Category: Grammar

Quantifiers are words or phrases used with a noun to indicate quantity. It often gives information about the noun on how many or how much it is.

Form

Quantifiers can be found before countable and uncountable nouns.

quantifier + countable/uncountable noun

Quantifiers + countable noun 

Here is a list of some quantifiers that are used with countable nouns.

A number of
Many
A few/few/very few
Several
A large number of
A majority of

Quantifiers + uncountable noun

Here is a list of some quantifiers that we use with uncountable nouns.

much
a little/little/very little *
a bit (of)
a great deal of
a large amount of
a large quantity of

Quantifier + Both Countable and Uncountable

Here is a list of some quantifiers that we use with both countable and uncountable nouns.

Some

Any

A lot of

Lots of

Plenty of

All

Enough

More/Most

Less/Least

No/None

Not Any

• A lot of is often used instead of much in some situations.

She spent a lot of money on shoes.

X: She spent much money on shoes.

• Little and few without the article a mean not much or not many. They imply a negative idea.

He has little patience.
Jack has few choices.

• Little and few with the article a imply a positive meaning. They could mean some, a small amount, or a small number.

I will take a nap. I have a little time before my next meeting.

Quantifiers Exercise

Answer this exercise on quantifiers.

1. In my opinion, ___ practice is good for you.

a. all

b. enough

c. any

2. I’m sorry, but there’s ___ sugar for your coffee. Is it alright with you?

a. no

b. any

c. enough

3. I can eat ___ things, but I’m allergic to shellfish.

a. any

b. most

c. more

4. If you want to sleep early, maybe you should have ___ screen time.

a. any

b. less

c. enough

5. If you want to help the community, you can donate ___ money.

a. any

b. some

c. a few

6. We don’t have ___ players.

a. enough

b. some

c. much

7. Can we have three ___ teas, please?

a. more

b. less

c. enough

8. When she was a child, she used to drink ___ milk.

a. most

b. much

c. lots of

9. Generally, I don’t like vegetables but I eat ___ potatoes.

a. a lot of

b. much

c. a number of

10. We have _____ time.

a. several

b. a number of

c. plenty of

Find answers for this exercise here.

See also: All/All of – Most/Most of – No/None of and Much, Many, Little, Few, A Lot, Plenty

For additional information on this topic, check out this British Council lesson.

For other English grammar lessons, go to this page.

Negation

We can use negative words, phrases and clauses to express a contradiction or denial on a certain topic. Negation can be made in many ways. In most situations, we use a negative word such as no, not, never, none, etc. 

Here are some example sentences:

A: Are you staying home tonight?

B: No. I am going out tonight. ( No = I am not staying home tonight.)

Janice doesn’t go to work everyday. ( It is not true that Janice goes to work everyday.)

No and not are the most common negative words. There are other ways to express negation with the use of other negative words such as never, no one, neither, none, nor, nothing, nowhere, nobody, etc.

No one came to her party.

Neither Mike nor John went to the mall.

Nobody wants to share an idea.

None of them enjoyed the movie.

Most teachers nowadays don’t use traditional teaching methods.

Prefixes and suffixes can also be used to express negation.

Prefixes ( dis-, non-, un-)

Suffixes ( less, free )

He has been disloyal to her since the day they met.

It is a stress-free environment.

Some other words that can be used to express negative or somewhat negative statements are:

barely, rarely, hardly, seldom, little, scarcely, few

They barely talked.

I seldom see him.

We use negation more commonly in oral language than in written form. In a face-to-face conversation, the use of negation can make the statement less direct.

I’m not certain if I am in the right office. Is this Mr. Smith’s office? ( This is a less direct way than to ask, Is this the right office?/Am I in the right office?)

Forming negative statements, questions and imperatives

Negative statements

Negative statements are formed by the use of nor or n’t after be,auxiliary and modal verbs.

n’t is the abbreviation of not.

n’t can be added to be, to modal verbs ( except may ) and to auxiliary verbs ( do and have ) without a space.

Won’t is the shortened negative form of will.

Cannot is the unshortened form of can + not.

Sam isn’t going to the party. She is not feeling good about herself.

They hadn’t realized the severity of the problem.

He does not believe in marriage.

I don’t go to the gym everyday.

He can’t be that lonely.

It might not be that expensive.

Negative questions

Not or n’t are used to form negative questions. In the absence of a modal verb or be, auxiliary verb do + n’t is used.

(don’t, do not, doesn’t, does not, didn’t):

What don’t they notice?

Why didn’t you go there?

Won’t you get a promotion?

Isn’t that your husband?

Negative imperatives

do + not or don’t + the base form of a verb are used to form negative orders or commands.

Do not start until you are told.

Don’t sit next to him. Find another seat.

Negation: two negatives

Two negatives (double negatives) in the same clause is not accepted in standard English.
Some words (never, no one, nothing, nowhere, etc.) already have a negative meaning therefore the use of another negative with the verb is unnecessary.

There was nothing else I could do.

Not: There wasn’t nothing …

I have nowhere else to go.

Not: I haven’t nowhere….

The use of not with the verb requires the use of words such, anybody, anyone, anything, anywhere,as ever, in place of nobody, no one, nothing, nowhere, never:

She hasn’t told anyone about it.

Not: She hasn’t told no one about it.

Although some speakers use two negatives in the same clause,it is still considered incorrect by most people.

Not…. I don’t think

We can use reporting verbs such as suppose, think and imagine in the end position after the reported clause. In these cases, they both may have a negative verb.

She’s not married, I don’t think. ( or I don’t think she is married.)

Not: I don’t think he’s not a teacher.

I won’t be very tired by the end of this week, I shouldn’t suppose so. ( or I shouldn’t suppose I will be very tired by the end of this week.)

Not: I shouldn’t suppose I won’t be very tired.

Not is used in front position in some cases where it is followed by a reduced clause ( a clause with something removed ut which is obvious) that also has a negative form:

A: Have you done your homework?

B; Not now, I haven’t. ( I haven’t done my homework.)

A transitive verb is an action word that uses an object as a receiver of the action. The transitive verbs are underlined in the following example sentences:

I appreciate your concern.

We have to retain indispensable employees.

I couldn’t find them.

Sally adores children.

What are Direct and Indirect Objects?

If the object follows the transitive verb, it is a direct object. It usually answers the question “what” or “whom”?

The receiver of the direct object is the indirect object. It tells to whom or for whom the action is for.

Example:

Janice gave her sister a dress.

Janice is the subject.

gave is the verb.

What was given? A dress.

A dress is the direct object.

Who received the dress (indirect object)? Her sister.

Her sister is the indirect object.

A direct object and an indirect object can be used in the same sentence with some transitive verbs.

Jane bought him a present.

him [indirect object]                        a present [direct object]

They gave her a homework.

her [indirect object]                       a homework [direct object]

The following are some common verbs that can be used with a direct and indirect object:

Verb                                               Example

Pass                                               She passed him the bowl of soup.

Leave                                            Leave me a note so that I’ll know what to do.

Cost                                               Her arrogance cost her her friends.

Wish                                              They wished us the best of luck.

Lend                                              She lent me her winter clothes.

Buy                                                She buys her a cup of coffee.

Make                                             I made us some breakfast.

Sell                                                She sold me her house.

Show                                            Alex showed me his new car.

Offer                                            They offered her the highest position in the company.

Intransitive verbs

It is a verb that does not have a direct object. In the sentence, there is no mention of who or what received the action performed.

Here are some examples of intransitive verbs:

The children are playing.

They are studying in Bristol University.

They smiled sweetly.

We studied overnight.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

There are many verbs that can both be transitive and intransitive. Here are some examples:

His mother sang a lullaby. [transitive]

She usually sings alone.  [intransitive]

She left her home at six o’clock this morning. [transitive]

She left at six o’clock. [intransitive]

Here are some common verbs that can both be used as a transitive and intransitive:

Verb           Transitive                                                   Intransitive

change       Her fame totally changed her.               My school has changed a lot.

start            She started the whole fight.                   The party starts at 7 p.m.

run              She runs a hair salon.                               She ran across the hall.

do               She has to do her homework soon.        I am doing just fine.

set              She set a meeting for the bosses.           The sun sets at 6pm.

stop           We tried to stop her from making           The music stopped.

a big mistake.

open         Open the door and let the cool                The store opens at 9am.

 wind in.

close         Close the door and leave the bags          Restaurants in the city close early.

outside.

move       Could you move your things to the           The cars were moving slowly.

left please?

write        Please write me a letter soon.                   She writes legibly.

wash        Please wash your clothes.                          I usually wash at night.

A modal continuous is just one variety of the many modal forms.We use it to express A-A-C-L-O-O-P-R-S (ability, advice, capacity, likelihood, obligation, order, permission, request, suggestions).

Form

To form modal continuous, simply remember this formula.

modal + be + -ing

Past Modal Continuous

For past modal continuous, use should, would, could, might. Then add be and of course, an -ing verb.

Use

• Use past modal continuous when you are not sure if the subject is doing an action. However, this action is possible, necessary, or likely.

I could be living in Vietnam then. I can’t remember now.
We should be keeping an eye on his progress at school.
She would be regretting this decision.
His flashy personality might be ruining his blind date.

Present Modal Continuous

For present modal continuous, use can, must, may, will, shall. Then add be and of course, an -ing verb.

Use

• Use present modal continuous when you are not sure if the subject will be in the middle of doing an action or is planning to take an action in the future. However, this action is possible, necessary, or likely that he is or will.

The young girls must be thinking about their spring dance.
The audience will be sneering at his corny jokes.
The child may be imbibing his parents’ habits.
He shall be demonstrating proper first aid for sprains.
Her eyes can be stinging from the smoke.

Modal Continuous Exercise

Answer this exercise on modal continuous.

1. I ______ this song right now.

a. should be memorizing

b. may be memorizing

c. would be memorizing

2. I have no idea where she is. She _____ with friends in New York.

a. will be staying

b. should be staying

c. must be staying

3. Too much pressure from the management _____ to her stress level.

a. will be contributing

b. might be contributing

c. should be contributing

4. He _____ with his friends if not for his girlfriend’s request for him to stay with her.

a. shall be going

b. would be going

c. must be going

5. Our guests _____ earlier that we thought.

a. may be arriving

b. could be arriving

c. can be arriving

6. They ____ the fireworks display now.

a. shall be watching

b. could be watching

c. might be watching

7. We are not sure we can visit grandma next week. We _____ on holiday.

a. might be going

b. can be going

c. should be going

8. Your students _____ for you.

a. may be waiting

b. could be waiting

c. should be waiting

9. I didn’t see him yesterday. He ______ from me.

a. might be hiding

b. shall be hiding

c. will be hiding

10. It was very quiet. The children _____.

a. could be studying

b. would be studying

c. must be studying

Find the answers to this exercise here.

See also: Modals of Deduction and Speculation and Modals: Can’t Have, Needn’t Have.

For additional information on this topic, check out this Cambridge Grammar lesson.

For other English grammar lessons, go to this page.

• Phrasal verbs are usually formed when we pair verbs with adverbs or prepositions.

We  usually use the following to form phrasal verbs:

In, off, on, by, up, down, out, away, back, round, through, about, along, over, forward

Example:

I will get off at 7th Street.

Get off is an example of a phrasal verb

• Sometimes a phrasal verb is followed by a preposition.

Examples:

run away + from – Turman’s cmpany ran away from its obligation.
look forward + to – We look forward to meeting you in person.

• Sometimes a phrasal verb has an object.

Example:

pick up + someone / pick someone up

-She picked her son up at the airport.
-She picked up her son at the airport.
– She picked him up at the airport.

BUT – “She picked up him at the airport.” is WRONG.

• We often use on/off/out etc. with verbs of movement.

Example:

Get on – She has to get on the train before it leaves!

Get off – I usually get off at Pearl Drive.
Go out – I had to go out of the office for a bit.

• However, adding these words to verbs often changes the meaning of the phrase.

Example:

get by – manage to do something

The exam was quite challenging. How did you get by?

• If a verb is irregular, the past simple and past participle do not end in –ed.

Example: The security guard foresaw the robber’s intent to cause panic in the shop.
(Foresee-foresaw)

• All three forms (infinitive, past, participle) are the same with some verbs.

Example: The government shut down our branch in Osaka last year.
(shut down – shut down- shut down)

• Some irregular verbs have the same past and past participle forms but not the same infinitive form.

Example: The CEO thought that Jeff’s proposal was interesting.
(think – thought – thought)

• For other irregular verbs, all three forms are different.

Example: Our Company underwent an unprecedented growth last year.
(undergo- underwent – undergone)

• Some verbs can be regular or irregular.

Example: He burned his hand while cooking.
She burnt the eggs she was cooking.

Burn-burned or burnt

Spell-spelled or spelt

Learn-learned or learnt

Spill-spilled or spilt

Smell-smelled or smelt

Spoil-spoiled or spoilt

Irregular verbs

bid-bid-bid

-To submit a competitive proposal to buy or sell
products or services

hold on to – held on to – held on to

-To keep in one’s possession

undertake-undertook-undertaken

-To accept a challenging/difficult responsibility

ADJECTIVES

• Describe nouns
Example: That car is fast. (What kind of car? Answer: a fast car.)

• Have the same form in both plural and singular number
Example: She has three lovely cats.

• Often comes before nouns and after “be”.

Example:
He is a powerful CEO.
I hope to be a famous pharmacist.

Adjectives like nice/bad/good are OPINION adjectives. They tell us what somebody thinks of someone or something.

Example: The company’s choice to diversify during these times is a bad one.

Adjectives like new/golden/round are FACT adjectives. They give us factual information about age, size,color, and so on.

Example: We prefer the new advertisement over the old one.
Opinion adjectives come before fact adjectives.

Example: Did you have a nice, long holiday?

At time, we use several fact adjectives to describe someone or something. We follow this order.

Determiner – Quantity/Number – Size – Age – Shape – Color – Origin/Proper Adjective – Material/Purpose – NOUN

Examples:

Mr. Sham bought a large, old, round, red, Chinese, wooden drawer.

There is a disgusting red metal crab ornament in their front yard.

We took a ride on an ancient, red Californian tram.

Exemptions:

• Adjectives of size and length usually come before adjectives of shape and width.

Example: She is a tall, thin girl.

• When there are two or more adjectives from the same group, we use “and”.

Examples:

She wore a yellow, red, and black gown for the product launch.

The shop sells old and new things.

• We use adjectives with the verbs be/get/become/seem.
Example: I am tired and I’m getting sleepy.

• We also use adjectives to say how somebody or something looks, feels, tastes, smells, and sounds:

Example: That was an interesting presentation.
I am interested in your new product.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Form

article + countable / uncountable noun

I eat an apple for breakfast every day. (Apple is countable.)
I eat bread for breakfast every day. (Bread is uncountable.)

Usage

• You can use a/an/the with singular countable nouns.

I bought a car. (Not I bought car.)

The ostrich laid an egg.
Get the papers on my table.

• You cannot use a/an/the with uncountable nouns.

Sugar is used in making soda.

• But you can use a + ___ + of

a bottle of soda

• Generally, use (1) a definite article or (2) no article with plural nouns.

1. I like the animals at the aquarium. (animals specifically found at the aquarium)

2. I like animals. (Animals in general)

Read the text:

I saw a girl with long, curly hair. The girl is holding a box of chocolates. The girl was talking to herself while walking. I think the girl has mental issues.

• Take note that we use a/an if it is the first time we mention someone or something in a conversation. We use the if the listener already knows which specific object we are referring to in a conversation.

Other English grammar lessons can be found here.

Full infinitive: to + verb

Uses:

1. To express purpose

Example:  I eat to gain weight.

2. After the words: would + love/like/prefer

Example: I would love to go skiing with you.

3. After adjectives (angry, glad, happy, sorry, pleased, annoyed, etc.)

Example: I am pleased to see you.

4. With too or enough

He is too old to drive.

She is too young to stay home alone.

5. Repeated actions (like to +verb)

Example: I like to wash dishes.

Verb-ing

Uses:

1. Noun

Example: Walking is a good exercise.

2. After the verbs ; love, like, hate, enjoy, dislike

Example: I like washing dishes.

3. After the verbs start, begin, finish, stop

Example: You should start saving money for the trip.

4. After the verb “go” for physical activities

Example: Erin goes skiing on Sunday.

5. After certain verbs; admit; deny, mind, prefer, regret, risk, suggest

Example: I admit making a mistake of firing him.

Like to + verb VS like + verb-ing

Both can be used for repeated actions:

I like sewing baby clothes.

I like to sew baby clothes.

I don’t like being kept waiting.

I don’t like to be kept waiting.

Remember:

We use verb-ing when we talk about actions that already exist or existed.

1. I like being a mother. (I am a mother and I like it.)
2. Do you like living in Dusseldorf? (You live in Dusseldorf. Do you like it?)
3. The company I worked for was terrific. I liked working there. ( I worked there and I liked it.)

  There is a difference between like to + verb and like + verb-ing

A: I like doing something. = (I do it and I enjoy it.)

Example: I like training new employees. ( I enjoy it.)

I like giving presentations. (I enjoy giving presentations.)

B: I like to do something. = ( I think it is a good thing to do but I don’t necessarily enjoy it. )

Examples: I like to throw the trash on Fridays. (It is not a task I enjoy but I throw the trash on Fridays.)

I like to send my reports on schedule. (It is not my favorite task but I have to do it.)