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Unit 26: Quantity | Grammar | B1
When we refer to a quantity or amount of something/things, we use a quantifier. Most quantifiers consist of two or more words because ‘of is needed in each case.
EXERCISE 1
Complete the sentences below with an appropriate quantifier from the box:
a couple of parts of the majority of one of none of
both of the remainder of lots of
1. ___________ people we interviewed expressed dissatisfaction with their standard of living, although a small minority expressed satisfaction.
2. We'd already started on our journey by the time we realised that __________ the tyres was almost flat.
3. I've just been to the supermarket so there's __________ food in the fridge.
4. She invited her colleagues to the party but __________them came.
5. Martin broke ____________ his legs in a skiing accident and spent three months in a wheelchair.
6. We took what we could with us in the car and we sent ____________our belongings by ship.
7. __________ mice got into the cellar so we put a cat in there to get rid of them.
8. The weather will be fair at the weekend, though there may be scattered showers in__________
We use partitives to talk about a particular quantity of something/things.
A partitive structure consists of (a) partitive + of + noun:
E.G. Add a pinch of salt and a knob of butter to the mixture.
There are some specks of dust on the camera lens.
EXERCISE 2
Fill in the gaps with the appropriate partitive:
column of mountain of scrap of gust of
drop of portion of stick of pool of
1. I ordered a ____________ fish and chips.
2. Jack's going to stay late at the office; he's got a ____________ paperwork to do.
3. Every Monday morning, you could see a ____________ smoke rising from the factory chimney.
4. In her husband's jacket pocket, she found a telephone number written on a ____________ paper.
5. A sudden ____________ wind blew his hat away.
6. When the police arrived, they found a body lying in a ____________blood.
7. The child pricked his finger on a rose thorn and a ____________ blood appeared.
8. Two boys discovered guns, bullets, grenades and even a ____________ dynamite hidden in an old woodshed.
EXERCISE 3
Underline the correct word or phrase from the pairs given in parentheses in the paragraph below:
(Most/Much) 1. people look forward to the summer. 2. (Some/Some of) them plan their holidays months in advance but 3. (a great number of/a great amount of) us leave our decisions until the last minute. 4. (A lot of/The lot of) my friends simply load up the car with provisions and head for a convenient campsite. 5. (The most people/Most people) would agree that camping holidays are among the most carefree and relaxing holidays one can enjoy. Of course, 6. (a number of/numbers of) my friends and acquaintances prefer the comfort of a hotel to outdoor life.
Unfortunately, 7. (the majority of/a majority of) good hotels are full up by August so you have to make sure you book early.
Then, of course, there are 8. (a lot of/lot of) alternative types of holiday accommodation: self-catering apartments, bed-and-breakfast guesthouses, caravans, yachts and cruiseliners, to mention just 9. (a few/few). The main thing is to enjoy the summer, the break from routine, and the opportunity to forget the stresses and strains of everyday life which are with us for 10. (a rest of/the rest of) the year.