Les Quantifieurs

(p.43 + Chapitres du Dictionnaire Grammatical)

• All = totalité

• All + dénombrable ou indénombrable

Examples

• All the actors in Ocean's Eleven are famous.

• I've read all the book.

• He drank all the beer in the pub.

• ALL

All Ø + N / ALL THE + N

Ex : All Ø soldiers defend their country

All the soldiers in the camp were killed.

Expressions de durée :

All Ø night / All Ø morning

They're been playing outside all Ø day.

Dénombrable singulier :

I've read all the book = I've read the whole book.

Dénombrable pluriel :

All families were repesented ≠ Whole families were represented.

Toutes les familles                    Toutes les familles au complet

ALL seul ?

Elle a tout pris ≠ she took all → She took everything.

• EVERY = tous dans un ensemble

EVERY + nom / verbe au singulier

ex : Every brother starded a career as a singer.

Every singer worries about HIS/THEIR carrer. (« Their » si on ne sait pas s'il y a un « her »)

Expressions de fréquence :

ex : He plays tennis every Sunday. (singulier)

He goes to the cinema every two weeks. (pluriel !)

Attention à la distinction entre « everyone » et « every one »

• Everyone enjoyed the party. ≠ He is invited to a lot of parties and he goes to every one. 

Tout le monde                                                                                                     chacune

                                                                                                          (we could say « to every party »)

• EVERY / EACH

Every brother started a career as a singer. → Tous les frères

Each brother starded a career as a singer. → Chaque frère

EACH = tous dans un ensemble, vus individuellement.

Each + dénombrable singulier

Each + OF + THE + dénombrable pluriel

ex : Each candidate / Each of the candidates is being interviewed.

→ Each candidates / Each of the candidate

• BOTH = totalité (deux éléments seulement)

BOTH + Dénombrable pluriel

BOTH (OF) + Déterminant + pluriel

ex : Both legs were broken in the accident

Both (of) his parents attended his graduation

The both cats. → JAMAIS The + both.

Both sisters went to Las Vegas (action identique)

Both sisters met in Las Vegas (action réciproque) → THE TWO sisters met in Las Vegas.

→ on ne peut utiliser both que s'il y a une action identique

• EITHER / NEITHER (un élément parmi deux) + dénombrable singulier

ex : You can eat a spider or a slug. Either choice will be fun to watch ! → l'un ou l'autre

Neither creature will be nice to eat. (aucune) → ni l'un ni l'autre

OR

Either Ø will be fun to watch ! / Neither Ø will be nice to eat.

L'un ou l'autre                              Aucun

She didn't like either creature. / She likes neither creature. / She didn't like neither creature.

• Conjonctions

Both Tom and Jerry are stupid.

Neither Tom nor Jerry are very clever. (Ni... ni...)

Either Tom or Jerry will win. (Soit... soit...)

• MOST (la plupart)

MOST + dénombrable pluriel / indénombrable

ex : Most Ø Americans voted for George Bush in 2001.

 Most Ø Software is unreliable.

Most OF THE Americans i know are quite intelligent.

Most of Americans... Most the Americans...

• MUCH / MANY / A LOT OF (grande quantité)

> Phrases affirmatives : LOTS OF / A LOT OF

ex : There are lots of cars / a lot of cars outside. (nom pluriel, verbe au pluriel).

There is lots of money / a lot of money here. (nom indénombrable, verbe au singulier).

> Phrases affirmatives : MANY possible, MUCH

MANY = dénombrable pluriel

MUCH = indénombrable singulier

ex : There are many cars outside. / There is much money here.

> Phrases affirmatives avec SO et TOO :

ex : There are SO MANY cars outside. / There is SO MUCH money here.

> Phrases négatives / interrogatives : MUCH, MANY

Ex : You don't have many friends.

Did you drink much vodka last night ?

• A FEW / A LITTLE (petite quantité)

A FEW + dénombrable / A LITTLE + indénombrable

ex : I have a few pets.

I have a little money.

I have a little dog / little dogs. (size here).

• Ø FEW / A FEW

ex : I can buy myself a hotdog : I've got a few dollars / a little money.

I can't buy myself a hotdog : I have Ø few dollars / Ø little money.

• SO / TOO + FEW, LITTLE (idée négative renforcée)

ex : There is SO little time for parties.

There were TOO few customers in this shop. It closed down.

• SOME / ANY

Tableau valeur quantitative

Tableau valeur qualitative

Récapitulatif

Quand la quantité est précise le terme est invariable.

* 2 billion men / Seventy thousand books...

* Hundreds of pilgrims left Europe for America.

Quantité approximative → variable (et pas de of).

* Thirty thousand people =/ thirty thousand of people

* Three dozen eggs = trois douzaines d'oeufs =/ three dozens OF eggs

* Les 10 premiers jours =/ the ten first days → the first ten days.