Adverbs: degree

These adverbs tell us the intensity or degree of an action, adjective or another adverb.

• extremely, very, really, quite

We can use these words to modify the meaning of adjectives:

How was his football match?

• It was extremely good.
• It was very / really good.
• It was good.
• It was quite good.
• It wasn’t very good.
• It wasn’t very good at all.

We can also use these words to modify the meaning of adverbs:

How did he play?

• He played extremely well.
• He played very / really well.
• He played well.
• He played quite well.
• He didn’t play very well.
• He didn’t play very well at all.

So / Such

We can use ‘so’ and ‘such’ to make adjectives stronger:

so + adjective

• The football match was so good.

such + (a) + adjective + noun

• It was such a good football match.

We can also use ‘so’ to make adverbs stronger:

so + adverb

• I played so well.

We can also use ‘so… (that)’ and ‘such… (that)’. We often leave out ‘that’.

• The football match was so good (that) nobody wanted to go home.
• It was such a good football match (that) nobody wanted to go home.
• I played so well that I scored two goals.

Too / Enough

We can use ‘too + adjective’ and ‘too + adverb’ to say that there is a problem. It means ‘more than is good’ or ‘more than is necessary’:

• We’re not going outside because it’s too cold.
• This apartment is too small for us to get a dog.
• He swam too slowly to win the race.

We can use ‘not + adjective + enough’ or ‘not + adverb + enough’ in a similar way:

• It’s not warm enough to go outside today.
• I don’t think we can get a dog – our apartment isn’t big enough.
• He didn’t swim quickly enough to win the race.

We can also use the positive form ‘adjective + enough’ or ‘adverb + enough’:

• I think this pizza will be big enough for four people.
• Martin is 17 so he is old enough to get a driver’s licence.
• He did well enough in the exam to get into university.

We can say ‘too / enough… for somebody / something’.

• There wasn’t enough room for us to stretch our legs out.

We can also say ‘too / enough… to do something’.

• He’s too small to reach the door handle.

Almost & nearly

We can use ‘almost’ or ‘nearly’ to modify the meaning of verbs:

• I remembered my passport two minutes before leaving the house.  I almost / nearly forgot my passport.
• I arrived at the airport very late, but I managed to catch my plane.  I almost / nearly missed my flight.

Only just

We can also use ‘almost’ in negative sentences.  However, it is more common to make a positive sentence with ‘only just’:

• I only just remembered my passport.

(This means the same as, ‘I almost didn’t remember my passport’.)

• I only just caught the plane.

(This means the same as, ‘I almost didn’t catch the plane’.)

Hardly

‘Hardly’ also has a similar meaning to ‘almost not’. We can use it to say that something is only just possible or true.

• I am so excited.  I can hardly wait for my next holiday in Mexico.
• The first time I went there, I hardly spoke any Spanish.

‘Almost’, ‘nearly’, ‘only just’ and ‘hardly’ come before the main verb.

USAGE

1. Many adverbs of degree like ‘very’, ‘really’, ‘quite’, ‘barely’, ‘not particularly’, etc. can be used with gradable adjectives, making them stronger or weaker:

• This movie is extremely interesting.
• The game was really impressive.
• Your brother is quite talented.
• The street is barely illuminated.

2. Certain adverbs like ‘absolutely’, ‘completely’, ‘totally’, ‘nearly’, ‘practically’, ‘almost’ etc. are used only with non-gradable adjectives. They are used to describe things that possess some quality entirely or almost entirely.

• Our journey was totally fascinating.
• Today I feel myself perfectly well.
• Mary’s new dress is absolutely amazing.
• The students in our university are mostly American.
• These two cars are practically identical.

3. Adverbs ‘really’, ‘fairly’ and ‘pretty’ can be used both with gradable and non-gradable adjectives:

• It’s a really good idea (gradable, meaning the idea is very good).
• It’s a really great idea (non-gradable, meaning the idea is absolutely the best).

4. Adverbs of degree ‘quite’, ‘really’ and ‘absolutely’ can also be used with the verbs. They are put before the verbs to modify their meaning a little.

• I quite enjoy running (meaning it gives me pleasure).
• I really like running (meaning I do it quite often and I like it).
• I absolutely love running (meaning I can’t live without it).

Adverbs: superlative

Adverbs, like adjectives, can have superlative forms to show extreme difference in the way things happen. Superlative adverbs come after the verb in a sentence, and they are almost always preceded by the word ‘the‘.

• Which animal runs the most quickly?
• Caterpillars move the slowest.
• Dave visits doctors the least frequently.

1. Adverbs ending in ‘-ly‘

To make superlative forms of most adverbs, use:

the ‘most’ or ‘least’ + adverb:

• Of all aircrafts autogyro flies the most safely.
• You should consider my proposal the  most seriously.
• Bob is lazy, he cleans his flat the least frequently.
• This music sounds the least harmoniously.

2. Adverbs with the same form as an adjective

Some short adverbs, like ‘early’, ‘fast’, ‘slow’, ‘hard’, ‘high’, ‘long’, have superlative forms of adjectives with ‘-est’ at the end:

• Your walk the slowest I can imagine, let’s hurry up!
• This aircraft can fly the highest in its class.
• I can run this distance the fastest in my age group.
• Of all his colleagues Phil works the hardest, and his boss appreciates that.

3. Irregular comparatives

Some common adverbs have irregular comparatives that we just have to learn:

• good → well → Stephanie plays violin the best in her group.
• bad → badly → Ben knows multiplication table the worst.

Omitting the group of comparison

Adverbs: comparative

Adverbs, like adjectives, can have comparative forms to show how differently things happen. Comparative adverbs come after the verb in a sentence.

• Could you speak more quietly, please?
• It’s Sunday, so Pete can get up later.
• Jack drives better than his brother.

There are three ways in which the comparative adverbs are formed, depending on the spelling of the base adverb.

1. Adverbs ending in ‘-ly’

To make comparative forms of most adverbs, use ‘more’ or ‘less’ + adverb (…than):

• People can cycle more safely on special cycling roads.
• You should prepare for your exams more seriously than you do now.
• Tommy did his homework less accurately than Mary.
• Jacks talks to people less politely than Ben.

2. Adverbs with the same form as an adjective

Some short adverbs, like ‘early’, ‘fast’, ‘slow’, ‘hard’, ‘high’, ‘long’, have comparative forms of adjectives with ‘-er’ at the end:

• Turtles move slower than hedgehogs.
• I came to the office earlier than my colleagues.
• Timothy always runs faster than his friends.
• Kate works harder than you, so please be more friendly to her.

3. Irregular comparatives

Some common adverbs have irregular comparatives that we just have to learn:

• good → well → I can cook better than you.
• bad → badly → Sally sings worse than her sister Emily.

Intensifiers and mitigators

We use these words and phrases as intensifiers with these patterns:

much – far – a lot – quite a lot – a great deal – a good deal – a good bit – a fair bit

• I forget things much more often nowadays.

We use these words and phrases as mitigators:

a bit – just a bit – a little – a little bit – just a little bit – slightly

• She began to speak a bit more quickly.

Adverbs: manner

Adverbs of manner are used to describe how things happen. They are usually put after the verb.

• The boy runs quickly.
• The music plays loudly.
• Frank speaks English very well.

Formation

I.   Adverbs of manner are usually formed by adding ‘-ly’ to the adjective:

• careful → You should drive carefully at night.
• polite → Mary looks sad. Could you ask her politely, what has happened to her?
• serious → Seriously speaking, I don’t like this idea.

1) If the adjective ends in ‘-le’, remove ‘-e’ and add ‘-y’:

• gentle → This mechanism should be cleaned very gently.
• terrible → I will miss you terribly.

2) If the adjective ends in a consonant + ‘-y’, change ‘-y’ to ‘-ily’:

• angry → She looked at me angrily.
• easy → Jack can do grammar exercises easily.  
• noisy → Your old printer works noisily, you should change it for a new one.

3) If the adjective ends in ‘-ful’, double the ‘-l’ and add ‘-y’:

• beautiful → Mary has cooked the meat beautifully.
• successful → Not all students passed their exams successfully.

II.  Some adverbs of manner are not formed by adding ‘-ly’:

1) ‘Well’ is the adverb of ‘good’. We often use ‘very’ and ‘quite’ with ‘well’:

• Jane speaks German and French very well.
• Nick runs long distances quite well.

2) Some adjectives ending in ‘-ly’, like ‘friendly’, ‘lovely’, ‘silly’, ‘ugly’, don’t change to become adverbs.

• He spoke to me in a friendly manner. (NOT: He spoke to me friendlyly)
• Her dancing is so lovely. (NOT: She dances so lovelyly).

3) Adverbs of manner, like ‘early’, ‘late’, ‘fast’, ‘hard’, ‘low’, have the same form as their adjectives:

• The bus is late again (adjective).
• A am afraid, we’ll arrive late (adv).
• Tom drives very fast, it’s dangerous.
• We’re working hard all day long.

Adjectives: comparative structures

Comparative adjectives

When we make comparisons, we often use comparative adjectives:

One-syllable adjectives

• England is smaller than Australia.
• Australia is larger / bigger than England.

Usually, we add ‘-er’ – so ‘small’ becomes ‘smaller’.

If the adjective ends in ‘e’, we just add ‘-r’ – so ‘large’ becomes ‘larger’.

If the adjective has a ‘consonant-vowel-consonant’ pattern, we double the final consonant and then add ‘-er’. ‘Big’ becomes ‘bigger’ (and ‘hot’ becomes ‘hotter’).

Longer adjectives

• – José: Spanish is easier than Arabic.
• – Ahmed: No!  Spanish is more difficult than Arabic!

With two-syllable adjectives ending in ‘y’, there is a spelling change. ‘Easy’ becomes ‘easier’ (and ‘busy’ becomes ‘busier’).

With other adjectives which have two or more syllables, we use ‘more + base adjective’ – so ‘difficult’ becomes ‘more difficult’ (and ‘interesting’ becomes ‘more interesting’).

We can also use ‘less + base adjective’:

• Arabic is less difficult than Spanish!

Irregular adjectives

Some common adjectives have irregular comparative forms:

‘good’ becomes ‘better’, ‘bad’ becomes ‘worse’ and ‘far’ becomes ‘further’ or ‘farther’.

Big differences

• Australia is much bigger than England.
• Australia is a lot bigger than England.
• Australia is far bigger than England.

(We don’t say ‘Australia is very bigger than England’.)

Small differences

• Portugal is a bit bigger than Austria.
• Portugal is slightly bigger than Austria.
• Portugal is a little (bit) bigger than Austria.

(Not) as… as…

We can also use (not) as + adjective + as:

• England is not as big as Australia.

(This means the same thing as ‘Australia is bigger than England’.)

We use the positive form to say that two things are equal:

• Today is as hot as yesterday.

(The two days were the same temperature.)

(Not) the same as… / Different from / to…

• Life in England is not the same as life in Australia.

(Life in England is different from / to life in Australia).

Like / As

We can use ‘like’ to talk about things which are similar or the same:

• It’s raining again.  I hate weather like this.
• My sisters are both teachers like me.
• He can swim like a fish.

We use like + noun / pronoun.  We can’t use ‘as’ in this way:

• I hate weather as this.
• My sisters are both teachers as me.
• He can swim as a fish.

Sometimes we can use either ‘like’ or ‘as’:

• Everything went just as I had planned.
• Everything went just like I had planned.

We use as + subject + verb.

More and more…

We can use ‘double comparatives’ to talk about changes:

• I must stop eating so much chocolate.  I’m getting fatter and fatter.
• Apartments in the city centre have become more and more expensive.

The + comparative… the + comparative…

We can also use comparatives to talk about things which change together:

• The hotter the weather (is), the less energetic I feel.
• The more you practise, the easier it is.

We use the + comparative + subject + verb.  

Adjectives: formation

Adjectives are words that describe nouns. We can make adjectives by adding prefixes and suffixes.

Suffixes go on the end of words.  They change a word from one part of speech, such as a noun or a verb, to another, such as an adjective.  

For example, if you add ‘-able’ to ‘solve’, you create the adjective ‘solvable’.  

• They told me the problem was not solvable, but I thought it was easy.
• The professional secretary was very helpful. She immediately understood what I needed.

The word ‘professional’ comes from ‘profession’, and ‘helpful’ comes from ‘help’.

The most common adjective suffixes and their meaning:

• His lecture bored the class so everyone fell asleep.  
• I was so bored in his class that I fell asleep.
• You are boring me with all this information about insects.
• This is a very boring subject.   

Prefixes go at the beginning of words.

The most common adjective prefixes and their meaning:

• I cannot read anything she writes; her writing is illegible.
• Companies don’t like to work with dishonest employees.  

Spelling rules for il-, im-, ir-, in-

1. Use ‘il-’ for words starting with ‘l’, such as legal (illegal) and legible (illegible).
2. Use ‘ir-’ for words starting with ‘r’, such as relevant (irrelevant) and rational (irrational).  
3. Use ‘im-’ for words starting with ‘m’ or ‘p’, such as mature (immature) and polite (impolite). 
4. For other adjectives, use ‘in-’, such as convenient (inconvenient) and active (inactive).

Pronouns and determiners: each, every, either, neither, both, half, all

Each, every, either, neither, both, half, and all are distributive determiners. They refer to individual members of a group, or to a group of people, animals, or things. They express how something is distributed, divided, or shared.

Each, every, either, neither, both, half, all as determiners

Each

We use ‘each’ to refer to members of a group as separate individuals. We only use ‘each’ before countable nouns, usually singular nouns. We usually use ‘each’ in affirmative and interrogative sentences. We use ‘each’ with a singular verb.

• Each boy has his own helmet.
• We want to speak to each teacher privately.

We can use ‘each’ with of and an article. We can also use ‘each’ after an object – direct or indirect.

• Each of them received a gift.
• Would you like to speak to each of the boys?
• I want to give them each a kiss before I go.

Every

We use ‘every’ almost the same way as we use ‘each’, and often, they are interchangeable. But we use ‘every’ to refer to people or things together in a group. We also use ‘every’ with a singular verb.

• Pass it around so that every student gets one.
• We’d like to hear from every member of the group.

Either/neither

We use ‘either’ to refer to one or the other of two people, animals, or things.

We use ‘either’ in affirmative and interrogative sentences.

• Either color will do; I don’t care.
• Would you like either one of these last two desserts?

‘Neither’ is the opposite of ‘either’. We use ‘neither’ to mean not one nor the other of two people, animals, or things.

We use ‘neither’ in negative sentences.

Sometimes, we use ‘neither’ followed by of, with or without an article. We must always use of when neither comes before a pronoun.

When we use ‘neither’ with of and another determiner, (my, his, these, the, etc.), we use it before a plural noun.

• Neither of the boys admitted his guilt.
• Neither parent knew where the child had gone.
• Neither of us wants to be here.

We use ‘neither’ with a singular verb unless it is followed by of, in which case we can use singular or plural, with the plural verb being less formal.

All/half

Both ‘all’ and ‘half’ tell us the quantity of a group. We use ‘all’ to refer to the whole group or everyone or thing in the group. ‘All’ means that nothing and/or no one has been left out. We use ‘all’ with both countable and uncountable nouns in negative, affirmative, and interrogative statements.

• All life is important.
• All students deserve the help they need.

We can also use ‘all’ with the definite article the to describe a specific group, as well as with of the. We can use ‘all’ with other determiners.

• Where are all the children?
• I want to see all of the students in my office now.
• Where are all my toys?

We can use both a singular or plural verb with ‘all’, depending on the noun it is modifying. If it modifies a noun that takes a plural verb, we use the plural and vice versa.

We use ‘half’ to refer to a part of a group that is divided into two sections. We also use ‘half’ to refer to measurements, followed by an indefinite article. We can also use ‘half’ and the definite article the, as well as other determiners.

• The recipe calls for half a lime.
• Only half of the group wants to go hiking.

Both

We use ‘both’ to refer to a pair of people or things. We can only use ‘both’ with plural, countable nouns because it refers to two things. We use ‘both’ with a plural verb.

• I had both children in Hawaii.
• Both flights have been delayed.

We can use ‘both’ with of, with or without an article. However, when both is followed by a plural pronoun, we must use of after both.

• Both of us want kids.
• Both of the children were born there.

Each, either, neither, all, half, and both as pronouns

Each

We can use ‘each’ as a pronoun where the noun is known or obvious. However, using ‘each one’ or ‘each of them’ is more common.

• I have two sisters, and each has her own style.
• What desserts do you want? I would like one of each, please.

Either/neither

We can use ‘either’ as a pronoun when the noun is known or obvious. Again, we use a singular verb.

• Do you want the red shirt or black shirt? Either is fine. (either refers to the shirts)
• There are two kinds, but either will do. (either refers to two kinds)

We can use ‘neither’ as a pronoun when the noun to which it refers is known or obvious.

• The two boys knew the truth, but neither wanted to admit it. (neither refers to the two boys)
• Would you like the orange or black tie for your costume? Neither. (neither refers to the ties)

All/half

We can use ‘all’ and ‘half’ as pronouns when the noun is known or obvious.

• How much ice cream do you want? Can I have it all? (all refers to ice cream)
• All has been forgiven.
• Can I have a piece of that apple? You can have half. (half refers to the apple)
• Half are already gone.

Again, ‘all’ and ‘half’ take both singular and plural verbs depending on the noun to which it refers.

Both

We can also use ‘both’ as a pronoun when the noun is known or obvious. We always use a plural verb because ‘both’ is plural.

• Are my parents here? Yes, both arrived at the same time. (both refers to parents)
• We have two options. I’d like to see both. (both refers to two options)

Pronouns and determiners: other, others, the other(s) or another

Other, the other, another as determiners

Other

‘Other’ means extra, additional; alternative or different types. We can use ‘other’ with both countable and uncountable nouns. We can use ‘other’ in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.

• Do you have these shoes in other sizes?
• We received other information from a different agent.
• I don’t want other people to see me here.

When we use ‘other’ before a singular countable noun, we have to use another determiner before it.

• Can you hand me my other shoe, please?
• I like the other shirt better.

The other

We use ‘the other’ before countable and uncountable nouns. When we use ‘the other’ before a singular noun, it refers to the second of two things or the opposite in a set of two.

• This hammock is in the shade; I’d like to sit in the other hammock because it’s in the sun.
• I have my suitcase. Do you have the other suitcase?
• Did John send you the other information?

When we use ‘the other’ with a plural noun, it refers to the remaining people or things in a group or set.

• I can’t find the other three forks. I only have five.
• Let’s join the other parents in the hot tub while the kids play in the pool.

Another

‘Another’ is just the indefinite article an + other, and it means one more or additional, extra, or an alternative or different.

We normally use ‘another’ with singular countable nouns. We can use ‘another’ in affirmative, interrogative, and negative statements.

• Would you like another cup of coffee?
• Let’s just go to another restaurant.
• I hope that’s not another solicitor knocking on the door.

We can use ‘another’ with a plural noun or pronoun when a number or quantifier precedes the plural noun.

• We don’t have room for another 20 people.
• How do you feel about staying here for another few days?

Others, the others, the other, another as pronouns

Others

We use ‘others’ as a pronoun to replace other ones or a plural noun when the noun is known or obvious. We cannot use ‘other’ as a pronoun.

• All of these glasses are dirty. Do you have others? (others refers to glasses)
• Some people agree while others are neutral. (others refers to other people)

The others

‘The others’ refers to (the) other group or (the) other people. It may also refer to animals.

• What are the others up to right now?
• I’m going to see what the others have to say about this.

The other

We can use ‘the other’ as a pronoun. In this case, it usually refers back to something that was previously mentioned, or to another or the opposite in a set or group.

• I have a child in one hand and a puppy in the other. (the other refers to hand).
• I’ll take care of this cat, and you can take care of the other.

Another

We can use ‘another’ as a pronoun when the noun is known or obvious. We usually use ‘another’ in affirmative and interrogative statements.

•  I already had a croissant, but I think I’ll have another. (another refers to croissant)
• You’re finished your beer; would you like another? (another refers to beer)

Pronouns and determiners: quantifiers

Quantifiers modify nouns and pronouns. Quantifiers tell us the imprecise quantity of something.

We use certain quantifiers before countable nouns (things that can be counted), and we use other quantifiers before uncountable nouns (things that cannot be counted).

We do not add ‘s‘ to uncountable nouns to make them plural.

Determiners

Many/much

We use ‘many’ before countable nouns. We use ‘much’ before uncountable nouns. We can use these quantifiers in affirmative, negative sentences and questions.

• We don’t have much time left.
• How many rings do you have?
• There are many offices in this building.

We can use them with ‘too much’ and ‘too many’ in affirmative sentences.

• I put too much pepper on my potatoes.
• We have too many chairs setup.

Not many/not much

‘Many’ and ‘much’ can also be used in the negative with ‘not’.

• There are not many people here.
• There’s not much stuff to do around here.

Hardly any

Hardly any means very few, almost none. It is similar to ‘not many’, except ‘hardly any’ can be used with countable and uncountable nouns. It is used in affirmative statements.

• There are hardly any crackers left.
• She ate hardly any food when she was here.

(A) few/(a) little

We use ‘(a) few’ before countable nouns and ‘(a) little’ before uncountable nouns.

We can use these quantifiers in affirmative and negative sentences, as well as interrogative sentences.

• May I have a few cookies for my snack?
• I have received very little information about the job.

‘A few’ means some, not many, enough.

‘Few’ (without a) means not enough, almost none.

‘A little’ means some, a small amount.

‘Little’ (without a) means very little, almost none.

• We only have a few eggs left. (enough but not a lot)
• We have very few sodas left; we need to buy more. (not enough, almost none)
• I have little knowledge on the subject. (a very small amount, almost none)
• I have a little knowledge on the subject. (some, not much)

We can use an article, demonstrative or possessive after ‘(a) few’ if it is quantifying something specific.

• A few of those toys belong to me.
• Few of my flowers bloomed this year.
• A few of the boys went hunting.

A lot of/lots of

We use ‘a lot of’ or ‘lots of’ before both countable and uncountable nouns. We usually use these quantifiers in positive sentences.

•     I had a lot of fun on the weekend.
•     We ate lots of chocolate bars at the movie.

*Lots of is more informal.

Some/any

We can use ‘some’ in affirmative sentences and interrogatives though it is most often used in affirmative statements.

We use ‘any’ in negative statements and questions.

•  She has some messages for you.
•  Can I ask you some questions?
•  Is there any salt in this container?
•  I don’t have any books with me.

Both ‘some’ and ‘any’ can be used with countable and uncountable nouns. We must use the plural form when ‘some’ and ‘any’ come before a countable noun.

•  Are there any raisins in it?
•  I just saw some dogs running through the woods.

‘Any’ can also be used in the negative with not.

•  They did not have any decorations.
•  There aren’t any people here yet.

No/none of

We can use ‘no’ and ‘none of’ with both countable and uncountable nouns. ‘No’ is used in affirmative sentences.

• None of us wanted to tell the truth.
• I have no money.
• None of the information is valid.
• There are no coins in her bag.

All of/most of

We can use ‘all of’ and ‘most of’with both countable and uncountable nouns. We can use an article (the), demonstrative (this, that), and possessive pronoun (my, your) with ‘all of’ and ‘most of’ if it refers to something or someone specific.

• The dog ate all of the food. (nothing is left)
• They destroyed most of the documents. (a few remain; not all but the majority)

Quantifiers as Pronouns

Some quantifiers can function as pronouns when the noun is known or obvious.

Many/much

• Yes, you can have chips for a snack. But, don’t eat too many. (many refers to chips)
• Do you need money? Yes, because I don’t have much. (much refers to money)

Again, we use ‘many’ to refer to countable nouns and ‘much’ to refer to uncountable nouns.

A lot/lots

• Look at the food! I am going to eat a lot!
• I have not finished my homework, yet. I still have lots to do.
• My mom made cookies, and I want lots / a lot.
• Did you find the right information? Yes, I did, and there is a lot.

‘Lots’ is more informal. We can use ‘lots’ and ‘a lot’ to refer to both countable and uncountable nouns.

Some/any/most

• I want a piece. Is there any left?
• Did you have cake? Yes, I had some.
• No one would even try this. Actually, some have done it.
• You can talk to the students, but most have already left.

We can use ‘some’ and ‘any’ to refer to both countable and uncountable nouns. We use ‘mos’t to refer to countable nouns.

Hardly any/not many/not much

• The students know the due date is close, but not many have even started the assignment, yet. (not many refers to students)
• Coffee? Hurry, there’s not much left. (not much refers to coffee)
• I wanted one of those pens, but there are hardly any left.

We can use not many to refer to countable nouns, not much to uncountable nouns, and hardly any to both countable and uncountable nouns.

All/none

• Sorry, I already did it all.
• Do you have honey? No, sorry, none. (none refers to honey)

(A) few/(a) little

• Little is known about his childhood. (not much, almost nothing)
• Tea anyone? Yes, I would like a little. (a small amount)
• A few have done it before. (not many but some)
• Few have dared to trespass on that property. (almost none)

Pronouns: indefinite

We use indefinite pronouns to talk about people, things and ideas without specifying them.

The most common reflexive pronouns are: ‘some‘, ‘any‘, ‘one‘ and their derivatives, as well as ‘all‘, ‘every‘, ‘each‘, ‘few‘, ‘little‘, ‘many‘/’much‘, ‘both‘, ‘either‘.

Indefinite pronouns may have different forms depending on their use in statements, negative sentences and questions.

• Someone gave me a call this evening.
• Is there anybody at home?
• There’s nothing left on the table.

Indefinite pronouns may  denote:

1. Animate objects, and they are formed using ‘-body’/’one’:

– to talk about a person, use ‘anybody’, ‘somebody’, ‘anyone’ and ‘someone’:

• Peter doesn’t know anybody in his new school.
• I saw somebody walking down the street.
• You can ask someone to help you with your bags.

– to talk about all people in a group, use ‘everyone’ and ‘everybody’:

• I would like everyone to attend our next meeting.
• The room is empty. Where is everybody?

– to talk about no person, use ‘nobody’ and ‘no one’:

• Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen.
• No one in the class could answer the teacher’s question.

2. Things or ideas, and they are formed using ‘-thing’

– to talk about availability of things or ideas, use ‘something’ and ‘anything’:

• There is something special about Mary.
• Is there anything I can do for you?

– to talk about unavailability of things or ideas, use ‘nothing’:

• James and Timothy have absolutely nothing in common.
• We did a great job and there is nothing left to do.

– to talk about availability of all things or ideas, use ‘everything’:

• I’m leaving for Paris and I want to see everything there.
• Becky is back to school, everything is fine with her.

3. Places, and they are formed using  ‘-where’: ‘everywhere’, ‘anywhere’, ‘nowhere’ and ‘somewhere’

• Let’s go somewhere special.
• This road leads to nowhere.
• You can go anywhere you like.
• Emily couldn’t find her phone, though she looked everywhere.

We can also use pronouns beginning with ‘any-’ in statements to mean all people or things, when it doesn’t matter who, what or where:

• Anyone can play this game.
• You are free to take anything you like from my clothes.

Usage

1. We normally use ‘somebody’, ‘someone’, ‘something’ and ‘somewhere’ in statements and questions:

• Yesterday I’ve met someone special.
• We heard a loud noise from somewhere in the street.
• Could somebody let me know what to do?
• Can I have something to drink?

2. We use ‘anybody’, ‘anyone’, ‘anything’ and ‘anywhere’ in negative sentences and questions:

• There isn’t anything you can do in this situation.
• When Peter had arrived, he couldn’t find anyone at home.
• Is there anybody going to listen to my story?
• Would you like to travel anywhere next month?

3. We use ‘nobody’, ‘no one’, ‘nothing’ and ‘nowhere’ in statements and questions:

• Nobody can understand me better than you.
• This poor guy has nowhere to live.
• Why is there no one in the office?
• You always keep silent, do you have nothing to say?

4. We usually use ‘everybody’, ‘everyone’, ‘everything’ and ‘everywhere’ in statements:

• Everybody knows this prominent artist.
• I need everyone to leave this room immediately!
• This is everything you need to know about her.
• Spring is everywhere!