Running Header: QUANTIFIERS FOR ESL/EFL TEACHERS

Quantifiers for ESL/EFL Teachers

Kathleen Hamel
Colorado State University

Author Note
Kathleen Hamel, Department of English, Colorado State University

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Abstract
Being able to quantify in English comes in a variety of linguistics forms: nouns,
determiners, phrases and many more. For the purposes of this paper, the focus will be on
quantifiers which take the forms of pronouns and determiners. In order to provide a complete
view of these grammatical constructs, the meaning and use will be discussed.
The purpose of this is so that English as second or foreign (ESL/EFL) teachers will know
what to be able to teach their students in regards to the content of this subject, for students at all
levels of English proficiency. This will be done so English language learners (ELLs) can be
taught in the most accurate, meaningful and appropriate way.
This paper will highlight the likely difficulties between the functions as pronouns and
determiners. This allows teachers to know where to anticipate difficulties; some ideas about how
these issues can be handled within their respective classrooms will also be addressed.
Keywords: quantifiers, ESL/EFL teachers, pronouns, determiners

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Quantifiers for ESL/EFL Teachers

Meaning of Quantifiers
In simplistic terms, quantifiers identify a non-specific quantity of something, typically
followed by a noun. Quantifiers can have a positive or negative connotation about the amount of
the something. For example, Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman (1999) assert that the negative
connotation is often indicated with the negative particle not. Despite this, a negative particle is
not required in order to indicate a negative connotation, which will be discussed later in this
section. Not only can quantifiers have positive or negative meanings but a continuum also exists
on each plane, positive or negative, describing the differing quantity of something.
This continuum consists of four subcategories of quantifiers as described by Biber,
Johansson, Leech, Conrad and Finegan (1999): inclusive, large quantity, moderate/small quantity
or arbitrary/negative amount. The meanings and some examples of these subcategories are:
1. Inclusive- refers to a whole group
a. All boxes were packed.
2. Large quantity- refers to a large quantity
a. A lot of boxes were packed.
3. Small/moderate quantity- refers to a small/moderate quantity
a. Some boxes were packed.
4. Arbitrary/Negative amount- a subjective or nonexistent quantity
a. No boxes were packed.
Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech and Svartvik (1985) also describe these four categories as: universal,
nonassertive, assertive and negative, while Huddleston & Pullum (2002) refer to them as:
universal, existential, and negative quantification. Since these terms are more technical, I would

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recommend using the terms that Biber et al. (1999) described for students; but its important as
teachers and researchers to know and to identify these terms in the field of study to be able to
fully comprehend the topic.
Although these four subcategories provide helpful ways to describe quantifiers to
students, its also important to point out that within each exists a scalar relationship, as
Huddleston & Pullum (2002) term it. This can be shown in reference to the arbitrary/negative
amount category:
None >

Not Any

>

Few

So, none is stronger than not any, as indicated by >, and therefore few is the weakest out of
the three and refers to the least amount of things. This is key for ELLs, so they will make the
strongest statement that is consistent with what they know to be true (Huddleston & Pullum,
2002, p. 363).
Its also important to mention that each quantifier has different specifications on whether
they are used with count/noncount nouns and plural/singular nouns. As teachers, its essential to
be able to explain these differences to students. Although this paper will not go in depth on those
differences, the resources used for this paper, specifically Huddleston & Pullum (2002), Biber et
al. (1999) and Quirk et al. (1985), could provide accurate guidance on the differences. Some
examples of count and noncount nouns and their respective quantifiers can be seen in Table 1 in
the Appendix.

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Positive vs. Negative Connotation & Minimal Contradictions

As previously indicated, quantifiers can either display a positive or a negative quantity.
Typically, this is indicated by the negative particle not but there are other ways in which this can
be done. This can be shown by the following examples:
There were a few people at the party. (And we all had fun) [1a]
There were few people at the party. (And it was rather awkward) [2a]
The first sentence shows how a few could be replaced by some and still retain its meaning in this
sentence, implying a positive connotation. Compare this with the second sentence where few
could be replaced by hardly any (Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman, 1999; Huddleston & Pullum,
2002). The second sentence then indicates that having few people at a party is indeed a negative
outcome.
Not only do those two sentences provide a comparison for positive vs. negative
connotations for quantifiers but they also display the minimal contradictions that exist in
quantification. Minimal contradictions are similar to antonyms because they contradict one
another. These minimal contradictions can be shown in Table 1 in the Appendix by the diagonal
lines between the positive and negative quantifiers. The inclusion of this table was to visually
show how these minimal contradictions worked, in addition to the scalar relations that were
previously discussed. Notwithstanding, I urge teachers to not use this Table when teaching
students since its format is confusing but rather use it as a basic reference when teaching the
subject.
More than just being minimal pairs, a few and few appear to be similar since only an
article differentiates the two, which causes problems for ELLs. This issue will be later addressed
in regards to the differences they hold in terms of their pragmatics.

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Uses of Quantifiers
Quantifiers are either determiners or pronouns. When quantifiers are used as pronouns,
they fall into the subcategory of indefinite pronouns. Indefinite pronouns are when there is no
reference to a specific person, place, thing or idea and typically have to do with quantity
(Delahunty & Garvey, 2010). In contrast, when determiners are quantifiers they are used to
specify the reference of a noun (Biber et al., 1999, p. 258). Biber et al. (1999) note that
determiners and pronouns have close correspondence and indicate that some unchanged forms
can be interchanged, which could cause ELLs problems.
As an ESL teacher, one should know how to indicate the difference between a pronoun
and a determiner, but this is not to say that this will not confuse students. For example:
Some bananas have been eaten. [1b]
Some (of the bananas) have been eaten. [2b]
When some fills both roles, its most typical to be used with plural, noncount nouns. This then
might be difficult for beginner-intermediate level students to be able to indicate which is a
pronoun and which is used as a determiner. However, there is a test that students can use in
differentiating between the two. For pronouns, one can be used in the singular form, to replace
the plural some [2b]:
One
of the bananas has been eaten. [3b]
*Some
This does not hold true for determiners:
? One bananas have been eaten. [4b]

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Since there is no agreement between one and the plural noun, bananas, this test does not hold
true for determiners (Quirk et al., 1985).
As a listener or a reader of language, this test provides an indication of which type of
quantifier is being used. In terms of being the speaker or the writer, Biber et al. (1999) indicate
that they can take into account the degree of precision that is required or desired (p. 284). For
example, for sentences [1b] and [2b], the use of the determiner is not indicating specific bananas,
some bananas = a portion of bananas in existence; I refrain from indicating some as not all,
although this comparison is often made, due to the lack of context provided (Larrivee & Duffley,
2014). When comparing this to some of the bananas, it is more specific with the use of the
definite article the within the phrase. It could also be more specific based upon the assumption
that the listener would know what is referred to by some when not in the partitive phrase (some
of the bananas).

Indefinite Pronouns vs. Determiners

In use, the indefinite pronouns have a rather simple construction. They can be either used
as modifiers or heads, and some have the ability to be both (Delahunty & Garvey, 2010). This
can be shown by these examples:
Any of the computers will do. [1c]
Any will do. [2c]
None will do. [3c]
In [2c], we can see how [1c] was changed from a modifier to the head noun with the removal of
the of-phrase. This concept should not be challenging for ELLs once they master spotting the
differences between quantifiers as pronouns and determiners.

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Nonetheless, the same cannot be true for determiners. Quantified determiners can be
categorized into three positional subgroups. These subgroups, with some examples, are (Biber et
al., 1999; Quirk et al., 1985; Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman, 1999):
1. Predeterminer- ex. all, both, half and multipliers, double, etc.
2. Central/Core determiners- articles, demonstratives, some, any, each, etc.
3. Postdeterminers- cardinal and ordinal numbers, many, few, more, etc.
These classes are based upon their position in noun phrases in relation to one another.
Combinations of the three categories can be used:
Pre Core Post
All

the

other races went just as fast. [4c]

Nevertheless, not all combinations are possible.

*Half every paycheck is put towards rent. [5c]
Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman (1999) note that when a predeterminer and central determiner
are used, then the predeterminer assumes the role of an indefinite pronoun and the partitive
construction is needed.
Half of every paycheck is put towards rent. [6c]
Since the focus of this paper is on quantifiers, partitives and their construction will not be
discussed; however, partitives are within the quantifying scope and should be further
investigated for teaching purposes.
The ordering of these determiners, and which can be used when, will most likely cause
non-native English speaking students difficulties. Delahunty & Garvey (2010) describe how
other languages use different orders; therefore, ELLs will break these ordering rules. Peters and

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Westersthl (2006) make the point that, In some languages the morphemes or words expressing
these quantifiers do not occur as determiners of the nouns they quantify but rather as agreement
markers on verbs or with various other grammatical functions (p.3). Therefore, the focus on the
ordering of these categories is imperative starting at the beginner level so that when a student
develops their linguistic knowledge, theyll have this solid basis.

Troublesome Issues for ELLs

As previously mentioned, some of these topics will be tricky for ESL students. This
discussion will begin with the pragmatic difficulties that can arise between a few and few. CelceMurcia & Larsen-Freeman (1999) indicate that students will often omit the article in the phrase a
few. In order for the semantics to be correct, since the minimal contradictions are opposite in
terms of their quantity, students must be made aware of these differences. One suggestion on
how this can be done is to replace this quantifier with a different one and still retain the meaning
of the utterance (Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman, 1999, p. 339).
Another point needs to be made on the use a few and few. Within a discourse, a few is
able to be the first utterance, whereas few needs more context. This is shown by two examples:
Do you have a few friends who want to come to the party? [1d]
Since I moved here last week, I have few friends to invite. [2d]
If instead of providing context for the second sentence and I have few friends was said, the
listener would still be waiting for more explanation as to why the speaker only has few friends.
This correlates to the concept of the missing article stated above. If instead of saying [1d] and the
speaker uttered:
Do you have few friends who want to come to the party? [3d]

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This utterance is nonsensical due to the fact that an assumption was made that the listener only
has few friends since no context of this was previously indicated (Celce-Murcia & LarsenFreeman, 1999).
An additional linguistic feature of quantifiers that provides different meanings to listeners
is the use of a singular or plural verb with plural noun phrases. For example:
Some of the team was changing their jerseys. [4d]
Some of the team were changing their jerseys. [5d]
Huddleston & Pullum (2002) indicate that for pragmatic reasons the use of the singular verb is to
indicate that the members of the group are individualized. This means that the group is thought
to be made up of individuals, not just the group itself. This difference could be troublesome for
ESL students; however, in order for them to report in the most precise way, this will need to be
addressed.
Conclusion
In spite of the fact that quantifying amounts is universal for languages, this does not mean
that students will be able to easily grasp this concept in English. Throughout this paper, I have
attempted to outline the basics that ESL students need to know when learning about quantifiers.
Whether they are implying a positive or negative connotation or a varying amount within each
plane, teachers should be able to reiterate these ideas.
Additionally, insight was given as to when ESL students will have difficultly when
learning quantifiers as indefinite pronouns and determiners. As addressed, these difficulties
should be addressed from the start of students learning, so that with each progression of their
proficiency, their accuracy of the language will be maintained.

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References
Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman
grammar of spoken and written English. Harlow, Essex, England: Longman.
Celce-Murcia, M., Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book. Boston: Heinle
Cengage Learning.
Delahunty, G. P., & Garvey, J. J. (2010). The English language: From sound to sense.
Fort Collins, CO: The WAC Clearinghouse.
Huddleston, R., & Pullum, G. K. (2002). The Cambridge grammar of the English
language. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Larrivee, P. & Duffley, P. (2014). The emergence of implicit meaning. International
Journal of Corpus Linguistics, 19 (4), 530-657. 10.1075/ijcl.19.4.04lar
Peters, S., & Westersthl, D. (2006). Quantifiers in language and logic. Oxford:
Clarendon Press.
Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G. & Svartvik, J. (1985). A comprehensive grammar of
the English language. Harlow, Essex, England: Longman.

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Appendix
Table 1
Quantifiers on a scalar, negative/positive continuum

Note. Words above the horizontal lines indicate quantifiers that are used with count nouns, and
noncount nouns are below the line. If there are no lines, then the quantifier can be used with
count or noncount nouns.
Retrieved from The Grammar Book: An ESL/EFL Teachers Course, p. 330, by M.
Celce-Murcia & D. Larsen-Freeman, 1999, Boston: Heinle Cengage Learning.
Reprinted with permission.