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Using most, most of, several, various, numerous, enough and similar quantifiers.
English has many quantifiers for expressing large, moderate and small quantities.
The appropriate quantifier depends on noun type, meaning and degree of precision.
We have a lot of work to finish today.
У нас сегодня много работы.
"A lot of" expresses a large amount of the uncountable noun "work".
Many people use this app every day.
Многие люди пользуются этим приложением каждый день.
"Many" expresses a large number of people.
Only a few students came to the review session.
На дополнительное занятие пришло всего несколько студентов.
"A few" expresses a small number of plural countable nouns.
There is very little time left.
Осталось очень мало времени.
"Very little" expresses a very small amount of an uncountable noun.
We have plenty of food for everyone.
У нас достаточно еды для всех.
"Plenty of" expresses more than enough.
Several customers asked for a refund.
Несколько клиентов попросили вернуть деньги.
"Several" refers to a small but noticeable number of people.
Numerous factors can affect the final result.
Многочисленные факторы могут повлиять на конечный результат.
"Numerous" emphasizes a large number and is common in formal English.
There is enough parking behind the building.
За зданием достаточно парковочных мест.
"Enough" expresses sufficient quantity rather than simply a large quantity.
Most refers to the majority of a group, while most of is used before specific noun phrases.
Compare Most people agree with Most of the students agreed.
Most people enjoy having some free time on weekends.
Большинству людей нравится иметь немного свободного времени по выходным.
"Most" refers to people in general.
Most students use laptops for their classes.
Большинство студентов используют ноутбуки на занятиях.
"Most" is used without "of" when referring to people or things generally.
Most of the students passed the exam.
Большинство студентов сдали экзамен.
"Most of" is followed by the specific noun phrase "the students".
Most of my friends live nearby.
Большинство моих друзей живут неподалеку.
"Most of" is used before the specific possessive noun phrase "my friends".
Most of the money was spent on rent.
Большая часть денег была потрачена на аренду.
"Most of" can be used with a specific uncountable noun phrase.
Most information online is easy to access.
Большую часть информации в интернете легко получить.
"Most" can be used before an uncountable noun in a general sense.
Most of these houses were built before 2000.
Большинство этих домов было построено до 2000 года.
"Most of" is used before the demonstrative phrase "these houses".
Most of us agreed with the decision.
Большинство из нас согласились с решением.
"Most of" is required before the pronoun "us".
Several refers to a small number that is more than a few but not many.
It is used only with plural countable nouns.
Several people called while you were out.
Несколько человек звонили, пока тебя не было.
"Several" refers to more than a few but not a large number.
I visited several cities during my trip.
Я посетил несколько городов во время поездки.
"Several" is used with the plural countable noun "cities".
Several students asked the same question.
Несколько студентов задали один и тот же вопрос.
"Several" indicates a small number of students.
We considered several options before making a decision.
Мы рассмотрели несколько вариантов перед принятием решения.
"Several" modifies the plural noun "options".
She has worked for several companies.
Она работала в нескольких компаниях.
"Several" refers to more than a few companies.
Several houses on the street were damaged by the storm.
Несколько домов на улице пострадали от бури.
"Several" is used with the plural countable noun "houses".
Several employees volunteered to stay late.
Несколько сотрудников вызвались остаться допоздна.
"Several" indicates a small but meaningful number.
The issue has been discussed several times.
Этот вопрос обсуждался несколько раз.
"Several" can modify plural expressions of countable events.
Numerous emphasizes a large number, while various emphasizes diversity.
Both are common in formal writing.
Numerous customers reported the same problem.
Многочисленные клиенты сообщили об одной и той же проблеме.
"Numerous" emphasizes a large number of customers.
The report identifies numerous risks.
В отчете выявлены многочисленные риски.
"Numerous" is common in formal and professional writing.
Various options are available.
Доступны различные варианты.
"Various" emphasizes that the options are different from one another.
The company offers various services.
Компания предлагает различные услуги.
"Various" highlights diversity rather than simply quantity.
Numerous studies support this conclusion.
Многочисленные исследования подтверждают этот вывод.
"Numerous" is especially common in academic writing.
Various factors can influence the outcome.
На результат могут повлиять различные факторы.
"Various" means that the factors are of different kinds.
The museum displays numerous works by American artists.
В музее выставлено множество работ американских художников.
"Numerous" emphasizes the large quantity of works.
We discussed various ways to solve the problem.
Мы обсудили различные способы решения проблемы.
"Various" emphasizes different possible methods.
These expressions describe proportions within a group.
They are commonly used in formal, academic and statistical contexts.
A majority of voters supported the proposal.
Большинство избирателей поддержало предложение.
"A majority of" refers to more than half of the group.
A minority of employees work remotely.
Меньшинство сотрудников работает удаленно.
"A minority of" refers to less than half of the group.
A majority of customers were satisfied with the service.
Большинство клиентов остались довольны обслуживанием.
"A majority of" identifies the larger part of the group.
A minority of students chose the evening class.
Меньшинство студентов выбрало вечернюю группу.
"A minority of" identifies the smaller part of the group.
A majority of the applicants met the requirements.
Большинство кандидатов соответствовали требованиям.
"A majority of" is followed by the specific noun phrase "the applicants".
A minority of the population lives in rural areas.
Меньшинство населения живет в сельской местности.
"A minority of" is common in statistical and formal contexts.
A majority of voters live in urban areas.
Большинство избирателей живут в городских районах.
"A majority of" expresses a proportion greater than one half.
Only a minority of customers requested a refund.
Лишь меньшинство клиентов попросили вернуть деньги.
"Only a minority of" emphasizes how small the proportion is.
A number of means several and takes a plural verb, whereas the number of refers to the total quantity and takes a singular verb.
This distinction is especially important in formal writing.
A number of employees work from home.
Ряд сотрудников работает из дома.
"A number of" means several and takes a plural verb.
The number of employees working from home is increasing.
Количество сотрудников, работающих из дома, увеличивается.
"The number of" refers to one total quantity and takes a singular verb.
A number of customers complained about the delay.
Ряд клиентов пожаловался на задержку.
"A number of" is followed by a plural countable noun and plural agreement.
The number of complaints has increased.
Количество жалоб увеличилось.
"The number of" takes the singular verb "has".
A number of students were absent today.
Сегодня отсутствовало несколько студентов.
"A number of" means several students.
The number of students absent today was unusually high.
Количество отсутствующих сегодня студентов было необычно большим.
"The number of" refers to the total count.
A number of problems have been reported.
Был выявлен ряд проблем.
"A number of" takes plural agreement because it means several.
The number of problems has decreased.
Количество проблем уменьшилось.
"The number of" takes singular agreement because the subject is one quantity.
Expressions such as a great many, a large number of and a great deal of indicate substantial quantities.
The choice depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.
A great many people attended the event.
На мероприятие пришло очень много людей.
"A great many" is used with plural countable nouns.
A large number of applicants applied this year.
В этом году подало заявки большое количество кандидатов.
"A large number of" is used with plural countable nouns.
A great deal of time was spent on the project.
На проект было потрачено много времени.
"A great deal of" is used with uncountable nouns.
A large number of homes were damaged by the storm.
Много домов пострадало от бури.
"A large number of" expresses a substantial number of homes.
A great many customers have used the service.
Очень многие клиенты воспользовались услугой.
"A great many" is more formal than "a lot of".
A great deal of money was spent on construction.
На строительство было потрачено много денег.
"A great deal of" modifies the uncountable noun "money".
A large number of factors affect the result.
На результат влияет большое количество факторов.
"A large number of" is appropriate with plural countable "factors".
A great deal of attention has been paid to safety.
Большое внимание было уделено безопасности.
"A great deal of" is used with the uncountable noun "attention".
Quantifiers may express approximate rather than exact amounts.
Examples include dozens of, hundreds of and scores of.
Dozens of people attended the concert.
На концерт пришли десятки людей.
"Dozens of" indicates an approximate number in the tens.
Hundreds of cars were stuck in traffic.
Сотни машин застряли в пробке.
"Hundreds of" gives an approximate number in the hundreds.
Thousands of people attended the festival.
На фестиваль пришли тысячи людей.
"Thousands of" expresses an approximate number in the thousands.
The video received hundreds of thousands of views.
Видео набрало сотни тысяч просмотров.
"Hundreds of thousands of" gives an approximate large number.
Scores of applicants submitted their resumes.
Десятки кандидатов отправили свои резюме.
"Scores of" means a large but unspecified number, traditionally several tens.
Dozens of houses were damaged by the storm.
Десятки домов пострадали от бури.
"Dozens of" gives an approximate quantity of houses.
Thousands of dollars were spent on repairs.
На ремонт были потрачены тысячи долларов.
"Thousands of" is used with the plural countable unit "dollars".
Scores of emails arrived after the announcement.
После объявления пришли десятки писем.
"Scores of" expresses a substantial but non-exact number.
Conversation often uses informal quantity expressions.
Examples include loads of, tons of, heaps of and plenty of.
We have loads of food for the party.
У нас куча еды для вечеринки.
"Loads of" is an informal way to express a large amount.
There were tons of people at the game.
На игре было куча людей.
"Tons of" is informal and means a very large number.
She has heaps of energy in the morning.
По утрам у нее море энергии.
"Heaps of" is informal and means a large amount.
We have plenty of time before the movie starts.
У нас достаточно времени до начала фильма.
"Plenty of" means more than enough and is common in everyday English.
There are tons of restaurants in this part of town.
В этой части города куча ресторанов.
"Tons of" is an informal exaggeration for a large number.
He has loads of experience with customer service.
У него огромный опыт работы с клиентами.
"Loads of" can be used with an uncountable noun in casual speech.
There were heaps of clothes on the floor.
На полу была куча одежды.
"Heaps of" is informal and emphasizes a large quantity.
We have tons of work to do before Friday.
У нас куча работы до пятницы.
"Tons of" is conversational and strongly informal.
Formal English often prefers more precise quantity expressions.
Examples include numerous, substantial, considerable and a significant number of.
Numerous studies have examined this question.
Многочисленные исследования изучали этот вопрос.
"Numerous" is concise and formal.
A substantial number of participants completed the survey.
Значительное количество участников завершили опрос.
"A substantial number of" is formal and indicates a large number.
A considerable amount of evidence supports the conclusion.
Значительный объем доказательств подтверждает вывод.
"A considerable amount of" is used with uncountable nouns in formal writing.
A significant number of applicants met the criteria.
Значительное количество кандидатов соответствовало критериям.
"A significant number of" is common in reports and statistical writing.
A substantial amount of funding was allocated to the project.
На проект был выделен значительный объем финансирования.
"A substantial amount of" gives a precise formal tone.
Various factors contributed to the outcome.
Различные факторы повлияли на результат.
"Various" emphasizes diversity among the factors.
A considerable proportion of respondents favored the proposal.
Значительная доля респондентов поддержала предложение.
"A considerable proportion of" is formal and emphasizes proportion.
A significant amount of progress has been made.
Был достигнут значительный прогресс.
"A significant amount of" is suitable for formal reporting.
The most natural quantifier depends on noun type, register and the level of precision required.
Native speakers often choose different quantifiers depending on context rather than grammar alone.
Most students passed the test.
Большинство студентов сдали тест.
"Most" is natural for a general statement about the majority of students.
Most of the students in this class passed the test.
Большинство студентов в этом классе сдали тест.
"Most of" is used because the noun phrase is specific.
A number of customers reported the issue.
Ряд клиентов сообщил о проблеме.
"A number of" means several and takes plural agreement.
The number of customers reporting the issue has increased.
Количество клиентов, сообщающих о проблеме, увеличилось.
"The number of" refers to one total quantity and takes singular agreement.
There are several ways to solve the problem.
Есть несколько способов решить проблему.
"Several" is appropriate for a small number of countable alternatives.
There are numerous ways to solve the problem.
Есть множество способов решить проблему.
"Numerous" suggests a much larger number and sounds more formal.
We have plenty of time to discuss the issue.
У нас достаточно времени, чтобы обсудить вопрос.
"Plenty of" is natural when the point is sufficiency rather than exact quantity.
We have very little time left, so let's begin.
У нас осталось очень мало времени, так что давайте начнем.
"Very little" is appropriate when emphasizing an insufficient small amount.
Choose quantifiers according to noun type, specificity and register.
Common mistakes include confusing most and most of, using several with uncountable nouns and mixing formal and informal quantity expressions inappropriately.
Most people agree with the idea.
Большинство людей согласны с этой идеей.
Use "most" without "of" for a general statement.
Most of the people at the meeting agreed.
Большинство людей на собрании согласились.
Use "most of" before a specific noun phrase such as "the people at the meeting".
Several employees called this morning.
Несколько сотрудников звонили сегодня утром.
"Several" is used with a plural countable noun.
There is little information available.
Доступно мало информации.
Use "little" rather than "several" with the uncountable noun "information".
A number of students were absent.
Несколько студентов отсутствовали.
"A number of" means several and therefore takes a plural verb.
The number of students was higher this year.
Количество студентов в этом году было выше.
"The number of" refers to one total and therefore takes a singular verb.
Numerous studies support the theory.
Многочисленные исследования подтверждают теорию.
"Numerous" is appropriate in formal or academic writing.
There were tons of people at the concert.
На концерте была куча людей.
"Tons of" is informal, so it is better suited to conversation than formal reports.