Quantitative adjectives are words that describe the quantity or amount of something. These words are used to give more information about a noun, and they can help us understand how much of something there is.
Types of Quantitative Adjectives
There are several types of quantitative adjectives, and they can be used in different ways depending on the context. Here are some common types of quantitative adjectives and how they are used:
- Cardinal numbers: These are numbers that show how many of something there are, such as “one,” “two,” “three,” and so on. Cardinal numbers are used to count the number of things in a group. For example: “I have three cats.”
- Ordinal numbers: These are numbers that show the order of things, such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on. Ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position of something in a list or series. For example: “She finished first in the race.”
- Fractional numbers: These are numbers that show a part of a whole, such as “half,” “quarter,” “third,” and so on. Fractional numbers are used to describe how much of something there is in relation to the whole. For example: “I ate half of the pizza.”
- Indefinite quantifiers: These are words that describe an unknown or variable quantity, such as “some,” “several,” “many,” and “few.” Indefinite quantifiers are used to describe an amount that is not exact. For example: “There are several books on the shelf.”
- Definite quantifiers: These are words that describe a specific or known quantity, such as “all,” “each,” “every,” and “both.” Definite quantifiers are used to describe an exact amount. For example: “All of the students passed the test.”
With Countable vs Non-countable Nouns
When using quantitative adjectives, it is also important to consider the noun that they are modifying. Some nouns are countable, which means that they can be counted using cardinal numbers. Other nouns are non-countable, which means that they cannot be counted using cardinal numbers. For example: “I have two dogs” is correct, but “I have two waters” is not correct. Instead, we would say “I have two bottles of water.”