Uses of Much, Many, Few, and
Little with Examples
These words are quantifiers,
used to describe quantity. The choice between them depends on whether the noun
is countable or uncountable.
1. Much (Used with Uncountable Nouns)
Uses:
- Used with uncountable
nouns (e.g., water, money, time, sugar)
- Often used
in negative sentences and questions
- Can be used
in affirmative sentences but is less common
Examples:
- How much water do
you drink daily? (Question)
- I don’t have
much money left. (Negative)
- There isn’t much
sugar in the jar. (Negative)
- She has much
love for animals. (Less common in affirmative)
2. Many (Used with Countable Nouns)
Uses:
- Used with countable
nouns (e.g., books, apples, chairs, people)
- Common in questions
and negative sentences
- Can also be
used in affirmative sentences
Examples:
- How many books do
you have? (Question)
- I don’t have
many friends in this city. (Negative)
- There are many
students in the class. (Affirmative)
3. Few (Used with Countable Nouns - Negative
Meaning)
Uses:
- Used with countable
nouns
- Means "not
many" or "almost none" (negative meaning)
Examples:
- He has few
friends. (Not many, almost none)
- There are few
chairs in the hall. (Very few, not enough)
- We have few
reasons to celebrate. (Negative meaning)
🔹 Difference between Few & A Few
- Few → Almost
none, negative meaning (I have few friends = almost no friends)
- A few → Some,
positive meaning (I have a few friends = I have some friends)
4. Little (Used with Uncountable Nouns -
Negative Meaning)
Uses:
- Used with uncountable
nouns
- Means "not
much" or "almost none" (negative meaning)
Examples:
- There is little
water left in the bottle. (Almost none)
- She has little
hope of passing the test. (Very little, negative meaning)
- We have little
time to finish the project. (Not enough)
Difference between Little & A Little
- Little → Almost
none, negative meaning (I have little money = almost no money)
- A little → Some,
positive meaning (I have a little money = I have some money)
Summary Table
|
Quantifier |
Noun
Type |
Meaning |
|
Much |
Uncountable |
A large amount
(negative & questions) |
|
Many |
Countable |
A large number
(negative & questions) |
|
Few |
Countable |
Almost none
(negative) |
|
A few |
Countable |
Some, but not
many (positive) |
|
Little |
Uncountable |
Almost none
(negative) |
|
A little |
Uncountable |
Some, but not
much (positive) |
Fill in the blanks with the correct word
(Much, Many, Few, or Little):
1. There isn’t _____
milk left in the fridge. (almost none)
2. He has _____
friends, so he often feels lonely. (almost none)
3. How _____ books
do you have on your shelf? (countable)
4. There is too
_____ noise in the room. I can’t concentrate! (uncountable)
5. We have _____
options to choose from, so we must decide carefully. (not many)
6. She spends _____
time on social media. She prefers reading. (almost none)
7. Do you drink
_____ water every day? (uncountable)
8. There are very
_____ seats left in the auditorium. (not many)
9. He doesn’t have
_____ patience with noisy children. (almost none)
10. We saw _____
birds in the sky because it was raining. (not many)
Answer
1. There isn’t much
milk left in the fridge. (almost none, uncountable)
2. He has few
friends, so he often feels lonely. (almost none, countable)
3. How many
books do you have on your shelf? (countable)
4. There is too much
noise in the room. I can’t concentrate! (uncountable)
5. We have few
options to choose from, so we must decide carefully. (not many, countable)
6. She spends little
time on social media. She prefers reading. (almost none, uncountable)
7. Do you drink much
water every day? (uncountable)
8. There are very few
seats left in the auditorium. (not many, countable)
9. He doesn’t have much
patience with noisy children. (almost none, uncountable)
10. We saw few
birds in the sky because it was raining. (not many, countable)
Uses of "Each" and
"Every" with Examples
Both each
and ever refer to singular nouns, but they have slight differences in
meaning and usage.
1. Each
Uses:
- Refers to individual
items in a group (one by one).
- Used when
thinking about things separately, not as a whole.
- Can be used
with two or more items.
- Often used
with singular nouns and verbs.
Examples:
- Each student in
the class has a textbook. (Considering them individually)
- She gave a
gift to each child at the party. (One by one)
- Each of the
players was given a medal. (Used with "of" + plural noun, but
the verb remains singular)
- I met them each
personally. (Used after the object for emphasis)
2. Every
Uses:
- Refers to a group
as a whole (thinking collectively).
- Used when
talking about three or more items.
- Often
suggests "without exception."
- Always
followed by singular nouns and verbs.
Examples:
- Every student
must submit their assignment. (Refers to all students collectively)
- He goes to
the gym every day. (Regular occurrence)
- Every country has
its own culture. (Generalization)
- I agree with
every word you said. (Emphasizing all parts of something)
Examples
Showing the Difference
1.
Each employee was
given a bonus. (Considering them individually)
2.
Every employee was
given a bonus. (Considering the whole group)
3.
I checked each
paper carefully. (One by one)
4.
I check my emails every morning. (Regular action)
Fill in the blanks with "Each" or
"Every":
1.
_____ student in the class must submit their
homework on time.
2.
She gave a chocolate to _____ child at the
party.
3.
I wake up at 6 AM _____ morning.
4.
The teacher spoke to _____ of the students
individually.
5.
_____ door in the house was locked.
6.
He goes jogging _____ day to stay fit.
7.
The manager checked _____ detail carefully
before approving the report.
8.
There were five winners, and _____ received a
trophy.
9.
She visits her grandparents _____ Sunday.
10. _____ of the
players was given a new jersey
Answer
1. Every student in the
class must submit their homework on time.
2. She gave a
chocolate to each child at the party.
3. I wake up at 6 AM
every morning.
4. The teacher spoke
to each of the students individually.
5. Each door in the
house was locked.
6. He goes jogging every
day to stay fit.
7. The manager
checked each detail carefully before approving the report.
8. There were five
winners, and each received a trophy.
9. She visits her
grandparents every Sunday.
10. Each of the players
was given a new jersey.
Uses of "All of,"
"Most of," "None of," "Both of," and "Some
of" with Examples
These quantifiers
are used to refer to a portion or the entirety of a group. The noun that
follows determines whether the verb is singular or plural.
1. All of (100% of a group)
Uses:
- Refers to
the entire group.
- Can be used
with countable and uncountable nouns.
- Used with plural
verbs when followed by plural countable nouns.
Examples:
- All of the
students are present. (Refers to 100% of the students)
- All of the water
has evaporated. (Uncountable noun, singular verb)
- All of us enjoyed
the trip. (Pronoun use)
2. Most of (More than 50% but not all)
Uses:
- Refers to a
large portion but not the entire group.
- Can be used
with countable and uncountable nouns.
- The verb
agrees with the noun that follows.
Examples:
- Most of the
students passed the exam. (Countable, plural verb)
- Most of the milk is
spoiled. (Uncountable, singular verb)
- Most of us like to
travel. (Pronoun use)
3. None of (Zero, 0%)
Uses:
- Means not
even one or not any.
- Can be used
with countable and uncountable nouns.
- Can take either
singular or plural verbs with countable nouns, but singular is more
formal.
Examples:
- None of the
students was late. (Formal, singular verb)
- None of the
students were late. (Informal, plural verb)
- None of the water
was wasted. (Uncountable noun, singular verb)
- None of us knew the
answer. (Pronoun use)
4. Both of (Referring to two things or people)
Uses:
- Refers to two
people or things together.
- Always used
with plural nouns and verbs.
Examples:
- Both of the players
are talented. (Refers to two players)
- Both of us were
excited for the event. (Pronoun use)
- Both of the books
are interesting. (Plural noun, plural verb)
5. Some of (A part of a group, not all)
Uses:
- Refers to an
unspecified amount or number of a group.
- Can be used
with countable and uncountable nouns.
- The verb
agrees with the noun that follows.
Examples:
- Some of the
students are absent today. (Countable, plural verb)
- Some of the sugar
has spilled. (Uncountable, singular verb)
- Some of us prefer
coffee over tea. (Pronoun use)
Summary Table
|
Quantifier |
Meaning |
Used with |
Example |
|
All of |
100% |
Countable &
Uncountable |
All of the
students are present. |
|
Most of |
More than 50% |
Countable &
Uncountable |
Most of the
water is gone. |
|
None of |
0% (not any) |
Countable &
Uncountable |
None of the
books are missing. |
|
Both of |
Two
things/people |
Only Countable |
Both of the
chairs are broken. |
|
Some of |
A part, not all |
Countable &
Uncountable |
Some of the
food was delicious. |
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrase:
1.
_____ the students passed the exam with flying
colors.
2.
She invited _____ her friends to the
party.
3.
_____ the milk has spilled on the floor.
4.
I spoke to _____ the people in the room
about the new policy.
5.
_____ the chairs are broken, so we need to
fix them.
6.
I didn’t like _____ the books on the
shelf.
7.
_____ the workers have left for the day.
8.
_____ the guests were from overseas.
9.
_____ my friends are coming to the event
tonight.
10. _____ us want to
travel to the mountains next weekend.
11. We gave a gift to
_____ the children in the orphanage.
12. _____ the team played
well, but they didn’t win.
13. I have spoken to _____
my colleagues about the new project.
14. _____ the students
have completed the assignment, while the rest are still working on it.
15. I can’t believe _____
the tickets have been sold out!
16. _____ the apples in
the basket are ripe and ready to eat.
17. We should meet
with _____ our partners to discuss the deal.
18. _____ the answers in
the quiz were correct.
19. I found _____
the information I needed to finish the report.
20. _____ my plans for
tomorrow have been canceled due to the weather.
Answer
1. All of the students
passed the exam with flying colors.
2. She invited all
of her friends to the party.
3. All of the milk has
spilled on the floor.
4. I spoke to all
of the people in the room about the new policy.
5. Both of the chairs are
broken, so we need to fix them.
6. I didn’t like any
of the books on the shelf.
7. Most of the workers have
left for the day.
8. Most of the guests were
from overseas.
9. Some of my friends are
coming to the event tonight.
10. Most of us want to
travel to the mountains next weekend.
11. We gave a gift to
all of the children in the orphanage.
12. Most of the team played
well, but they didn’t win.
13. I have spoken to some
of my colleagues about the new project.
14. Most of the students
have completed the assignment, while the rest are still working on it.
15. I can’t believe all
of the tickets have been sold out!
16. Some of the apples in
the basket are ripe and ready to eat.
17. We should meet
with all of our partners to discuss the deal.
18. Most of the answers in
the quiz were correct.
19. I found all of
the information I needed to finish the report.
20. All of my plans for
tomorrow have been canceled due to the weather.
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