Practice with Quantifiers
from George Washington
(Encyclopaedia Britannica online -- Sorry, the UIUC subscription has been cancelled)

articles overview | NUMBERS | QUANTIFIERS

1. Look at how numbers are used with nouns in the Washington article.

2. Are numbers the only way to indicate quantity? (What about noncount nouns, for example?) Can you add these phrases from the Washington article to the chart below?

all outdoor pursuits
all the spots
every free State
few signs
little definite information
many experienced officers     		more blood
most of his neighbors
most Americans
most of the 19th century    
much land
no signs
none of the committees
 a number of slaves
several letters
some of the Spectator
some time
some of his schoolboy papers    
thousands of men

DEFINITE
  count singular/noncount count plural
number IN FRONT OF
definite noun phrase
number INSIDE
definite noun phrase

INDEFINITE
count singular/noncount count plural

This is what your lists should look like now (with a few of the number examples removed):

DEFINITE
  count singular/noncount count plural
number IN FRONT OF
definite noun phrase
some of
most of
| the Spectator
| the 19th century
one of
all three of
all
most of
none of
some of
 | the best Va. estates
| the charges
| the spots
| his neighbors
| the committees
| his schoolboy papers

INDEFINITE
count singular/noncount count plural
one
every
little
more
much
some
 | visitor
| free state
| information
| blood
| land
| time
three
six
all
few
many
most
no
a number of
several
thousands of
 | different forms
| feet
| outdoor pursuits
| signs
| ... officers
| Americans
| signs
| slaves
| letters
| men

Add more examples from another text. Do you learn anything new?

NOW TRY THIS (The rest of the article, with lots of quantifiers for you to study)

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Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois