A2Articles, pronouns and determiners

Much, many, little, few, some, any

Choose quantifiers by noun type and meaning, especially the important contrast between little/few and a little/a few.

Overview

What this grammar does

Choose quantifiers by noun type and meaning, especially the important contrast between little/few and a little/a few.

Form and rules

How it works

Use many and few/a few with plural countable nouns: many people, a few questions.

Use much and little/a little with uncountable nouns: much time, a little water.

A few and a little mean some and usually have a positive meaning; few and little mean almost none and often sound negative.

Some is common in positive statements and in offers/requests; any is common in questions and negatives.

A lot of works naturally with both countable and uncountable nouns and is especially common in affirmative everyday English.

A closer look

Meaning and use

Some is common in positive statements and in offers/requests; any is common in questions and negatives.

A lot of works naturally with both countable and uncountable nouns and is especially common in affirmative everyday English.

Examples

See the pattern in complete sentences

We don't have much time.

How many students are there?

I have a few questions.

There's a little milk left.

Do you have any advice?

Common mistakes

What to avoid

How much people came?

How many people came?

People is plural countable, so use many.

We don't have many information yet.

We don't have much information yet.

Information is uncountable, so use much.

Ready to practise?

The test combines multiple choice, gap completion, error correction, and sentence building so students have to recognise and produce the grammar, not simply reread the rule.

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