Adjective of Quantity – Examples | Quantitative Adjective

Adjectives belong to one of the eight parts of speech. They describe and identify the noun or the subject of a sentence and provide a clear understanding of them. Adjectives are simply words that modify a noun. However, they can be further divided into two categories known as adjective of quality and adjective of quantity.

Adjective of quantity is the type of adjective that indicates the amount of a noun in a sentence. It is used to show the particular but not the exact amount of something.

There are some rules and ways to use an adjective of quantity. Let us discuss them to make proper use of adjectives of quantity.

What is an adjective of quantity?

Adjectives of quantity are simply the words that refer to the amount of the noun present. They do not indicate the exact number of a noun but show the amount of the particular noun.

In a simple sense, these are adjectives that do not give the exact count of the noun. Instead, these are types of adjectives that provide indefinite numeral descriptions. They are only the estimated amount of the noun or pronoun in whole terms, not in number. They use words such as some, many, few, etc.

Let us look at some examples;

  • He bought some apples for his sister.
  • I have some money with me right now.
  • He put a little milk on the shake.

Usage of the adjective of quantity

Adjectives of quantity are used in different sentences. They can be used anywhere as long as they indicate an estimated amount of a noun as whole terms and not the exact numerical value of that particular noun.

But while using an adjective of quantity in a sentence that already has other types of adjectives, it is important to note that all the adjectives are placed in the correct sequence. Adjective of quantity will always be the first in the order, followed by the quality, size, and age.

Let us look at some examples;

  • I saw a few thick books scattered in the library.
  • I have some beautiful dresses that I bought online.

Now that we know the uses of adjectives of quantity, we need to realize that there are different types of quantity adjectives with different purposes and usage. Let us try to understand some of them.

Any: it generally gives a negative meaning used in interrogative sentences. It indicates one or none.

Little: it refers to a very small amount and is generally used with singular uncountable nouns.

Double: this generally defines two but does not mean it literally in a numerical sense.

Some: it means a small but sufficient amount. Usually used in affirmative sentences.

Let us understand them with examples;

  • I have some tips for your prom night.
  • Do you have any questions?
  • He put a little sugar on the milk.
  • Can you give me some money?

These are some of the basic rules and points that one needs to learn to make correct use of adjectives of quantity. It is quite simple and easy to learn once you understand the basic concept.

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