Quantifiers: some/any/much/many/(a) few/(a) little
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In short
Quantifiers tell us how much or how many: use some in positive sentences and any in negatives and questions; use much with uncountable nouns and many with countable nouns. A few / a little mean “some”, while few / little (no a) mean “almost none”.
The rule
some vs any. Use some in affirmative (positive) sentences, and also in offers and requests. Use any in negatives and most questions.
| Sentence type | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | some | I’ve got some money. |
| Negative | any | I don’t have any money. |
| Question | any | Is there any milk? |
| Offer / request | some | Would you like some tea? / Can I have some water? |
much vs many vs a lot of. Much goes with uncountable nouns; many goes with countable (plural) nouns. We use them mostly in negatives and questions. In positive sentences, a lot of / lots of is more natural for both.
| Uncountable | Countable (plural) | |
|---|---|---|
| Negative / question | much (much time?) | many (many people?) |
| Affirmative | a lot of / lots of | a lot of / lots of |
(a) few vs (a) little. Both pairs mean “a small amount”, but the article changes the feeling.
| Word | Goes with | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| a few | countable | some (a positive amount) |
| a little | uncountable | some (a positive amount) |
| few | countable | almost none (negative idea) |
| little | uncountable | almost none (negative idea) |
Other quantifiers. too much / too many = more than you want (excess). (not) enough = the right amount or less. no + noun = not any (There’s no bread = There isn’t any bread). all, most, some, no/none, every, each, both, a couple of show how big a part of a group you mean. To point at a particular group, add of before the / my / these or a pronoun: some students (students in general) but some of the students / most of them (that class). All and both can drop the of before a noun (all (of) the shops) but not before a pronoun (both of us), and every never takes it (every pupil). Use no straight before a noun, but none with of or on its own: There are no seats / None of the seats are free / I looked, but there were none.
Forms & patterns
| Pattern | Used with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| some / any + noun | both | some sugar, any apples |
| much + uncountable | uncountable | much noise |
| many + plural countable | countable | many cars |
| a lot of / lots of + noun | both | a lot of rain, lots of ideas |
| a few / few + plural countable | countable | a few days, few chances |
| a little / little + uncountable | uncountable | a little salt, little hope |
| too much + uncountable | uncountable | too much sugar |
| too many + plural countable | countable | too many mistakes |
| enough + noun | both | enough chairs, enough time |
| no + noun (singular or plural) | both | no bread, no seats |
| most / some / each / a few / none + of + the/my/these (or us/them) | a specific group | most of the photos, none of my keys, each of us |
| every / each + singular countable | countable | every day, each student |
| both / a couple of + plural countable | countable | both hands, a couple of weeks |
Examples
| English | Note |
|---|---|
| There are some eggs in the fridge. | affirmative -> some |
| We don’t have any sugar left. | negative -> any |
| Are there any seats free? | question -> any |
| Would you like some coffee? | offer -> some (not any) |
| I don’t drink much coffee. | much + uncountable, negative |
| How many brothers do you have? | many + countable, question |
| She has a lot of friends. | affirmative -> a lot of, not “much/many” |
| I have a little time, so let’s talk. | a little = some, positive |
| Few people understood the joke. | few = almost none, negative idea |
| You eat too much chocolate! | excess (uncountable) |
| We don’t have enough chairs for everyone. | not enough = too few |
| There’s no milk left, and none of the shops are open. | no + noun; none takes of (never “none milk”) |
Common mistakes
- I have any friends. -> I have some friends. - use some in positive sentences.
- I don’t have some time. -> I don’t have any time. - use any in negatives.
- She has much books. -> She has a lot of / many books. - much is for uncountable; in a positive sentence use a lot of.
- I have a few money. -> I have a little money. - money is uncountable, so a little, not a few.
- There aren’t no apples. -> There aren’t any apples. / There are no apples. - don’t use a double negative; no already means “not any”.
- He has too much friends. -> He has too many friends. - too many with countable plurals.
Tips
- some = positive, any = not sure / negative. But say some in offers and requests, because you expect “yes”: Would you like some cake?
- Count the noun first. If you can count it (plural), use many / a few / too many. If you can’t, use much / a little / too much.
- a makes it positive. a few / a little = “enough, don’t worry”; few / little = “not enough, a problem”.
- In everyday positive sentences, a lot of / lots of is the safe choice for both countable and uncountable nouns.