Quantifiers are the words we use to express an idea about quantity, amount or the number of something. You will know which quantifier to use depending on what your noun is. Quantifiers are either used with countable or uncountable nouns.
Countable: many, fewer
Uncountable: much, less
a) I have many good friends in my life today, but thankfully fewer bad friends.
b) I have less time than I did before I started working.
Other quantifiers can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns: some, a lot of, lots of.
The quantifier little is similar to a little, but the difference is in whether you mean not much (little) or some (a little).
c) I have very little sugar in my tea. (not much)
d) I have a little sugar in my tea. (some)
There is also a difference with few and a few. When we use a few, we mean ‘some’, but when we use few, it means ‘not many’.
e) I’m new in this city, but I have a few new friends. (some)
f) I’m new in this city, so I have few (not many)
Choose the correct option.
a) How many sugars/how much sugar do you take in your coffee?
b) Do you listen to much/many music?
c) How often do you do some/many exercise?
d) My mother uses too much/too many oil on her salad.
e) My brother’s football team have many/much players, so he doesn’t play often.
f) The person who has a few/few real friends is the richest person in the world.
g) I always have a little/little sugar on my cereal, even though I am diabetic.
h) There are few/a few good restaurants in this town. Not enough people are happy to pay a lot/a lot of for one dinner.