Notice: the word many can be used alone in affirmative sentences while the word much cannot. we can count it (e.g. Quantifiers are used at the beginning of noun phrases. There is lots of milk in the bucket. Listening to music is lots of fun. 4. The majority of investors are interested in low-risk opportunities. In other cases, the difference is more subtle.In the example below, the uncountable form of use refers to the act of using something, whereas the countable form refers to the purpose for which something can be used. With Countable & Uncountable Nouns. Native speaker or not. [food = uncountable] There are many people who use the computer every day. They are used to express an amount or a degree of something. The number of problems I had today is too high! Required fields are marked *. Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience. There are plenty of opportunities to learn online. Countable nouns can be expressed in plural form, usually by adding an “s” to the singular form. There are many expressions used to express large amounts in English. Can you fix them? http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-05-22-plagiarism-digital_x.htm. They are used to express an amount or a degree of something. It is important that you know whether a noun you are using in your writing is countable or uncountable because it has an impact on the words you use with it.Some words can only be used with countable nouns: many, few, fewer, number, etc. Uncountable nouns. We can also use some. With Uncountable Nouns, (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); There was a lot of rain last week. There isn't a great deal of time to finish this report. When you are not referring to a currency you would use amount. In formal academic writing, it is more appropriate to use many, much, and more. Dec 25 2011 12:55:12 5. Much is replaced in affirmative sentences with a lot of or lots of (these expressions can also replace many). a countable noun always takes either the indefinite (a, an) or definite (the) article when it is singular. 3 in quantity in large amounts We offer special prices if you buy in quantity. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Lots of / plenty of / a lot of. Plural countable nouns. There is often a significant difference in meaning between the forms. Quantifiers are used at the beginning of noun phrases. If you aren’t sure whether a noun is countable or not countable, try attaching a number to it. Many (of) Most (of ) A large / considerable/ substantial number of. There is not a large amount of milk left. Everything. EnglishForward.com | The Internet's Largest Learn English Community | 22 Example Sentences with Much, Many, A lot of, Lots of Lots of A lot of and lots of have the same meaning lots of means a large number of amount. They can be placed before singular or plural countable and uncountable nouns. How many students live close to the school? Your email address will not be published. A great deal of. 3 [ countable , uncountable ] a large amount or number of something The police found a quantity of drugs at his home. A large number of our pupils continue their studies at university. The countable form, on the other hand, refers to an occasion or event. Countable nouns refer to things that can be counted such as objects, people, animals and processes.Here are some examples: participant, experiment, rat, questionnaire. Example: few girls, a few cars, a large number of glasses. Much. Others can only be used with uncountable nouns: much, little, less, amount, etc. In the example below, the uncountable form of time refers to time that can be measured in minutes, hours, etc. © EF Education First 2020. There were lots of jobs. (NOT: Most of people...), Much time is spent understanding math. In general, 'much' and 'many' are the standard quantifiers used to express large quantities. 7. No, money is only countable in the units of the particular currency you are using, so you would refer to a number of dollars or pounds. Lots of / plenty of / a lot of. Please go to. Both lots and plenty are quantifiers used in affirmative sentences. I would like to refer you to that webpage and let you have a look at it. 4. (NOT: Much of time is spent ...). Here are some more examples of countable and uncountable nouns. Generally, amount (particular with large) is used with uncountables and we would use number with plurals. [rain = uncountable]There were a lot of people at the party. There are a large number of individuals who prefer to do banking online. In the example below, the uncountable form of time refers to time that can be measured in minutes, hours, etc. Using articles with countable and uncountable nouns. and How many? They are also used in affirmative and negative sentences in combination with too and so. With Uncountable Nouns. it takes a singular verb (e.g. Many nouns have a countable form as well as an uncountable form.There is often a significant difference in meaning between the forms. – The use [U] of antibiotics has increased significantly.– This machine has many uses [C]. Similarly, the word amount is used for uncountable nouns, and number is used for countable nouns. There is often a significant difference in meaning between the forms. A Large Amount Of + The Plural Form Of A Countable Noun? By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert, Express Quantity in English for Beginning Speakers, Countable and Uncountable Nouns Explained for ESL, Countable and Non-Countable Nouns: Using How Much and How Many, How to Place 'Too' and 'Enough' in English Sentences, ESL Lesson Plan on Countable and Uncountable Nouns, Some or Any for Absolute Beginner English, Learn English With These Basic Conversation Exercises, Common Mistakes in English: A Little vs. a Few, Little vs. Few, Phrasal Verbs about Money for English Learners, M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music, B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music. An uncountable noun is a noun t… Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. one participant, two participants); it has a plural form (e.g. Quantifiers with Countable and Uncountable Nouns. The following expressions are often used in place of 'much' and 'many', especially in positive sentences. Quantifiers with Countable and Uncountable Nouns. Much and many are mainly used in interrogative and negative sentences. 'A lot of/lots of/plenty of' are generally used in informal situations: 'A large amount of/a great deal of/a large number of/a majority of' are used in more formal situations, such as written business English and presentations. Whatever the explanation, and assuming it's an accurate quote, he is wrong. For example, "cat--cats," "season--seasons," "student--students." Medium quantities . English Tutor Nick P Lesson (50) 'news' Is An Uncountable Noun. This sounds good to my ear. [email protected], Thanks, CalifJim. There will be a lot of food at the party. I think most people would be shocked to learn how ill educated people in such positions can be. Example: some books, some sugar, a lot of pencils, a lot of money. We can also use some. it is not possible to use numbers or the article. Little. A large quantity of. It is often possible to guess whether a noun is countable or uncountable, but it is not always clear or logical. Only with uncountable nouns With all types of nouns Only with countable nouns; a little: no, none, not any: a few: a bit of: some: a number of : any: several: a great deal of: a lot of, lots of: a great number of: a large amount of: plenty of: a large number of If we can to count them, we have to talk about the container they’re in. There is much interest in learning English around the world. Countable nouns can be used with “a” or numbers. All (of ) All (of ) Large quantities. There is a great deal of pressure to finish this project on time. 'A lot of/lots of/plenty of' are used with both countable and uncountable nouns. Quantifiers with Countable and Uncountable Nouns, Phrasal Verbs, Meaning & Example Sentences, Future Simple Tense – Positive, Negative and Question Forms, Using Whatever in English, Example Sentences with Whatever, Grammar Cards – Using Neither … nor in English, Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns, Definition and Example Sentences, 12 Tenses and Example Sentences in English Grammar, English Language Rules: Phonological Rules, Derivation Rules and More, Collective Noun For Eagles, Collective Nouns List Eagles, Translation Guide: How To Make An Excellent English Translation, Possessive Grammar Rules in English, Definition and 100 Example Sentences, Collective Noun For Turkeys, Collective Nouns List Turkeys. But the perplexing problem remains: Sheldon, the speaker of "There's an increasing amount of freshmen who don't know ...", is assistant dean of Northwestern University's Weinberg College of Arts and Science in Evanston, most problably a native speaker of English. Citrus fruits are grown but not in commercial quantities (= amounts large enough to be sold). participants). Most people enjoy listening to some type of music. The number of sheep in New Zealand is higher than the number of people. The amount of bad behaviour in this classroom is unacceptable! Of course, there is the third alternative that he is, himself, ignorant of the proper use of the language. Some (of) /a certain number of The article presents the statement as a direct quote from the assistant dean so it's either a case of him being misquoted or being very careless in his use of language. Although lots and plenty are acceptable in academic writing, their usage is considered to be informal. Copyright 2020 Martyn Language Services Pty Ltd, Prepositions after nouns, verbs and adjectives. → economic order quantity 2 [uncountable] used to talk about how much of something there is The quantity and quality of personnel is inadequate. What is quantifiers? Note that 'much', 'most' and 'many' does NOT take 'of'. These expressions can are combined with 'of' in the sense of 'most', 'many' or 'much'. Very little. 3 in quantity in large amounts We offer special prices if you buy in quantity. A large amount of. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Both countable and uncountable nouns take some, a lot of before them. If singularity is important when referring to an uncountable noun, you may need to use a phrase such as a piece of or an item of.Here’s an example: – This is an interesting piece of evidence. 'A large amount of/a great deal of' are used with uncountable nouns such as 'water, money, time, etc. There's a large amount of work to be done on this project. There isn't much butter left in the refrigerator. Example: little sugar, much water, a large amount of sand. An example: I notice that an increasing number of cars are silver vs. white. GoodmanThink when we refer to human figures, "amount" has that nanimate tone and thus seems unfitting.I think it has more to do with the whole "countable/uncountable" distinction than animate vs. inanimate. ', 'A large number of/a the majority of' are used with countable nouns such as 'people, students, investors, etc.'.