QUANTIFIERS: Special Cases


quantifiers * (definite/indefinite nouns)
Practice with quantifiers - (Columbus) * Practice with quantifiers - (Washington)

few / little * singular countable nouns * all / both / each

(A) FEW / (A) LITTLE

more than "normal" or expected
a lot of
  quite a few
a lot of
  quite a little
    (no expectation -- "some," not "many")    
a few
a little
less than "normal" or expected
only a few
just a few
very few
few
not many
only a little
just a little
very little
little
not much

1. I have few friends. happy sad can't tell
2. I made very few mistakes. happy sad can't tell
3. I have a few friends. happy sad can't tell
4. I had only a little difficulty. happy sad can't tell
5. I have little money. happy sad can't tell
6. I had a little difficulty. happy sad can't tell

SINGULAR COUNT NOUNS

I. WHOLE UNITS (How many? 1, 100%, or 0)

(DEFINITE: every one / each /either / neither / none of the circles in this picture)

vs
II. PORTIONS of 1 UNIT (How much? 0-100% )

ALL - BOTH - EACH:

All children like candy.
Both (of the) men went ..
Each (one) of the books costs
(Each book costs ...) 		= All of them like candy.
= Both of them went ..
= Each (one) of them costs
= (Each one costs .. ) 		= Children (all) like candy.
= The men (both) went ..
= The books (each) cost ..

= They (all) like candy.
= They (both) went...
= They (each) cost $10.

Every doesn't work the same way, because it cannot be a pronoun. You cannot say Every of them...)
(note that when each precedes the noun or pronoun, the verb is singular, but when it follows it, the verb is plural.)

These quantifiers mean "without exception", and are for this reason almost unnecessary. (We assume that The men went to Chicago or Children like candy refers to all (or each, individually; or both, if there are only 2) of the men or children unless we are told differently. Therefore, each of these quantifiers can be omitted from in front of the noun or pronoun and placed after it, almost like an appositive. In either position it doesn't change the meaning of the noun phrase, but simply stresses the fact that there are no exceptions:

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Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois