. Are there many people here? How much does it cost? In plain positive sentences they sound stiff, and English usually reaches for a lot of instead.

a lot of, lots of and plenty of

The friendly, everyday way to say a large amount is a lot of, and its great advantage is that it does not care about the noun type.

• a lot of works with both. a lot of books (countable), a lot of money (uncountable).

This is why native speakers say I have a lot of money rather than I have much money. In positive sentences, a lot of replaces both much and many.

• lots of means the same as a lot of, just more informal. We have lots of time.
• plenty of means more than enough, with a reassuring feel, and also works with both. Do not rush, we have plenty of time. There is plenty of food for everyone.

Remember the spelling: it is always a lot of, three words. Alot is not a word.

a little and a few

These two split the work between the noun types, and the little word a hides a big difference in meaning.

• a little goes with uncountable nouns. a little water, a little money, a little time.
• a few goes with countable nouns. a few books, a few people, a few days.

Both mean some, a small amount with a positive feel. I have a little money means you have enough for now. I have a few friends here means you are not alone.

Now drop the a, and the meaning flips to a negative one, closer to almost none.

• little (no a) means not much, hardly any. I have little money means you are nearly broke.
• few (no a) means not many, hardly any. She has few friends means she is lonely.

So a few and a little are optimistic; few and little are the glass-half- empty versions. In everyday speech, people often use not much or not many for the negative sense instead, which feels less formal.

enough, too much, too many, no and none

A few more amount words complete the set.

• enough means the right amount, not too little. It works with both noun types and goes in front of the noun. We have enough chairs. There is enough water.
• too much and too many mean more than you want. Too much takes uncountable nouns (too much noise, too much sugar); too many takes countable nouns (too many people, too many emails).
• no means zero, and goes straight before the noun. There is no money. I have no books.
• none means the same as no but stands alone, without a noun after it. How much money is left? None. How many came? None of them.

The master table

One table to hold the whole system. The middle columns tell you which noun types each quantifier accepts.

Common mistakes

Ranked by how often learners actually make them.

1. much with a countable noun. Much people and much books are wrong, because much only takes uncountable nouns. Say many people and many books, or in a positive sentence, a lot of people.
2. any in offers and requests. Would you like any coffee? sounds cold. When you offer or ask for something, use some: Would you like some coffee? Can I have some water?
3. few and little swapped. Few is for things you can count (few cars); little is for a mass (little time). I have few money should be I have little money.
4. the a dropped or added by accident. A few means some; few means almost none. I have few friends says you are lonely, which is probably not what you meant. Keep the a when you mean a small but positive amount.
5. alot. A lot of is three words. Alot is a spelling mistake, not a word, and it turns up constantly in writing. Watch for it.

Practice

Choose the correct quantifier. Answers are below.

1. There are ___ (much / many) people at the party.
2. Would you like ___ (some / any) tea?
3. I do not have ___ (some / any) money left.
4. She has ___ (a few / a little) close friends, so she is never lonely.
5. Slow down, we have ___ (much / plenty of) time.

Answers: 1. many (people is countable) 2. some (an offer, so some not any) 3. any (a negative sentence) 4. a few (friends is countable, and the a gives the positive sense) 5. plenty of (positive sentence, means more than enough; much time would sound stiff here)