In English there are words called quantifiers. They are used to indicate quantity. Unlike numerals, which indicate an exact quantity, these words indicate an approximate quantity. In this article we will talk about words such as much, many, few, little, a lot of And plenty of.

Using much, many and a lot of

All these words are translated into Russian as “many”. However, the use of these words depends on the type of sentence (affirmation, negation or question) and whether it refers to a countable or uncountable noun. The basic rules are presented in the table below:

For example:

He has a lot of books. - He has many books.

Kate doesn't have many DVDs. - Kate's A little DVD. (Literally: Kate doesn't have many DVDs).

Holly spends a lot of time watching TV shows. – Holly conducts many time watching television shows.

Is there much petrol in the tank? - In the tank many gasoline?

Much and many in statements

As you can see, a lot of mainly used in affirmative sentences, and much and many– in denials and questions. However, this rule is not strict, it is based on the frequency of use, so much and many can also be used in statements. For example:

Joe has many friends. - Joe's many friends.

Also words much and many are used instead a lot of in a formal business style:

Many different kinds of research require the permission of the supervisor. – Many types of research require supervisor permission.

If we want to say that there is too much of something (that is, to build an affirmative sentence), then instead a lot of we will use words much and many with an additional word too("too much"). For example:

There were too many people at the conference. - At the conference there was too much people.

Oliver ate too much ice-cream – Oliver ate too much ice cream

Synonyms of a lot

Synonym of the word a lot of is lots of. It is believed that lots of more informal and more often used in colloquial speech, and a lot of on the contrary, it is more formal. Lots of Can also be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. For example:

Julia eats a lot of vegetables. /Julia eats lots of vegetables. – Julia is many vegetables

They have done a lot of work. /They have done lots of work. - They did many work.

Another word for large quantity is plenty of. Typically, it is used to denote a very large quantity of something, something in abundance:

We have plenty of tea at home. - At our home many tea.

James has brought plenty of biscuits to the office. – James brought it to the office many cookies.

As we see, plenty of can also be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

Using few, a few, little, a little

In order to understand how these words are used, we need to know two parameters: first, whether the word refers to a countable or uncountable noun, and second, whether the sentence has a positive or negative meaning. Consider the table below:

Kelly has a few close friends. – Kelly has A little close friends. (Positive value).

Kelly has few close friends. – Kelly's few close friends. (Negative value).

Bobby has a little money. - Bobby has A little money. (Positive value – a little, but still there).

Bobby has little money. - Bobby's few money. (Negative value).

As we see from the examples, these words have the same translation into Russian for both countable and uncountable nouns, but different translations depending on the meaning: with a positive meaning we translate them as “a little”, with a negative meaning as “little”.

The words much, a lot, a little in other meanings

Form a lot sometimes it is used not to mean “a lot”, but to mean “often” or “very”. For example:

Do you enjoy watching films? – Yes, a lot. – Do you like watching movies? - Yes, Very.

Also words much And a little can be used to form the comparative degree of adjectives. For example:

Sarah is much taller than Brenda. – Sarah much above Brenda.

Peter is a little older than Tim. – Peter A little older than Tim.

In English grammar, special attention should be paid to the category of indefinite pronouns, which includes pronouns such as some, any, little, few, every, much, etc.

These pronouns are studied in separate topics, usually in pairs:

Some/any;

Either/neither;

Much/many, etc.

This article will cover in detail the pronouns some and any, which are used in different meanings. To present the information in a convenient, structured form, all of it is entered into a table.

Usage table for Some and Any

Dear readers, you often ask us questions and ask for help. We are happy to help everyone, check your assignments and create articles with explanations. Lately we have received several letters asking us to explain how to use the words some, any, no in sentences. According to your requests, keep the long-awaited article! If you are not always sure what you are using some, any, no as it should, you will definitely need this information.

Any- a determiner, which implies a certain quantity, is used with countable and uncountable nouns when the specific quantity is not important or does not need to be specified. Any used in interrogative sentences ( any amount; any quantity; some), but, as a rule, is not translated into Russian. And also any occurs in negative sentences ( not at all, not one, none), where it can be translated into Russian:

Have you got any questions? - Do you have (any, any) questions?

Did you buy any milk? - Did you buy (any; any quantity) milk?

Were there any celebrities? - Were there (any, any) celebrities there?

I cannot see any pictures. - I don’t see (any) pictures.

We have not read any letters. - We didn’t read (any) letters.

There is not any furniture in the room. - There is (no) furniture in the room.

No- a qualifier that denotes the complete absence of something. Used in sentences with a negative meaning. No- a stronger determinant than not any, conveys the idea of ​​absence more emphatically, although both sentences are translated identically into Russian:

Typically, plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns are used after no, but in certain contexts it is also possible to use no with singular countable nouns:

I have got no friends. - I have no friends.

She has no husband. - She doesn't have a husband.

Having a sentence with the word some, you can make up its interrogative form (with any) and two negation sentences (c no And not any). If this topic is new to you, then at first you will still think about which word to use, but in the future you will learn to construct different types of statements automatically:

We introduced you to the basics of using the words some, any, no. However, that's not all. There are still some nuances, one might say exceptions, which it would also do you good to remember.

As stated above, some Most often used in affirmative sentences. Exceptions are interrogative sentences in which something is offered or asked:
Do you mind if...?
Can I have some...?
Would you like...?

Would you like some tea? - Would you like (some) tea?

Do you mind if I take some cake? - Do you mind if I take (a little) cake?

Can I have some water? - Can I have (some) water?

Some is also used in questions when they expect a “Yes” answer, and to make it clear that they are expecting an affirmative answer:

In addition to an indefinite quantity, some denotes the indefiniteness of the thing itself (something) when used with a count noun. If you want to show that an object or person is unknown or of little interest to you, do it using the word some:

As it turns out, some can be found in the question. May be, any used in affirmative statements? Yes, it is used. But not in all, but in some cases.

Any is used in, after if:

If you have any questions, just ask me. - If you have any questions, just ask me.

If they leave any messages, you must inform me. - If they leave any messages, you must inform me.

Any is used in statements to mean “any,” “whatever,” “it doesn’t matter which,” to emphasize the idea of ​​free choice:

You can choose any dress, it will be my present for you. - You can choose any dress, it will be my gift.

If you do not know the way to the laboratory, ask any student. - If you don’t know how to get to the laboratory, ask any student.

If any is used with this meaning, it is emphasized in the sentence.

After words with a negative meaning: never, hardly, without is used any, not some:

That's all you need to know about words some, any, no. Of course, each of these words has additional features, but we will talk about them in our next publications.

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In this article we will look at when and how to use pronouns few, a few, little, a little, a lot of, some, any, called with a beautiful word - quantifiers(quantifiers). They often have the same meaning, but their use in English depends on what object they describe - that is, with which noun - countable or uncountable - they are used.

Scheme for using quantifiers:

The details will help you master audio lessons from the LingQ foreign language learning system, which is described in the article. For convenience, Russian translations are provided after each English text.

1. Quantifiers little - few

We use " a little» with uncountable nouns, for example:
I have some money. This means: some amount, not very much.
We use " a few» with plural countable nouns, for example:
I know a few words of French. This means: some amount, not very much.
We can use " little" And " few" without " a”, but in this case it means “almost no” or “almost nothing”, for example: We must hurry, we have little time.
His English is very good and he makes few mistakes.
We can also say " very little" or " very few"(very few), for example:
She is very thin because she eats very little.
I made very few mistakes in the test.
And here are more examples using " a little" And " a few«:
I can't buy this coat today: I have very little money.
She left and returned a few minutes later.
There are very few old houses left on our street.
She gave us some water to wash our hands.
They are very poor and have very little money.
I speak good German and also some Spanish.
There were very few people in the park: it was almost empty.
Can I have some milk in my coffee, please?
I hope you think these suggestions will ensure that you make very few mistakes when speaking English.

2. Quantifiers much - many - a lot of

USAGE much, many, a lot of. We use much with uncountable nouns, for example: a lot of time, a lot of coffee, a lot of money, a lot of sugar. We use many with countable nouns, for example: many books, many months, many years, many friends. We use a lot of with both uncountable and countable nouns, for example: a lot of friends, a lot of sugar, a lot of photographs, a lot of time. However, it is important to note that:

1. We use a lot of mostly in positive sentences, for example: I drink a lot of tea. She carries a lot of books.

2. We use much And many mostly in questions and negative sentences, for example: How much money do you have? I don't have much money today. How many mistakes did you make in the test? I didn't make many mistakes, just a few.

3. We can use lots of instead of a lot of before countable nouns, for example: She has many friends.

4. We can use a lot without noun and in this case we use it without the particle of eg: yesterday I ate a lot.

5. Sometimes much And a lot mean often, for example: Do you often go to the movies? - No, not really. Yes, I love films; I go to the cinema often.

More examples using much, many And a lot: I drink a lot of coffee, and my sister drinks a lot of tea. What about you, do you drink a lot of coffee? I don't know a lot of people here. She made a lot of mistakes. There was a lot of food on the table. He talks a lot but does little. There is not much milk in the refrigerator. How many foreign languages ​​can you speak? There are many trees in our park. I have money, but not much. I have read a lot of English books.

What about you: have you read a lot of English books?

3. Quantifiers some - any

USAGE some And any. We use some in positive sentences, with both countable and uncountable nouns, for example: I need some flour and some butter to make a cake. They made several mistakes. But the meaning may differ: use some with uncountable nouns means “a little”; but use some with countable nouns means ‘several’, for example: Not a lot of sugar, a few books. We use any in negative sentences, for example: We don't have any milk. They didn't make a single mistake. We can also use any in most questions (but not all), for example: Do you have any dictionaries? Was there any water in the glass? But usually we use some Not any in questions when we offer things, for example: Would you like some coffee? Or when we ask for some things, for example: can you lend me some money?

And here are more examples of use any And some: There is some butter in the refrigerator, but no milk at all. Are there eggs? - No, there are no eggs left. There are several photographs on the wall. Would you like some tea? Do you have any brothers or sisters? Can I have some water please? Can you speak any foreign languages? I have English books, but not many. Are there shops on this street? — Yes, there are several shops on this street. They didn't make a single mistake. What about you? Have you made mistakes? I hope you haven't made any mistakes.

The English language is increasingly penetrating all cultures, entering our lives and occupying a significant place in it. The modern world every day requires self-development from a person, and knowledge of foreign languages ​​is included in this list. To speak English is to know and correctly use its basic constructions, taking into account all the nuances, of which there are many.

For some, a few memorized phrases in English may be enough, but in order to speak a foreign language competently and fluently, you need to study all its features, face its difficulties and understand the entire mechanism of its existence. And even such small particles as some, any, no, the rules of use of which are applied differently in different cases, are important in English.

Pronouns in English

A pronoun is a word that indicates an object or its attribute, but does not name it. There are several groups of pronouns in English, each of which has its own rules and features of use. One of the main groups is These include I, he, she, it, we, you, they, as well as the same pronouns in the objective case. Second group - It includes that, this and their forms in Possessive pronouns are my, his, her, its, our, you’re and their. And pronouns occupy a large place among these groups some, any, no. The rule is different for each group, but in general they create a system that is an integral part of the English language.

Pronoun some

Some in English means “some”, “several”, “some”. This pronoun is mainly used in affirmative sentences. For example:

I have some books. - I have some books.
You buy some buns. - You bought some buns.

About the nuances of use some, any, no the rule states that the first can be used in interrogative sentences if they are talking about a proposal or a request.

Would you like some milk? - Would you like some milk?
Give me, please, some water. - Give me some water, please.

With a wide variety of interpretations, the question may arise: when and how to understand the translation of this word? This is why English is so diverse. Some, any- there is a rule for any case of their use. If the pronoun some characterizes something in the singular, then it is translated as “some”, and if in the plural, then “several”. But if this is a plural uncountable, then the translation will sound like “a little.”

Pronoun any

Some or any- the rule for their translation is almost the same. Pronoun any although it has its own nuances of use, it is generally interpreted like the previous pronoun, namely “some”, “several”, “some”. Also any can be used to mean "any". Much is the same when applied some or any. The rule is that they must be used before the noun that they characterize.

Have you got any juice? - Do you have juice? (some juice)
I don't have any ideas. - I don't have any ideas.

Any usually used in negative and interrogative sentences. If this pronoun is combined with the particle not, then it will have the value “none”. Also any often not translated at all.

She didn't make any mistakes in her test. - She didn't make any mistakes in the test.
Have you got any books here? - Do you have any books here?

Pronoun no

No translated as “not at all”, “no”. This pronoun occurs exclusively in negative sentences and is used with all singular and plural nouns. Main task no- indicate the absence of something or someone.

I have no money today. - I don't have money today.
There are no information in the newspaper. - There is no information in the newspaper.

Between not And no there is a big difference: the first is used for a verb, the second - before a noun.

Some, any - rule, table of derivatives

Using the pronouns above, you can create other words when talking about things, places, or people. Some, any, no- the rule of their use allows them to be combined with other particles and obtain new pronouns. The English language is so multifaceted that even such operations are possible in it. But to carry them out competently, deep, fundamental knowledge is required.

Rules for using derivatives of some, any, no

The rule for using derivatives of these pronouns is simple, but still worth attention for constructing literate speech.

• Derivations from these pronouns are used when the speech does not indicate where, what or who performs the action.
• For a short answer, the forms nobody, nothing or nowhere are suitable. They also need to be used when the affirmative form is used, but the task is to construct a negative sentence.
• Somebody, nobody are equivalent in meaning to someone, no one. They are applied according to the same rules, and the meaning of the sentence does not change from such a replacement.
• Anybody, anything, anywhere must be used with verbs in the negative form or in questions.

Usage table

Pronouns some, any- as a rule, a table of their use - all this needs to be learned and put into practice to assimilate.

The English language is rich in grammatical structures, and you need to know all of them to speak the language at a high level. Pronouns some, any, no occupy one part in a hundred, but these structures also need to be paid attention to. Like Russian, English has various word forms that make it richer and brighter. Derivations from these pronouns play as important a role as their stems, creating new concepts and meanings. These rules need to be honed, regularly created examples of their use, taught and understood. English seems complicated when you expect its grammar to be too simple. But in fact, if you make an effort, all these structures will be remembered quickly and without difficulty.