Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
At A2 you used a few basic words to show amount: a lot of, many, some. That works for simple sentences, but real B1 English needs to be more precise. Determiners and quantifiers are the small words that come before a noun to show which one or how much / how many: all, most, some, any, no, both, each, every, (a) few, (a) little.
The most important skill is agreement. Some quantifiers go only with countable nouns (few, both, each, every), some only with uncountable nouns (little, much), and some with both (all, most, some, any, no). Choosing the wrong one is the most common B1 mistake, so we will focus on it carefully.
These words show quantity from 100% down to 0%. They work with both countable (plural) and uncountable nouns. The tricky parts are some vs any and no vs none.
| Word | Meaning / use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| all | 100% of the group | All children need sleep. |
| most | the biggest part | Most people like music. |
| some | a part (in positive sentences & offers) | I bought some apples. |
| any | in questions & negatives | Is there any milk? / We don't have any bread. |
| no + noun | zero (with a positive verb) | There is no time. |
| none | zero (a pronoun; stands alone) | How many are left? None. |
Use a quantifier alone to talk about things in general, but add of the / of my / of these when you mean a specific, known group. Compare: "Most people..." (people in general) and "Most of the people at the party..." (a specific group).
| General (no "of") | Specific (+ of the) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Most students study hard. | Most of the students in my class study hard. | a known group → add "of the". |
| Some cheese is expensive. | Some of the cheese was old. | works the same with uncountable nouns. |
| All children play. | All (of) the children were tired. | after all / both, "of" is optional. |
Use these three only when you talk about two things or people. The verb form is the key: both is plural, but either and neither are singular.
| Word | Meaning | Structure & example |
|---|---|---|
| both | the two together | Both restaurants are good. (both + plural + plural verb) |
| either | one OR the other | Either day is fine. (either + singular + singular verb) |
| neither | not one and not the other | Neither answer is correct. (neither + singular + singular verb) |
Both talk about all the members of a group, but seen one by one. They are followed by a singular noun and a singular verb — this surprises many students.
| Word | Focus | Example |
|---|---|---|
| each | the members one by one (2 or more) | Each player gets a card. |
| every | all members as a group (3 or more) | Every player was tired. |
| each of the + plural | one by one, a specific group | Each of the players was ready. |
These four are easy to mix up, but two questions decide everything: is the noun countable or uncountable, and is there "a" or not?
| Word | Goes with | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| a few | countable plural | some — a small but positive amount |
| few | countable plural | not many — almost none (negative) |
| a little | uncountable | some — a small but positive amount |
| little | uncountable | not much — almost none (negative) |
Almost every B1 mistake with quantifiers comes from wrong agreement (countable / uncountable) or a missing or extra "of".
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Every students have a book. | Every student has a book. | every + singular noun + singular verb. |
| I don't have some money. | I don't have any money. | use "any" in negatives, not "some". |
| Most of people like it. | Most people like it. | no "of" without "the"; or "most of the people". |
| There isn't no bread. | There is no bread. | "no" already means zero; don't add a second negative. |
| I have a little friends. | I have a few friends. | friends is countable → use "a few". |
| Both my sister is a nurse. | Both my sisters are nurses. | both + plural noun + plural verb. |
Two flatmates check the kitchen before they go shopping. Read it twice and notice how each quantifier fits its noun — singular after each / every, plural after both / a few, and an uncountable noun after a little.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them — with quantifiers — to talk about your habits.
Write 8 sentences about how much of different things (food, money, time, water...) you use, waste or share. Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): quantity · amount · plenty · spare · donate · reduce · waste · share
A few years ago, the people of Green Street had a problem. Every week, most families threw away good food, while some of their neighbours did not have enough to eat. One afternoon, two women, Deniz and Ayla, decided that neither of them wanted to watch this waste continue. They shared a simple idea: a fridge that anyone in the street could use.
Green Street is a long, narrow road on the edge of a busy town. Most of the houses are small, and many of the families who live there have known each other for years. There are a few shops near the corner, a primary school, and an old community hall where people meet for classes and parties. Life on the street is friendly, but money is not always easy for everyone, and some months are harder than others. When times are hard, a little help from a neighbour can make a big difference.
Deniz worked as a nurse at the local clinic, and Ayla taught music to young children. Neither of them was rich, but both of them cared deeply about the people around them. One evening, Deniz noticed several bags of fresh bread and vegetables in a bin behind a house, while a little further down the road an old man was counting his last few coins. “This does not make any sense,” she said to Ayla the next day. “There is plenty of food on this street. The problem is that it is in the wrong places.” Ayla agreed at once, and together they began to plan.
At first, few people believed the plan would work. There was very little money, and none of the local shops wanted to help. Even so, the two women did not give up. They asked each family on the street to give a little time or a few tins of food. Slowly, both the fridge and the trust between neighbours began to grow.
Building the fridge was not easy. They found an old but working fridge that a family did not need any more, and a kind neighbour offered a little space beside the community hall. A young man called Emre, who knew a lot about electricity, spent a whole weekend making sure the fridge was safe to use outside. Each of the first volunteers brought something different: one woman brought cleaning supplies, another brought a box of jars, and a few teenagers painted a bright sign that said “Take a little, give a little.”
In the first week, only a small number of families used the fridge. Some people felt shy, and many were not sure whether the food was really free. Deniz and Ayla understood these worries, so they stood by the fridge each afternoon and talked to everyone who passed. Little by little, the fear disappeared. Neighbours who had never spoken before began to share recipes, and a few of them even became close friends.
Today, the fridge stands outside the community hall. Every morning, volunteers check it, and each item is dated to keep the food safe. Most of the vegetables come from local gardens, and some of the bread arrives from a bakery two streets away. If you open the door, you will almost never find it empty; there is always at least a little of something for everyone.
There are now about fifteen volunteers, and each one has a job. Some arrive early to clean the shelves, while others write the date on every packet and check that nothing is out of date. A retired teacher keeps a simple notebook, and in it she writes how much food comes in and how much goes out each day. “We do not want any waste,” she often says. “If there is too much of one thing, we share it quickly before it goes bad.”
Not every day is easy. On some mornings there is very little food, and on others there is far too much. When there is plenty, the volunteers pack the extra food into bags and carry it to families who cannot leave their homes. When there is not enough, they make a few phone calls, and neighbours soon arrive with whatever they can spare. In this way, the fridge almost never stays empty for long.
The rules are easy. Take only what you need, and leave some for others. Both giving and taking are welcome, and either action helps the whole street. There is no charge, and no one is ever turned away. Several families now donate any spare food instead of wasting it.
Many different people rely on the fridge. An elderly man named Mr. Kaya comes every Tuesday for a little milk and some fruit. A young mother, who has two small children and not much money, takes a few tins and always leaves a note that says “thank you”. Students from the nearby college bring any spare food from their kitchens, and several workers drop off bread on their way home. “I do not have much,” one of them said, “but I can always give a little.”
There are stories that the volunteers love to tell. Once, a family who had used the fridge during a hard winter returned a year later, this time to give food instead of taking it. Another time, a local baker heard about the project and now sends a box of fresh rolls each morning. Both giving and receiving have become normal on Green Street, and no one feels ashamed of either one.
All of the volunteers agree on one thing: none of this would have happened without a few determined people and a lot of patience. The project has reduced the amount of food that Green Street wastes, and the majority of neighbours say they feel closer than ever before.
The people of Green Street now dream of doing more. They hope to add a second fridge on the other side of town and to start a small garden where neighbours can grow their own vegetables. Ayla often reminds the volunteers that big changes usually begin with small actions. “We did not have much at first,” she says with a smile, “but we had each other, and that was enough.”
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE quantifier from the text. Mind the grammar (countable or uncountable noun).
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. Why did Deniz and Ayla decide to start the community fridge?
2. How did the neighbours help the project in the beginning?
3. What are the main rules of the fridge, and why do they matter?
Find these quantifiers in the text — each one appears at least once: all, most, some, any, no / none, both, either, neither, each, every, a few / few, a little / little. (You will use these same quantifiers in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Sarah and Todd talk about all the computers and phones they own.
You will hear two friends, Sarah and Todd, talking about the many computers and phones they own and why they keep so many. You will listen TWICE. First listen: answer questions 1-5. Second listen: answer questions 6-10. (Kaydı İKİ kez dinleyeceksin: ilk dinlemede 1-5, ikinci dinlemede 6-10.)
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
Weak B1 writing repeats the same vague words (a lot of, many) or lists short, separate sentences. What makes writing mature is precise, correct quantity. This unit gives you a full set of quantifiers for general amounts, two things, individuals and small amounts. Use them — and remember the golden rule: match the quantifier to its noun.
| Quantifier | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| all / most / some | show a general amount | Most of my friends recycle. |
| no / none | show zero | None of us wastes water on purpose. |
| both / either / neither | talk about two things | Both my parents grow vegetables. |
| each / every | talk about individuals | Every family can help a little. |
| (a) few / (a) little | show a small amount | I waste a little food and only a few things. |
| ... of the | point to a specific group | Some of the food in my fridge is old. |
See the difference — the same facts, written two ways:
| Vague & separate ✗ | Precise, fluent writing ✓ |
|---|---|
| I have food. I do not eat it all. I throw food away. My family is the same. | Every week my family buys a lot of food, but we do not eat all of it. Most of it is fine, yet a little is wasted, and none of us likes throwing it away. |
A "quantity" paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same every time — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | Name your topic in one general sentence | Every week my family uses a large amount of food and water. |
| 2. Body | How much you use, waste and share. Use general amounts (all / most / some / none), two things (both / either / neither) and small amounts (a few / a little). | Most of the vegetables come from our garden, but a little food is still wasted. Both of my parents try to reduce it. |
| 3. Closing | What you have learned or want to change | Now none of us wastes as much, and we share any spare food. |
Write about how much of different things (food, money, time, water...) you and your family use, waste and share. Show general amounts, individuals and small amounts with quantifiers.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + listening. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
İşaretlemediğin madde varsa ilgili bölüme dönüp tekrar çalış — soldaki menüden her bölüme geri dönebilirsin.
Oturum kontrol ediliyor...