5.2 General and specific references to quantity
5.2C 'More' and 'less' after quantifiers: 'some more', 'a little less' [> LEG 5.6]
Study:
1*3
Write: Choose any more, any less, etc. in the following sentences.1 How much did we make yesterday? £200? - No, ...W&^ Udd. than that, (much less/a few less)
2 You've had enough food already and you can't have (any more/some more)
3 There are people giving up smoking these days, (much more/many more)
4 Newspapers have freedom than you think, (many less/much less)
5 young people are passing their driving test first time, (lots more/much more)
6 I'll help myself to of these vegetables, (some more/any more)
7 Have what you like. There are where these came from, (plenty more/much more)
8 There's been interest in this idea than we expected, (a lot less/many less)
9 We've had than forty applicants for this job. (no less/no fewer)
10 We need of this material, but it's hard to get. (many more/much more)
11 Do you want any more? - Yes please, (hardly any more/a lot more)
12 I've got experience in business than you think, (much more/many more)5.2D Context
Write: Put a circle round the correct words in brackets.SPARE THAT TREE!
How (^1 (narwnuch) lists is your name on? There must be (^2 plenty/plenty of) lists of names in every part
of the world and they must be used to send information to fmillions/millions of) people. The ("number/
amount) of letters ordinary people receive these days has greatly increased. (^5 A lot/A lot of) the people
I know object to receiving unwanted letters. (^6 Much/Many) of the mail we receive goes straight into the
waste-paper basket. That's why (^7 most/the most) people refer to it as 'junk mail'. It would be better for
all of us if we received (^8 much/many) less junk mall and, as a result, saved (^9 many/much) more trees
from destruction. (^10 A lot/A lot of) trees must be wasted each year to produce mountains of junk mail.
Recently, I received a very welcome^1 bit/bit of) junk mail. It was a leaflet urging me not to waste
paper and to return junk mail to the sender. 'If we all do this,' the leaflet said, 'we will reduce the
(^12 number/number of) trees being destroyed.' I agreed with every word they said, but why did they
have to send me four copies of the leaflet?We can emphasize quantity with more and less after quantifiers:
1 We can use more + plural nouns after:
some/any, a couple, hundreds, a few, hardly any, a lot, lots, many, no, plenty, several:
There are a lot more students studying English this year.2 We can use more + uncountable nouns after:
some/any, a bit, a good deal, hardly any, a little, a lot, lots, much, no, plenty:
There's a little more soup if you'd like it.3 We can use less + uncountable nouns after:
any, a bit, a good deal, a little, a lot, lots, much:
I'd like a little less soup, please.