Compare:
| Quantifier | Without of | With of |
| Some | I made some fresh coffee and handed a cup to Adam. | Some of my jewellery is missing. |
| Any | Don’t pay any attention to what she says. | Have you seen any of these new light bulbs in the shops yet? |
| Much | She did the job, but without much enthusiasm. | Snow is now covering much of the country. |
| Many | Many talented young scientists are moving to Australia. | She gave many of her best paintings to her friends. |
| Both | Both Alice and Tim enjoy cycling. | Both of my parents are teachers. |
| All | All people over 18 are required to vote. | All of Bob’s closest friends were women. |
| Each | He wrote down the cost of each item in his shopping basket. | Each of you should sign the register before you leave. |
| None | She searched the shelves for books on yoga, but could find none. | I tried on lots of coats but none of them fitted perfectly. |
| Few | There was silence for a few seconds, and then she began to speak. | They had a few of their friends round. |
| Little | It’ll take a little time, but I should be able to mend it. | Little of his money came from his parents. |
NOTE: However, notice the following about many, all/both and each.
v We can use many between a determiner or possessive form and a following noun, particularly in rather formal speech and writing.
Example: The letter could have been sent by any of his many enemies.
v We can use much or many with this and that.
Compare:
- I’ve never had this much money before.
- Many boys enjoy football. (= about boys in general) and
- Many of the boys enjoy football. (= about a particular group of boys)
v After personal pronouns we use all/both, not all of/both of.
Compare:
- I’ve given all of/both of them to Bob/I’ve given them all/both to Bob.
- All of/Both of them need cleaning/They all/both need cleaning.
v In informal contexts we can leave out of before the, these, those (and this or that with all); my, her, his, etc., but not before them, you, or us (and it with all)
Compare:
- Are you going to eat all (of) that cake, or can I finish it?
- All champagne comes from France. (= about champagne in general)
- All (of) the champagne we sell is from France. (= about a particular type of champagne)
v We can use each before articles, pronouns such as my, her, and our and possessive forms, when it means ‘each one’.
Example: I could see five young elephants, each the size of a car. (= each one)
