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Quantifiers

• Form
• Use
• all
• no
• each and every
• some
• any
• much and a lot of
• many and several
• more and most
• little and a little
• less
• few and fewer
• enough
• one, two, three, etc.
• first, second, third, etc.
• last
• either (... or) and neither (... nor)
• Common Expressions

Quantifiers / Expresiones de cantidad

Form

All, no, each, every, some, any, much, many, several, more, most, little, less, a lot of, few, fewer, enough, one, two, first, second, last, either, neither.

Use

Los cuantificadores, o determinantes de cantidad, nos dicen de cuántas cosas o personas hablamos o a qué cantidad se refiere del sustantivo que acompañan:
There are some cartons of milk in fridge.
Only few swimmers have been able to cross The Channel.

all

• Se utiliza con sustantivos incontables:
  All electrical equipment should be checked carefully.
• Se utiliza con sustantivos contables, en plural:
  All shops close at lunch time in this town.

no

• Se utiliza en oraciones negativas después de un verbo en forma positiva:
  I've got no money left.
  There will be no test this week because your teacher is ill.

each and every

• Se usan solamente con sustantivos contables en singular:
  Fill in each blank in the exercise.
  We have to telephone every person in this list to organise the party.

some

• Se utiliza con nombres contables en plural:
  I've borrowed some books from the library.
• Se utiliza también con sustantivos incontables:
  There is some milk in the fridge.
• Se utiliza en preguntas cuando esperamos una respuesta positiva. Por ejemplo, cuando se ofrece comida o bebida:
  Would you like some ice-cream? Yes, please!

any

• Se utiliza en oraciones negativas e interrogativas tanto con sustantivos contables como incontables:
  There aren't any glasses here.
  Are there any glasses here?
  There isn't any water on the table.
  Is there any water on the table?

much and a lot of

• Much se utiliza con sustantivos incontables:
  How much pocket money do you get every week?
  Hurry up. There isn't much time left.
• En inglés hablado much se utiliza solo en oraciones interrogativas y negativas. Para hablar afirmativamente se usa a lot of:
  Andalucía exports a lot of olive oil.
  Please, put a lot of cream on my apple pie.

• Solo se pueden utilizar con sustantivos contables en plural:
  Many German tourists come to Spain in Summer.
  I've tried to talk to you several times.

• Se utilizan con sustantivos contables en plural y con sustantivos incontables:
  Teenagers should eat more fruit and vegetables.
• Most es la forma superlativa de more:
  New York is one of the most attractive cities in the world.

• Solo se utilizan con sustantivos incontables y significa poca cantidad. A menudo le acompaña very:
  I think you pay (very) little attention to my explanations.
• a little tiene una connotación positiva, signfica que hay algo aunque sea poco:
  Work a little every day and you'll succeed with your exams.

less

• Se usa normalmente con sustantivos incontables. Es la forma comparativa de little y significa una cantidad más pequeña de algo:
  After knowing about the problems of the crazy cows, people eat less meat at present.

• Few y su forma comparativa, fewer, se utilizan con sustantivos contables en plural:
  There are few LP's in the record shop. They are old fashion.
  Fewer people buy flats in the centre of Madrid. They are too expensive.
• few significa que no hay cantidad suficiente, pero si decimos a few, damos una connotación positiva a la información, es decir, que aunque pocos, hay algunos:
  She has a few friends in her new school.
  There are a few good Italian restaurants near here. 

enough

• Se puede utilizar tanto con sustantivos contables en plural como con sustantivos incontables:
  There is enough lemonade for everyone.
  There aren't enough glasses for everyone.

• Solo se pueden usar con sustantivos contables. One se usa con el nombre en singular y el resto en plural:
  I have two good books for you here.
  There is only one sweet. Who wants it?

first, second, third, etc. (ordinal numbers)

• Solo acompañan a sustantivos contables en plural. First puede determinar a sustantivos contables en singular también:
  The first men landed on the moon in 1969.
  This is not the first time that we meet.
  He won the Oscar for his fifth script.

last

• Se utiliza para indicar que algo es el último elemento de una serie, o bien, para informar de que es el acontecimiento más reciente:
  This is your last chance.
  We had a quarrel last week.

either (... or) and neither (... nor)

• Se pueden utilizar con nombres contables o incontables indistintamente:
  You have to take either arts or science subjects next year.
  I have neither milk nor sugar in my coffee.

Common Expressions

No way: you use it to state that some action is impossible.
No doubt you are certain of something.
No problem: something is no trouble for you.
Many happy returns: (of the day) you wish someone a happy birthday.

Adjectives :: Adverbs :: After, Before, When, While :: And, But :: Articles :: Because of / Because :: Comparisons :: Demonstratives :: Future :: Irregular verbs :: Modals :: Nouns :: Past Continuous :: Past Simple :: Possessives :: Prepositions :: Present Continuous :: Present Simple :: Pronouns :: Quantifiers :: Relative clauses :: Wh-Determiners