Degrees of indefinite quantity

References to quantity can be definite that is, we can say exactly how many or how much

We need six eggs and half a kilo of butter However, most quantifiers are indefinite that is, they do not tell us exactly how many or how much

Some any [> 5.10] and zero [> 3.24, 3.28.8] refer to indefinite number or amount

Are there (any) apples in the bag?

There are (some) apples in the bag (We are not told how many)

Is there (any) milk in the fridge?

There is (some) milk in the fridge (We are not told how much)

No + noun indicates a complete absence of the thing mentioned

There are no apples There is no milk Most quantity words give us more information than some and any, telling us the comparative degree of the number or amount e g

Plural countable nouns

Uncountable nouns

Approximately how many There are too many eggs plenty of eggs a lot of/lots of eggs (not) enough eggs a few eggs very few eggs not many eggs hardly any eggs no eggs

Approximately how much There is too much milk plenty of milk

a lot of/lots of milk (not) enough milk a little milk very little milk not much milk hardly any milk no milk

Distributives: whole amounts and separate items

Words like all both each every either and neither are sometimes called distributives They refer to whole amounts (all/both the children all both the books all the cheese), or to separate items {each child either of the books) [> 5.18-31]

The use of 'of after quantifiers

Some quantity phrases used as determiners always take of We ve had a lot of answers (a lot of answers = determiner + noun)

But when they are used as pronouns, of is dropped
We ve had a lot (a lot as a pronoun)

General references with quantifiers

Quantifiers which always take of before nouns/pronouns include a couple of

dozens of hundreds of people'books (plural countable)

the majority a minority of a number of

5 Quantity

a large small amount of cheese (uncountable)

a bit of

a lot of

lots of books cheese (plural countable or