Question 1

Which quantifiers can only be used with countable nouns?

Accepted Answer

"Many," "a few," "few," "several," and "a number of" are used only with countable nouns. You say "many books" and "a few mistakes" but never "many water" or "a few information." If you are unsure whether a noun is countable, try putting a number before it — "one book, two books" works, so "book" is countable. "One furniture" does not work, so "furniture" is uncountable and needs "much" or "a lot of" instead. Remembering these pairings is essential for A2 and B1 level grammar tests, where quantifier choice questions appear regularly.

Question 2

Can I use "a lot of" with both countable and uncountable nouns?

Accepted Answer

"A lot of" works with both countable and uncountable nouns, making it one of the most useful quantifiers in English. You can say "a lot of books" (countable) and "a lot of water" (uncountable) — both are correct. It is most natural in positive statements: "She has a lot of experience." In questions and negative sentences, "much" and "many" are more common in formal English: "Does she have much experience?" In everyday spoken English, however, "a lot of" is perfectly acceptable everywhere. The shorter form "lots of" has the same meaning and is slightly more informal.

Question 3

Why can't I say "many informations" in English?

Accepted Answer

"Information" is an uncountable noun in English, so it has no plural form and cannot be used with "many." You say "much information" or "a lot of information," never "many informations." This is one of the most common mistakes for English learners because "information" is countable in many other languages. Other nouns that follow this pattern include "advice" (not "advices"), "news" (not "newses"), "luggage" (not "luggages"), and "equipment" (not "equipments"). To express a specific amount, use a partitive phrase: "a piece of information," "two items of luggage." Cambridge examiners specifically test these nouns in the A2 Key exam.

Is It Countable? Quantifier Choice Exercises

Quick Rule

All 20 questions

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Quantifiers Error Correction

Countable and Uncountable Error Correction

Much/Many Practice

-ed vs -ing Adjectives

Conditionals

Present Perfect