How to Use Quantifiers in the CELPIP Writing Section

Are you searching for practical writing tips and strategies to develop your CELPIP test preparation? Learning how to use quantifiers is a simple writing tip that can help hone not only your writing but also your critical-thinking skills and help you ace the CELPIP Writing Section.

What Is a Quantifier?

A quantifier is a word or phrase used to indicate the amount of something. It comes before a noun or a noun phrase. Quantifiers also vary depending on the two types of nouns (count and non-count nouns.) For students enrolled in CELPIP classes, the following are some examples of quantifiers used for count and non-count noun, as well as quantifiers that can be used for both:

Quantifiers for count nouns (a number of, many, and several)

        ·         A number of football fans had been removed from the bar for causing trouble.

        ·         Stewie and Bryan take part in many school activities.

        ·         The heavy rain has isolated several villages.

Quantifiers for non-count nouns (a bit of, a great deal of, and a large amount of)

        ·         Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.

        ·         Her bad behavior caused her parents a great deal of pain.

        ·         The system wastes a large amount of water.

Quantifiers for count and non-count nouns (a lot of, all, and any)

       ·         A lot of

Count noun: A lot of students suffer from exam nerves.

Non-count noun: You need a lot of self-discipline when you’re doing research work.

       ·         All

Count noun: All cats love to eat fish but fear to wet their paws.

Non-count noun: Love of money is the root of all evil.

       ·         Any

Count noun: Are you bringing any friends with you?

Non-count noun: She isn’t taking any chances.

Quantifiers on Noun Phrases

A quantifier plays an essential role in noun phrases. It is placed at the beginning of a noun phrase. To guide you more, check out these examples:

Quantifiers for noun phrases with count nouns (a number of, many, and several)

        ·         A number of potential buyers have expressed great interest in the company.

        ·         Many great men came from humble beginnings.

        ·         There were several important topics to discuss in the meeting.

Quantifiers for noun phrases with non-count nouns (a bit of, a great deal of, and a large amount of)

        ·         We had a bit of bad luck this season.

        ·         The report contains a great deal of statistical information.

        ·         We need a large amount of salted water for our experiment.

Quantifiers for noun phrases with count/non-count nouns (a lot of, all, and any)

        ·         I have a lot of free time today.

        ·         All great things must come to an end.

        ·         Do you have any previous working experience?

One final reminder: When using quantifiers in a sentence, identify the type of noun (count or non-count) before choosing a quantifier.

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REFERENCES:

“Grammar Lessons—Quantifiers.” My English Pages. Accessed October 23, 2018. https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-quantifiers.php.

Konrad. "How Do You Use Determiners and Quantifiers?" Eurocentres Blog. May 22, 2015. Accessed October 23, 2018. https://www.eurocentres.com/blog/how-do-you-use-determiners-and-quantifiers/.

"Quantifiers in English Grammar." TESOL Direct. Accessed October 23, 2018. https://www.tesol-direct.com/tesol-resources/english-grammar-guide/quantifiers/.

"Quantifiers." Learn English | British Council. Accessed October 23, 2018. https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/quantifiers.