Graded Quantifiers
many/much, more, most
few, fewer, fewest
little, less, least
All quantifiers are determiners that express quantity, sometimes exact. But with graded quantifiers we can express approximate quantity on a relative scale (rising ➚ and falling ➘). (This idea is similar to adjectives such as big, bigger, biggest or small, smaller, smallest.) Also note, in the following table, that four of these quantifiers are used with countable nouns (C), four with uncountable nouns (U) and two with both.
| quantifier | comparative | superlative |
|---|
| increasing ➚ |
| C | many | more | most |
| U | much |
| decreasing ➘ |
| C | few | fewer | fewest |
| U | little | less | least |
many/much
The quantifiers many and much mean "a large quantity of". We use many with countable nouns and much with uncountable nouns:
- Were there many people at the party? Was it busy?
- We don't have much time left so let's go soon.
Note that we tend to use many/much in negative and question sentences. For positive sentences, especially in informal English, we prefer a lot of, or (very informal) lots of.
| | C | U |
| + | I've got | a lot of eggs | a lot of rice |
|---|
| - | I haven't got | many eggs | much rice |
|---|
| ? | Have you got | many eggs? | much rice? |
|---|
more, most
Many/much (and few/little) are unusual determiners because they have comparative and superlative forms. The comparative form of many/much is more; and the superlative form of many/much is most. We can use more and most with countable and uncountable nouns.
Look at these example sentences:
- Many people use the Internet and more people join every year.
- Last year there was a lot of crime, but there is even more crime this year.
- Whoever has most points is the winner.
- Since you have the most money, why don't you pay?
few/little
The quantifiers few and little mean "a small quantity of". We use few with countable nouns and little with uncountable nouns:
- There were few people in the shop so it didn't take long.
- There is little chance that he will come now so let's go home.
few/little versus a few/a little
Notice that few and little have a "negative" sense:
- He had few friends. (So he was quite lonely.)
- We have little time left. (Just a couple of minutes. Let's go!)
Adding the indefinite article a changes the emphasis to more "positive":
- He had a few friends. (So he wasn't too lonely.)
- We have a little time. (A bit of time. Let's grab a snack.)
fewer/fewest, less/least
The comparative form of few is fewer; and the superlative form of few is fewest. We use them with countable nouns:
- There were few visitors last week but there are even fewer visitors this week.
- If Tara has the fewest jobs to do, she can help the others.
The comparative form of little is less; and the superlative form of little is least. We use them with uncountable nouns:
- The run took little time last week and even less time this week.
- Eric has the least work to do so he can help you.
Although less is correctly used with uncountable nouns only, many native speakers now also use it with countable nouns, especially in informal English:
- Less people came this time.
| determiner | There is little time left. |
|---|
| adjective | I have a little dog. |
|---|
Example Sentences
Look at some more example sentences showing graded quantifiers in context:
- Many people agreed with me.
- Are there many cars outside?
- I don't have many books.
- She used too much makeup.*
- They can't deliver today. There is too much snow.*
- I don’t have much work to do.
- More people will come if you advertise.
- There is more money in my account than I expected.
- Most winters are warmer than this.
- Jackie got the most points.
- Few people can lift their own bodyweight—perhaps less than five per cent.
- There are fewer old cars on the roads these days; more and more people prefer to buy new.
- This year we've had the fewest hurricanes on record.
- There's little doubt that the climate is getting warmer.
- Is it true that a policeman earns less money than a politician?
- It's not fair! I did the most work and I got the least money.
*Note that you can add too before many or much to indicate an excess amount.
Numbers are one kind of determiner. In terms of meaning, numbers are similar to quantifier determiners, but most grammarians treat them separately.
Numbers can be "cardinal" (one, two, three) or "ordinal" (first, second, third), as shown in this table:
| cardinal | ordinal | |
|---|
| 1 | one | first | 1st |
| 2 | two | second | 2nd |
| 3 | three | third | 3rd |
| 10 | ten | tenth | 10th |
| 21 | twenty-one | twenty-first | 21st |
| 99 | ninety-nine | ninety-ninth | 99th |
| 100 | one hundred | one hundredth | 100th |
| 1000 | one thousand | one thousandth | 1000th |
| etc |
|
Like all determiners, numbers come at the beginning of a noun phrase, so they come in front of any adjective(s).
Look at these example sentences:
- I ordered two cakes.
- There were three hundred angry people present.
- Jane won first prize and Jo won third prize.
- They have just produced their one millionth sports car.
When used together in a noun phrase, ordinals normally come before cardinals.
- Interrogative Determiners
what, which, whose
The interrogative determiners are: what, which, whose
| Whose | iPad did you use? |
| car keys are these? |
| What | stupid man told you that? |
| books did you read? |
| Which | red pen do you want? |
| three teachers do you prefer? |
Whose means "belonging to which person": They didn't know whose car it was.
What is for asking for information specifying something: What time did you arrive? I wonder what reason he gave.
Which is for asking for information specifying one or more people or things from a definite set: Which table would you prefer? I wonder which teacher told him that.
Like all determiners, interrogative determiners come at the beginning of a noun phrase, so they come in front of any adjective(s).
Look at these example sentences:
- Whose iPhone was stolen?
- He couldn't remember whose car keys they were.
- What idiot told you that?
- I don't know what non-fiction books he was reading.
- I asked them which Italian car was best.
- Which nightclubs on the Champs Elysées did you go to?
1. Note that whose functions both as an interrogative and a possessive determiner, so technically whose is an interrogative possessive determiner. Whose is the only interrogative possessive determiner in English.
2. Note also that there is NO apostrophe (') in the determiner whose. The contraction who's (meaning "who is" OR "who has") sounds exactly like whose and even native speakers frequently confuse the two.
I wonder whose dog that is.
Peter, who's not here, is Thai. (who is)
Marie, who's just left, is French. (who has
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