English Grammar Understanding the Basics - Evelyn P. Altenberg, Robert M. Vago 2010

Lesson 15: Quantifiers
Unit 3: Determiners
Part I: Kinds of words

There are words, such as every and several, that indicate amount, or quantity, and these are called quantifiers. Quantifiers can act as determiners; that is, they can come before and introduce a noun. The determiners are underlined in the following sentences:

1. All businesses need to have a budget.

2. Some people like eating eel.

3. She enjoyed few things as much as food.

Some common quantifiers are listed below:

Quick tip 15.1

Words of quantity, quantifiers, can act as determiners and precede a noun. Some examples are: all, some, several, and much.

Test yourself 15.1

Underline the quantifier in each of the sentences below. The quantifiers will all be from the list above. Sample: I met several chefs at that school.

Getting started (answers on p. 56)

1. There is no writer who is as famous as Shakespeare.

2. Enough money was raised to build a new wing on the hospital.

3. I don’t take much sugar in my coffee.

4. With little effort, I solved the crossword puzzle.

5. All experiments test hypotheses.

More practice (answers on the website)

6. Most professors have earned a doctorate.

7. Every noun that is human is also animate.

8. Neither option is particularly good.

9. Any man who drinks and drives puts his life in danger.

10. You leave me with few alternatives.

Test yourself 15.2

For each determiner below, indicate if it is an article (e.g. the, an), demonstrative (e.g. this, those), possessive pronoun (e.g. your, our), possessive proper noun (e.g. Mary’s, London’s), or quantifier (e.g. every, some).

Sample: that demonstrative

Getting started (answers on p. 56)

1. Main Street’s ...

2. your

3. few

4. those

5. the

More practice (answers on the website)

6. its

7. both

8. Madrid’s

9. several

10. an

Test yourself 15.3

Underline the determiner in each of the sentences below. It will either be an article (e.g. the, an), demonstrative (e.g. this, those), possessive pronoun (e.g. your, our), possessive proper noun (e.g. Mary’s, London’s), or quantifier (e. g. few, most). Some sentences may contain more than one determiner.

Sample: Joan’s mother valued her efforts.

Getting started (answers on p. 57)

1. Chicago’s architecture is diverse.

2. I know that man and his wife.

3. She packed several dresses into her suitcase.

4. He had traveled to few places over the years.

5. Each child at the party brought a gift.

More practice (answers on the website)

6. Let’s not forget those messages.

7. Every time we eat out, you order several appetizers.

8. Any man who is my friend’s enemy is no friend of mine.

9. I bought these strawberries at her uncle’s grocery store.

10. This event wasn’t much fun.