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Expressions of quantity.
An expression of quantity (e.g., one, several, many, much) may precede a noun. Notice below: Some expressions of quantity are used only with count nouns; some only with noncount noun; some with either count or noncount nouns.
| EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY
| USED WITH COUNT NOUNS
| USED WITH NONCOUNT NOUNS
| one
each
every
| one apple
each apple
every apple
| 0
0
0
| two
both
a couple of
three, etc.
a few
several
many
a number of
| two apples
both apples
a couple of apples
three apples
a few apples
several apples
many apples
a number of apples
| 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
| a little
much
a great deal of
| 0
0
0
| a little rice
much rice
a great deal of rice
| not any/no
some
a lot of
lots of
plenty of
most
all
| not any/no apples
some apples
a lot of apples
lots of apples
plenty of apples
most apples
all apples
| not any/ no rice
some rice
a lot of rice
lots of rice
plenty of rice
most rice
all rice
| AFEW AND FEW, A LITTLE AND LITTLE
A few
A little
| (a) She has been here only two weeks, but she has already made a few friends. (Positive idea: She has made some friends.)
(b) I'm very pleased. I've been able to save a little money this month. (Positive idea: I have saved some money instead of spending all of it.)
| A few and a little give a positive idea; they indicate that something exits, in (a) and (b).
| Few
Little
| (c) I feel sorry for her. She has (very) few friends. (Negative idea: She does not have many friends; she has almost no friends.)
(d) I have (very) little money. I don't even have enough money to buy food for dinner. (Negative idea: I do not have much money; I have almost no money.)
| Few and little (without a) give a negative idea; they indicate that something is absent.
Very (+ few/little) makes the negative idea stronger, the number/amount smaller.
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USING OF IN EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY
MOST + NONSPECIFIC NOUN
(a) Most books are interesting.
(b) INCORRECT: Most of books are interesting.
| In (a): The speaker is not referring to specific books. The speaker is not referring to “those books” or “your books” or “the books written by Mark Twain”. The noun “books” is nonspecific.
In(b): The word of is not added to an expression of quantity (e.g., most) if the noun it modifies is nonspecific.
| MOST +OF + SPECIFIC NOUN
(c) Most of those books are mine.
(d) Most of my books are in English.
(e) Most of the books on that table are mine.
| A noun is specific when it is precede by:
- This, that, these, those, as in (c); or
- My, John’s, their (any possessive) as in (d); or
- The; as in (e).
When a noun is specific, of is used with an expression of quantity.*
| EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY FOLLOWED BY OF + A SPECific NOUn
all, most, some/any + of + specific plural count noun or noncount noun, as in (f)
many, (a) few, several, both, two, one + of + specific plural count noun, as in (g)
much, (a) little + of + specific noncount noun, as in (h)
| (f) count: Most of those chairs are uncomfortable.
noncount: Most of that furnitureis uncomfortable.
(g) count: Many of those chairs are uncomfortable.
(h) noncount: Much of that furnitureisuncomfortable.
| *NOTE: of is always a part of the following expressions of quantity, whether the noun is nonspecific or specific: a lot of, lots of, a couple of, plenty of, a number of, a peat deal of.
NONSPECIFIC: I've read a lot of books.SPECIFIC: I've reada lotof those books.
56. What may prepositions indicate?
Preposition denotes the relation between the given object and other object, phenomena or events.57. How can prepositions be subdivided in accordance with their meaning?
According to their meaning prepositions are often divided into those of place and direction (in, on, below, under, at, to, from), time (after, before, in, at), cause (because of, owing to), purpose (for, in order to), etc.
It will be necessary to mention, however, that such classifications are hardly adequate, at least for two reasons:
- The same preposition may be listed under two or more headings
He went for life. (time)
He shivered for coldness. (cause)
He did it for pleasure. (purpose)
- Many prepositions (by, with, of…) have such a general meaning which it will be impossible to define with any precision.
58. How can prepositions be classified in accordance with their structure?
Simple and compound prepositions.
Simple prepositions consist of one element – stem (in, on, at, after, before).
Compound prepositions consist of two or more elements – stems (instead of, out of, owing to,…).
63. “For, during and while” – grammatical difference.
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