Grammar: A2 - ✨ Grammar Essentials: 🧩 Parts of Speech - Expanding - Lesson 3: Quantifiers with Countable Nouns (many, a few, several)

✨ Lesson 3: Quantifiers with Countable Nouns (many, a few, several)

In our last lessons, we learned about countable nouns (like 'book' or 'friend'). Today, we will learn how to express¹ the quantity² or amount³ of these nouns using words called quantifiers⁴.

These quantifiers always come before a plural countable noun.

Quantifiers for Countable Nouns

Let's look at some common quantifiers, from a large amount to a small amount.

many / a lot of (a large number)

• There are many tourists in Kampot in December.
• She has a lot of friends at her school. (We often use 'a lot of' in positive sentences).
• Are there many shops near the riverside? (We often use 'many' in questions).

several (a medium, indefinite⁵ number; more than two, but not large)

• I have visited Bokor Mountain several times.
• It took several hours to travel from Phnom Penh.

a few (a small number)

• I would like to ask a few questions.
• There are a few good cafes on this street.

Summary Table

Quantifier	Meaning (Amount)	Example with a Noun
many / a lot of	Large Number (ច្រើន)	a lot of boats
several	Medium Number (ជាច្រើន)	several restaurants
a few	Small Number (ពីរបី)	a few friends

🧠 Practice Quiz: Choose the Best Quantifier

Choose the best quantifier to complete the sentences based on the meaning.

1. The library is huge. It has __________ books. (a few / many)
2. I'm not very busy. I only have __________ emails to write. (a few / many)
3. He visited __________ different countries in Asia last year, maybe 4 or 5. (a few / several)
4. This market is famous. __________ people come here every day. (a few / A lot of)

📝 Homework: Describe Your Town

Write three sentences about your town (e.g., Kampot) or your life. Use 'many' or 'a lot of' in the first, 'several' in the second, and 'a few' in the third.

Example: There are many guesthouses in Kampot. I have visited several islands nearby. I have a few very close friends here.

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1 (many / a lot of): ________________________________

2 (several): _____________________________________

3 (a few): _______________________________________

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Express: (Verb) - បង្ហាញ (bâng'haanh) - To show a feeling, opinion, or fact. ↩
2. Quantity: (Noun) - ចំនួន (chumnuən) - The amount or number of something. ↩
3. Amount: (Noun) - ចំនួន (chumnuən) - A quantity of something. ↩
4. Quantifier: (Noun) - អ្នកកំណត់បរិមាណ (neak kâm'nât bâ'rĭ'maan) - A word that goes before a noun to express its quantity. ↩
5. Indefinite: (Adjective) - មិនកំណត់ (mĭn kâm'nât) - Not exact or clear. ↩