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What are quantifiers in English? English Articles What are quantifiers in English? By: revel arroway, Isabel McKay Tue Sep 23 2025 English Adjectives , Determiners In English, a quantifier (or quantifying adjective) is a word or phrase that describes the general amount of something. We use quantifiers to answer the questions how much or how many , without using a number. Here are some examples of English quantifiers: some people many toys a few cats a lot of soup lots of pizza a bit of cheese several ideas no thoughts any chairs In this post we’ll introduce you to the basics of how to use quantifiers in English. We’ll talk first about where to put them, then we’ll talk about the most important quantifiers that are used for different purposes. At the end, we’ll get to some more advanced topics, like the rules for using quantifiers like a lot of and lots of and the difference between quantifying adjectives and indefinite pronouns. Are you ready to learn to use some quantifiers? I hope you have enough time to study up on them! Most of these adjectives are really important! Where to put a quantifying adjective in a sentence? A quantifying adjective, like almost all adjectives in English, comes before the noun it modifies. The basic pattern is: quantifier noun John has some eggs in his fridge. When there are descriptive adjectives in the sentence, the quantifying adjective will come before the descriptive adjective: quantifying adjective descriptive adjective noun John has some fresh eggs in his fridge. Here are a few more rules to follow: After a quantifier, are singular (as always), but are usually plural. mass noun count noun some money (singular) some people (plural) Check out our post to review the difference between mass nouns and count nouns in English ! Exception! These English quantifiers come before a singular count noun: either, neither, each, every . Some quantifiers can only be used with mass nouns. Other quantifiers can only be used with count nouns. Some quantifiers can be used before both! count noun mass noun ✅ many people ❌ many money → many can only come before a count noun ❌ less people ✅ less money → less can only come before a mass noun ✅ some people ✅ some money → some can come before count nouns and mass nouns! Have a look at this list of quantity words for mass nouns vs. count nouns in English to learn more! Quantifiers are usually . This means that: They do not follow other determiners like the, my, that , or Sarah’s : ❌ the some people We do not use them after a linking verb like be : ❌ The people are some . Check out our mini-post for a more thorough review of what determiners are in English . 👍 Take note! All quantifiers can be determiners, but… Some quantifiers can also be adjectives, so they do not always follow the two rules above: ✅ This is one of the few exceptions you must learn. → here few comes after the because it is an adjective not a determiner Check out this list of English quantifiers that are not always determiners to learn more! Some quantifiers are set phrases that include a determiner (e.g. a lot of or a little of ). We’ll talk more about these phrases at the end of the post . How to use the most common quantifiers in English? In this section we’ll talk about the main uses of quantifiers in English, and introduce you to the most important ones to use for each purpose. To ask about a quantity/amount In English, we use how much to ask about the amount of a mass noun and how many to ask about the amount of a count noun. count noun mass noun How many pencils does Joe have? → 2 pencils How much money does Joe have? → 2 dollars To ask whether the quantity is greater than zero (in a yes-no question) use the word any . You can use this with count or mass nouns. count noun mass noun Does Joe have any pencils ? → yes Does Joe have any money ? → no Tip Check out our post on any and some in English to learn more about the uses of this word! To describe a large quantity The following quantifiers describe a large quantity: a lot of, lots of, much, many, several, numerous, a good/great deal of, substantial, abundant , and plenty of . The most common way to describe a large quantity is with the quantifiers a lot of or lots of . These can be used with count nouns and mass nouns. count noun mass noun Pat has a lot of toys . Pat has a lot of homework . count noun mass noun Pat has lots of toys . Pat has lots of homework . Tip Lots of and a lot of have exactly the same meaning, but a lot of is more common in the U.S.A. The more formal quantifiers much and many are also used to talk about large quantities. Have a look at our post on using much and many in English to learn more! To describe a small quantity To describe a small quantity, use few or a few (with count nouns) and little or a little (with mass nouns). count noun mass noun Kara had a few toys . 😁 Kara had a little fun . 😁 count noun mass noun Kara had few toys . 😢 Kara had little fun . 😢 Tip Here is the difference between few / little and a few / a little : a few and a little are more common and are optimistic. The amount is small, but that is okay. few and little are formal and are more negative. The amount is too small. For a less formal alternative to few / little , use a lot of in a negative sentence. 😢 Kara did n’t have a lot of toys. 😢 😢 Kara did n’t have a lot of fun. 😢 To describe a general quantity To describe a general quantity greater than a little and less than a lot , use the word some . count noun mass noun Marco made some cookies . Marco made some coffee . You can also use several with count nouns, but this is more formal. Important There is a lot to learn about using some ! For example, we do not usually use some in negative sentences: ❌ Marco did n’t make some scones. Have a look at our post on some and any in English to learn more! When the quantity is zero The word no describes a zero quantity: count noun mass noun Paolo has no pets . → 0 pets Paolo has no time . → 0 time Tip Using no is fairly formal. The most common way to say that the amount of something is zero is to use the word any in a negative sentence. count noun mass noun Paolo does n't have any pets . Paolo does n't have any time . Have a look at our posts on some and any in English or on no and none in English to learn more. To compare quantities When describing the larger or the largest quantity, use more or the most . count noun mass noun Melissa has more friends than Kelsey. Melissa has more cereal than Kelsey. Paolo ate the most hot dogs . Paolo drank the most soda . To describe the smaller or the smallest quantity, fewer / less or the fewest / the least : count noun mass noun Kelsey has fewer friends than Melissa does. Kelsey has less cereal than Melissa does. Marcus ate the fewest hot dogs . Paolo drank the least soda . You might hear some native speakers use less used with a count noun, as in the common grocery store sign: “ ten items or less ” instead of “ ten items or fewer ”! To learn more about where these quantifiers come from, check out our posts on English comparative adjectives and English superlative adjectives . To give percentages The quantifiers every , each , and all describe 100% of a group. count noun mass noun Every student passed the test. → 100% of the students passed Each student passed the test. → 100% of the students passed All cats have tails. → 100% of cats in general have tails All milk is white. → 100% of milk in general is white Tip Check out our post on each , every , and all in English to learn more about the differences between these similar words! The word most describes >50% of a group in general . count noun mass noun Most cows have spots. → >50% of cows in general have spots Most milk comes from cows. → >50% of milk in general comes from cows To say whether you have the amount that is needed to complete a task We use the quantifiers enough , plenty of , sufficient (formal), and adequate (formal) if a quantity is equal to or greater than the amount we need to complete a task. The most common is enough . count noun mass noun Kelsey doesn't have enough chairs for her guests. Kelsey has enough money to buy a computer. Tip When the amount is not enough, you can sometimes use the very formal words insufficient or inadequate : count noun mass noun Kelsey has insufficient funds to buy a computer. Kelsey has inadequate strength for the task. To describe a group with two members The words both , either , and neither are only used when you are talking about a group with 2 members. For example, if I am talking about two children, Joe and Fran, I can say: Both children speak English. → John and Fran Does either child speak English? → John or Fran Neither child speaks English. → not John and not Fran Tip Check out our post on both , either , and neither to learn more about these tricky words! Quantifying adjectives vs. indefinite pronouns Quantifying adjectives and indefinite pronouns in English are both used to describe a quantity in general terms. The main difference is that a quantifying adjective describes a noun, while an indefinite pronoun replaces a noun. Question: How many children did you see? Answer 1: I only saw a few boys . → It comes before a noun. Answer 2: I saw a few . → It replaces a noun. Most English quantifying adjectives can also be used as indefinite pronouns, but some can only be one or the other. For example, no can only be a quantifying adjective, while none can only be a pronoun. ✅ I saw no children. ❌ I saw none children. → none is not an adjective ❌ I saw no . ✅ I saw none . → no is not a pronoun What’s the difference between ‘most’ and ‘most of’? The difference between most + noun and most of + noun comes down to whether most is being used as a quantifying adjective or an indefinite pronoun . One other way to use English indefinite pronouns is in this structure: indefinite pronoun of specific noun none of the cake some of the cake a lot of the cake So most + noun and most of + noun have two diff