Lesson
Grammar: much, many, a few, a little
Countable and uncountable nouns decide which quantity words you can use. Get them right in Task 1 ("how many people", "the amount of water") and in speaking.
Countable or uncountable?
- Countable nouns have a plural: a student / students, a car / cars.
- Uncountable nouns have no plural: water, money, information, advice, furniture, traffic, homework, research.
Quantity words
| With countable (plural) | With uncountable |
|---|---|
| many students | much money |
| a few friends | a little time |
| fewer cars | less traffic |
| the number of visitors | the amount of water |
| a lot of / some / any students | a lot of / some / any money |
Few vs a few
- a few = some (positive): I have a few friends here, so I'm not lonely.
- few = not many (negative): Few people came, so the event was cancelled.
Questions 1–6
Choose the correct word.
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How ___ money do you spend on transport each month?
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There weren't ___ people at the meeting.
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The chart shows ___ of water used by four countries.
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Could you give me some ___ about choosing a university?
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If more people cycled, there would be ___ traffic.
-
I have ___ close friends in this town, so I'm not lonely.
Questions 7–11
Complete each sentence with a word from the box.
manya littlenumberfewerinformation
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The of students studying abroad has doubled.
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I only need time to finish this essay. Maybe ten minutes.
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The website has useful about visas.
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There are cars in the city centre on Fridays, because offices close early.
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How languages can you speak?
