Cuantificadores

Formas y usos

• much / many

  Much con incontables, many con contables en plural. En frases afirmativas suena más natural a lot of.

  • There isn't much time left.
  • How many people came to the party?
• a lot of / plenty of

  Valen para contables e incontables. Plenty of = más que suficiente.

  • We've got a lot of work to do this week.
  • Don't rush; we have plenty of time.
• a few / few

  Con contables en plural. A few = algunos, idea positiva. Few = pocos, casi ninguno, idea negativa.

  • I've got a few friends in Madrid, so I won't feel lonely.
  • Few people know that he was once a singer.
• a little / little

  Lo mismo con incontables. A little = un poco. Little = poco, casi nada.

  • Add a little salt to the sauce.
  • There was little hope of finding the dog alive.
• some / any

  Some en afirmativas, ofrecimientos y peticiones. Any en negativas y preguntas, y en afirmativas con el sentido de «cualquiera».

  • Could I have some water, please?
  • Is there any milk left?
  • You can call me at any time.
• no / none (of)

  No va delante del sustantivo. None va solo o con of.

  • There's no reason to panic.
  • None of my friends could come.
• both / either / neither

  Para dos cosas. Both = los dos. Either = cualquiera de los dos. Neither = ninguno de los dos. Either y neither van con sustantivo en singular.

  • Both my parents are teachers.
  • You can park on either side of the street.
  • Neither answer is correct.
• a large number of / a great deal of

  A large number of con contables; a great deal of con incontables. Son formales.

  • A large number of students applied for the course.
  • She spends a great deal of money on clothes.
• hardly any / hardly anyone

  = casi ningún, casi nadie. Muy útil para reescribir very few o very little.

  • There was hardly any food left at the end.
  • Hardly anyone came to the meeting.
• enough

  Va delante del sustantivo, pero detrás del adjetivo o del adverbio.

  • We don't have enough chairs for everyone.
  • Is it warm enough to swim?

Dónde aparece en el examen

En la parte 2 el hueco puede ser much, few, little, any, none, both, either, neither o enough. Comprueba si el sustantivo es contable o incontable y si la frase es afirmativa o negativa. En la parte 4 son típicos los cambios entre very few y hardly any, entre not… either y neither, y entre don't need to y there is no need to. En la parte 1 a veces eliges entre number, amount y deal, y decide el sustantivo que viene detrás.

Trampas típicas

• Con none of, neither of y either of el sustantivo va en plural (neither of the answers); neither y either solos van con singular (neither answer).
• Neither ya es negativo: no pongas otra negación al lado. I don't like either of them = I like neither of them.
• Little y few sin a suenan negativos. Si la frase quiere decir «por suerte había algunos», necesitas a few.
• Con so, too y how, much y many suenan bien en afirmativas: there were too many people.
• Amount of va con incontables y number of con contables: a large amount of money, a large number of people.

Errores típicos

• information

  Incontable: sin an y sin plural.

  • ✗ Mal: I need an information about the course.
  • ✓ Bien: I need some information about the course.
• advice

  Incontable: a lot of advice o some advice.

  • ✗ Mal: She gave me many advices.
  • ✓ Bien: She gave me a lot of advice.
• many con contables

  People es contable en plural.

  • ✗ Mal: How much people were there?
  • ✓ Bien: How many people were there?