Transcript:

Today, we’ll talk about words and phrases that can help you express the amount or quantity of something and when to use them effectively.

Let’s start by discussing small quantities.

If you only have a little bit of something, you might say “a few” or “some.” A few means three to five of something, while some are a bit more vague and can mean any small amount.

For example, if you’re discussing job opportunities, you might say:

I’ve applied for a few positions, but I haven’t heard back from any of them yet.

If you’re talking about your progress in learning English, you could say:

Even though I’ve been learning English for quite some time, I still face difficulties in speaking fluently.

When you have a bit more of something but not a lot, you could say “several.”

Several usually means more than three but less than ten.

For example, if you’re talking about books you bought from a bookstore, you could say:

She bought several books from the store, including a mystery novel and a travel guide.

Or maybe you need a “handful” or a “bunch” of something.

A handful represents the amount that can be held in your hand, while a bunch refers to a group of things that are tied or held together.

For example, if you’re at the beach collecting seashells, you could say:

I picked up a handful of shells at the beach.

If you’re asking for a snack from a bag of chips, you might say:

Can you pass me the bag? I just want a small bunch.

Ok, let’s continue!

If you have a collection of items, you could say “a group” or “a cluster.” A group typically refers to a small number of things, while a cluster denotes a small group of things that are close together.

For example, if you’re discussing a meeting you attended with indecisive people, you could say:

I attended a meeting with a group of people who struggle to make decisions, but we couldn’t come to an agreement on what to discuss.

[END OF THE EXTRACT]

Resources:

• Audio MP3 (right-click to save the audio)
• FULL-TEXT PDF (right-click to save the TEXT)

Recommended Material:

 

 

Can you understand a conversation in English but still can’t speak? With the Fluency course, you will speak English automatically.

THE FLUENCY COURSE