Quantifiers

Quantifiers are words or phrases that express how much or how many of something there is. At P6 level, you will master advanced quantifier phrases such as "neither of", "both of", "most of", and "a great deal of" — the kind that appear frequently in PSLE examinations.

What You'll Learn

• Use "neither of" and "both of" correctly with plural nouns and pronouns
• Apply "most of" and "all of" with the correct article and noun form
• Use "a great deal of" and "a large number of" to express large quantities precisely
• Distinguish between quantifier phrases that take singular verbs and those that take plural verbs

When to Use

1. Referring to two specific things or people: "Neither of the answers is correct." — when you want to say not one and not the other
2. Including two specific things or people: "Both of the contestants performed well." — when you want to say one and the other
3. Referring to a large part of a group: "Most of the students have completed the assignment." — when you want to say the majority
4. Expressing a large uncountable amount: "A great deal of effort was put into the project." — when you want to emphasise how much
5. Expressing a large countable amount: "A large number of tourists visit Singapore every year." — when you want to emphasise how many

How to Form

Structure of "of" Quantifier Phrases

All advanced quantifier phrases follow a specific pattern:

Important: When using "of", you almost always need "the", a demonstrative (these, those), or a possessive (my, your, his, her) before the noun. You cannot say "neither of students" — it must be "neither of the students".

Quantifier Phrases for Countable Nouns

Quantifier Phrases for Uncountable Nouns

Key Rules

1. "Neither of" takes a singular verb: Although "neither of" refers to two things, the verb is singular because it means "not one and not the other".

   • "Neither of the boys was late." (not "were late")

2. "Both of" takes a plural verb: "Both" always refers to two things together, so the verb must be plural.

   • "Both of the books are interesting." (not "is interesting")

3. "Most of" matches the noun: The verb agrees with the noun after "of", not with "most".

   • "Most of the water is clean." (uncountable = singular verb)
   • "Most of the pupils are present." (countable plural = plural verb)

4. "A great deal of" is for uncountable nouns only: Use "a great deal of" with uncountable nouns. For countable nouns, use "a large number of" instead.

   • "A great deal of patience is needed." (correct)
   • "A large number of people attended." (correct)

5. "The" or a possessive is required after "of": You must include a determiner between "of" and the noun.

   • "Neither of the answers is right." (correct)
   • "Most of her friends are from Jurong." (correct)

6. "Of" can be dropped with "both" before a noun: "Both" is special — you can say "Both of the students" or simply "Both students", but "neither" and "either" always need "of the".

   • "Both students passed." = "Both of the students passed."
   • "Neither of the students failed." (you cannot say "Neither students failed.")

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Phrases that signal a singular verb

neither of, either of, each of, every one of, a great deal of, a large amount of, much of

Phrases that signal a plural verb

both of, many of, several of, a large number of, a few of

Phrases where the verb depends on the noun

most of, all of, some of, none of, half of

Tip: When you see "neither of" or "either of" in a sentence, always pick the singular verb. Think: "Not this one, not that one" — you are talking about them one at a time, so the verb is singular.

Practice Tips

1. The "of the" check: Whenever you use an advanced quantifier phrase, make sure "of" is followed by "the", "these", "those", or a possessive word (my, your, his, her, our, their). If the determiner is missing, the sentence is wrong.
2. Countable or uncountable test: Before choosing between "a great deal of" and "a large number of", ask yourself: can I count the noun? If yes, use "number". If no, use "deal" or "amount".
3. Verb agreement shortcut: For "neither of" and "either of", always choose the singular verb. For "both of", always choose the plural verb. For "most of" and "all of", look at the noun after "of" to decide.
4. Substitution check: Replace the quantifier phrase with a simpler word to test the verb. "Neither of the boys" = "No boy" (singular). "Both of the boys" = "The two boys" (plural).

Quick Reference