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Level
1 2
In armative ( + ) sentences in conversation, a lot of and lots of are more natural than much/many (see page 173). We eat a lot of vegetables. (NOT We eat many vegetables.) This car uses lots of petrol. (NOT This car uses much petrol.)
a lot of / lots of hair Plenty of can be used in the same way as a lot of / lots of.
What do you need: plenty of paint if youre painting a big house? 1 if youre very hungry? 2 if youve got a lot of work? 3 if you work with small children?
u
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if youre in the Arctic? if youre making a big omelette? if youre crossing the desert? if youre writing a novel?
3 GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: towns Make sure you know the words in the box. Use a dictionary if necessary. Then write four sentences about a town, using a lot of / lots of / plenty / not much / not many.
bookshops cinemas hotels parks restaurants theatres
u
industry trac
libraries
markets
nightlife
1 In 2 3 4
174 DETERMINERS
Michael Swan and Catherine Walter 2012
44220761_OEGCBnokey.indb 174
14/9/10 15:28:40
We use a little with singular (uncountable) nouns, and a few with plurals. If youre hungry, weve got a little soup and a few tomatoes.
Little and few (without a) have a rather negative ( - ) meaning (like not much/many). A little and a few have a more positive ( + ) meaning (like some). Weve got a little food in the house if youre hungry. (= some, better than nothing) There was little food in the house, so we went to a restaurant. (= not much, not enough) His lesson was very dicult, but a few students understood it. (= more than I expected) His lesson was so dicult that few students understood it. (= not many, hardly any)
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I have little / a little time to read newspapers and no time at all to read books. Come about 8 oclock; Ill have little / a little time then. There was little / a little water on the mountain, and we all got very thirsty. Foreign languages are dicult, and few / a few people learn them perfectly. Im going to Scotland with few / a few friends next week. Ive brought you few / a few owers. Life is very hard in the Arctic, so few / a few people live there. She was a dicult woman, and she had few / a few friends. Would you like something to drink? Little / A little water, please.
Little and few are rather formal; in conversation we use not much/many or only a little/few. There wasnt much food in the house. OR There was only a little food in the house. The lesson was so dicult that not many / only a few students understood it.
3 Make these sentences more conversational. I only speak a little English u I speak little English.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 There was little room on the bus. Few people learn foreign languages perfectly. She has few friends. We get little rain here in summer. This car uses little petrol. There are few owers in the garden. Our town gets few tourists. We have little time to catch the train.
OR
We can use (a) little and (a) few without nouns if the meaning is clear. Have you got any money? A little. Did you buy any clothes? A few.
In some answers, both contracted forms (for example Im, dont) and full forms (for example I am, do not) are possible. Normally both are correct.
Michael Swan and Catherine Walter 2012
44220761_OEGCBnokey.indb 175
DETERMINERS 175
14/9/10 15:28:40
Level
1 2