Quantifiers and Partitives
When to use them
We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or
how many.
Sometimes we use a quantifier in the place of a determiner:
Most children start school at the age of five.
We ate some bread and butter.
We saw lots of birds.
Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns
We can use these quantifiers with both count and uncount nouns:
We have lots of time.
Joe has lots of friends.
I can't go out. I've got no money.
There was a lot of food but no drinks.
These more colloquial forms are also used with both count and uncount nouns:
We have loads of time.
Joe has plenty of friends.
There was heaps of food.
some and any
We do not normally use the quantifier some in negative and interrogative sentences. We normally use any:
Do you have any children?
Did you see any friends?
We don't have any children.
I didn't see any friends.
We saw some lions at the zoo, but we didn't see any tigers.
but we can use some for offers and requests:
Would you like some tea?
I want some apples, please.
Partitives
Partitives are words or phrases that are used to express a part of a whole. In English
grammar, partitives are often used with uncountable nouns or plural countable
nouns.
There are two types of partitives:
1. Definite partitives
2. Indefinite partitives
Partitives
Definite partitives
“Definite partitives' are used to refer to an exact amount or number of something. Definite partitives can be used
before countable or uncountable nouns.
1. Spoon of sugar
2. Bunch of grapes
3. Bottle of seven up
4. Piece of cake
5. Slice of pizza
6. Glass of water
7. Loaf of bread
Partitives
These partitives are always followed by the preposition 'of' and we can use articles
before them.
Add two glasses of milk to the mixture.
They bought six pairs of shoes for the poor.
The girl had only one piece of cake.
Partitives
Indefinite partitives
'Indefinite partitives' are used to refer to an indefinite, or unexact number or amount of
something. Here are some of the most important indefinite partitives:
● Some of
● Lots of
● A lot of
● Many
● A number of
● Any
Partitives
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Countable nouns are always used in plural form after the partitives, while uncountable nouns are always used in singular form after them.
Check out the examples:
Some of the workers are not satisfied with the boss.
Use a spoonful of sugar in your coffee.
Plural Partitives
You can use a 'plural partitive' if it corresponds to the meaning of the sentence. Check out the examples:
Lots of fruits were grown on this farm.
We have bought two pairs of pants.
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