Describing Words : Adjective of Quantity for Class 3 English

Words describing quantity are important in a sentence as it answers the question “how much”. Basically it specifies the adjective of quantity and adds meaning to a sentence. In this chapter, class 3 English students will be able to identify the words describing quantity with meaning and examples.

Students can also learn the following from this concept about:

• Identifying the words of quantity to be used with singular and plural nouns.
• Usage of quantity words in sentences.
• Common mistakes that coccur while using them.

Each of the concepts have been covered remarkably well using illustrations, charts, and examples. Learners can assess their understanding by attempting to solve the describing words worksheet consisting of grade specific exercises given at the end of the page. The answers can be verified with those of the solutions available in PDF format.

Definition:

• Words describing quantity are used to explain an adjective or a noun. For instance, ‘small’ or ‘little’, ‘a little’, and ‘a few’ are words that describe quantity.
• ‘Little’ and ‘few’ can mean negatively. It is used to mean ‘not as much as expected’ or ‘not as much as wanted to’.
• Some of the common diminutive phrases are:
1. little / a little

                  Examples:

1. I know little French.
2. Add a little sugar in my cup of tea.

• few / a few

         Examples:

1. Few of his pictures have come out well.
2. There are a few good books in the library.

Other words used to indicate quality as given below:

Words Indicating Quantity
plenty of	a little
all of	a few
much	none of
little	few
too much	all
too many	many
a lot of	very little
lots of	very few

How to Use Words Describing Quantity in a Sentence?

Word	Meaning	Examples
Plenty	More than enough	Plenty of food has been wasted.
Too many	The number is high that it is difficult to count.  It is used with countable nouns.	This library has too many books.
Too much	Excessive.  It is used with uncountable nouns.	There is too much noise here.
‘all of’ and ‘all’ can be used interchangeably depending on the sentence.	The whole of the thing or lot or people.  ‘All of’ is usually used with a pronoun.	All of them in the class burst into laughter after hearing the joke.
A lot of, lots of	Large amount	There are a lot of cars in the parking area today.  Lots of new shops have come up in this area.
A little, little	Small in amount or size. Use ‘a little’ with mass nouns. In a negative way, “a small amount of something”, use little.	Could you put a little sugar in the gravy to make it a little sweet?  There’s little water left, don’t waste it.
A few, few	To focus on how small a number is.	I have a few questions to ask. Few of my friends are settled abroad.
None, none of	Not one.	None of them was able to answer the question correctly.  John ate all the cookies, so none were left in the jar.

Common Mistakes:

1. The phrase a little is used with singular uncountable nouns and not with countable nouns.

   Examples:

   She had coffee with a little milk.

   She had little books in the bag.

2. The phrase ‘a few’ is used with plural countable nouns and not with uncountable nouns. ‘A few’ denotes a positive quantity.

   Examples:

   We stayed a few days in Chennai and visited the temples.

   We stayed a little days in Chennai and visited the temples.

3. The word ‘Little’ is used with adjectives, adverbs, and uncountable nouns. It is used for a negative quantity.

   Examples:

   1. He apparently is getting a little better. (with adjective)
   2. There is a little shop not far from here. (used as an adjective)
   3. I had little choice since the circumstances were not that favourable.
4. The word ‘few’ is used with countable plural nouns and in a negative quantity.

   Examples:

   Few people think that I am an arrogant girl.

Exceptions:

1. The phrases ‘a little’ and ‘a few’ can be used as pronouns. It can be used to substitute for a noun.

Examples:

1. She narrated a little about her life in Kolkata.
2. Don’t take all the cookies. Just take a few.

2. Without a noun, ‘little’ and ‘few’ are not very common. They are used in formal situations.

Examples:

1. Little is known about her background.
2. Few would be in favour of taking him along.