Quantitative Adjectives

 QUANTITATIVE ADJECTIVES

 Adjectives of quantity tell how much or how many. They have these three subdivisions:

How much

 Quantity in Bulk: little, much, some, no, any, considerable. Sometimes small is joined to singular nouns to express an indefinite measure of the thing spoken of.

 Examples

• He parted with much lamenting of the lady.

• We began to do our work with great labor and little profit.

• I have some knowledge of grammar and language.

Examples of small as a Quantitative Adjective

• The woman looked at me and walked away with a laugh of small satisfaction.

• ‘T’ is midnight, but small thoughts have I of sleep.-Coleridge.

• It gives small idea of Coleridge's way of talking.-Carlyle.

 When some, any, no, are used with plural nouns, they come under the next division of adjectives.

How many

Quantity in Number: This may be denoted by numbers or remotely designated by words expressing indefinite amounts. Hence the natural division into-

• Definite numerals:

 Examples

• He found in the hallway fourteen passengers.

• I have lost one house.

• There were about a dozen volunteers in the institute.

(b) Indefinite numerals:

Examples

• We gave several thousand pounds for it.

• There came some five and twenty more, and with them a few negroes.

• We roamed about for many days.

• Taufiq had evidently more schemes in his head.

• He had lived by hunting for some months.

• That light is far too red to be the reflection of any beams of hers.

Single ones of any number of changes Distributive Numerals: Distributive Numerals occupy a place midway between the last two subdivisions of numeral adjectives; for they are indefinite in telling how many objects are spoken of, but definite in referring to the objects one at a time.

Examples

• Every town had its fair; every village, its wake.-Thackeray

• An arrow was quivering in each body.-Kingsley

• Few on either side but had their shrewd scratch to show.- Kingsley

• Before I taught my tongue to wound