A word that is used with a noun to describe or point out the person, animal, place, or thing which the noun names, or to tell the number or quantity is called an Adjective. Basically, an adjective is a word used with a noun to add something for its meaning.
Example- Ashok is an good Boy.
Here in the above example adjective good is used along with the noun boy.
DEFINITION OF ADJECTIVES OF QUANTITY
This kind of adjective gives the answer to the question: of how much? The adjective of quantity defines the amount of the noun or pronoun in the sentence.
For Example-
· Susan ate some rice.
· He lost all his money.
· John has no sense of humor.
The words some, all, and no used in the above sentences tells us how much of a thing is intended, such adjectives are called adjectives of quantity.
EXPLANATION
Adjectives of quantity define the quantity of a noun. It does not define the precise quantity of a noun but tells how much amount is there is a noun. Adjectives of quantity are different from adjectives of number. Adjectives of numbers define the exact number or quantity of a noun.
For example:
- Four boys are playing on the badminton court.
- My father bought me two chocolates.
- Susan bought 12 oranges for her grandfather.
EXAMPLES:
Some examples or words used for adjectives of quantity are as follows:
- Much
- Few
- Little
- Some
- No
- All
- Many
- Very
- Enough
- Whole
- Must
HOW TO USE IN A SENTENCE
Let’s take the example ‘Carol has some work in the evening’. In this sentence, the word some define that there is some work that Carol has. Another example- my granddaughter finished all her homework with me, in this sentence the adjective all that she has completed her work entirely. Therefore, the word some and all define the degree and quantity of a person or thing. This is how we use adjectives of quantity: we use words like some, all, few, whole, enough, etc to describe the nouns.
RULES/TIPS:
- Some- This adjective is used to signify quantity or degree in an affirmative sentence.
For example- My mother asked me to buy some oranges. - Any- This adjective is used to signify quantity or degree in a negative or interrogative sentence.
For example- I shall not buy any oranges (Negative).
Has Sammy bought any apples? (Interrogative)
There is an exception to this as the word some can also be used for interrogative sentences or demands.
For example- Can I borrow some colors for my drawing? (Interrogative). - Few- This adjective is used for objects which can be measured or counted.
For example- I can see only a few birds in the sky. - Little- This adjective is used for objects that cannot be measured or counted.
For example- Rony has little appreciation for hard work. - Double- This adjective defines two but not in number.
For example- we were asked for double payment because of high demand. - Substantial- This adjective is used to define something in bulk in a sentence.
For example- For getting a part of the team you have to make some substantial changes. - Enough- This adjective is used in both adverbs and adjectives. The only point of difference is that in the case of an adjective, it is placed before a noun and in an adverb, it is placed after a noun.
For example- I have given enough explanation to John. (Adjective)
You have done enough. (Adverb)
WHY ARE ADJECTIVES OF QUANTITY IMPORTANT
Adjectives of quantity are important in a sentence because it answers the question of “how much”. It gives and adds meaning to a sentence. It defines the quantity in a sentence. Let us take an example- suppose there is a sentence Mohan and Soham had chocolates. From this sentence, it is not clear how many or how many chocolates did Mohan and Soham add. Therefore, if we add quantity few in the sentence, which is – Mohan and Soham had few chocolates we get an idea of some quantity. The above sentence makes much more sense and clarifies the question.
EXERCISE:
A. Identify adjectives of quantity in the following sentences.
1. Ross ate the whole bowl of nachos.
2. Monica gave all her candy bars to the poor kid.
3. There is very little hope of recovery.
4. My father has paid double the amount to the shopkeeper.
5. The glass is empty, please fill it.
6. There was not sufficient time to complete the answers.
7. The teacher asked many students to attend a seminar on health and hygiene.
8. Did you get any extra marks?
9. I have not received any money from you.
10. This much money is not sufficient for the bag.
Answers- 1: Whole, 2: all, 3: little, 4:double, 5: empty, 6:sufficient, 7:many, 8: any, 9:any, 10: sufficient.
