…the seizure of vast quantities of illegal weapons.
Very large quantities of aid were needed.
They had loads of things to say about each other.
We had loads of room.
…plenty of the men.
Make sure you give plenty of notice.
Here is a list of quantity expressions that are only used with plural noun phrases and uncountable nouns:
plenty of
quantities of
~
gobs of (American)
heaps of
loads of
masses of
tons of
Note that when the second group in this list are used with an uncountable noun as the subject of a verb, the verb is singular, even though the quantity expression looks plural.
Masses and masses of food was left over.
with all types of noun
2.185 Some quantity expressions can be used with plural nouns, with singular nouns, or with uncountable nouns.
…some of the most distinguished men of our time.
We did some of the journey by night.
Some of the gossip was surprisingly accurate.
Here is a list of quantity expressions that are used with plural nouns, singular nouns, or uncountable nouns:
all of
any of
enough of
lots of
more of
most of
none of
some of
~
an amount of
a lot of
a quantity of
~
the remainder of
the rest of
Note that an amount of is nearly always used with an adjective such as small: a small amount of. This is explained in paragraph 2.191.
Note also that when lots of is used with an uncountable noun as the subject of a verb, the verb is singular, even though the quantity expression looks plural.
He thought that lots of lovely money was the source of happiness.
Any of is explained more fully in paragraph 2.188.
2.186 When you want to refer to each member of a particular group, you can use each of and a plural noun phrase.
Each of the drawings is slightly different.
We feel quite differently about each of our children.
Work out how much you can afford to pay each of them.
Note that each one and every one can be used before of instead of each, for emphasis.
This view of poverty influences each one of us.
Every one of them is given a financial target.
2.187 When the quantity expression each of is used with a plural noun phrase, the verb after the noun phrase is always singular.
2.188 Any of can refer to one or several people or things, or to part of something. Note that if it is the subject of a verb, when it refers to several things, the verb is plural, and when it refers to a part of something, the verb is singular.
She has those coats. She might have been wearing any of them.
Hardly any of these find their way into consumer products.
Has any of this been helpful?
It was more expensive than any of the other magazines we were normally able to afford.
2.189 There are three comparative quantity expressions that can be used before noun phrases. Less of is usually used with singular nouns and uncountable nouns, fewer of is usually used with plural nouns, and more of is used with all three types of noun.
I enjoy cooking far more now, because I do less of it.
Fewer of these children will become bored.
He was far more of an existentialist.
Note that more of is sometimes used in front of a noun phrase to intensify it.
He could hardly have felt more of a fool than he did at that moment.
She was more of a flirt than ever.
America is much more of a classless society.
Note also that less of is sometimes used instead of fewer of, but many people think that this is not correct.
omitting of
2.190 When the context makes it clear, or when you think that the person you are talking to will understand what you mean, you can sometimes reduce the structure to the quantity word only. For example, if you are talking about applications for a job and there were twenty candidates, you can say Some were very good rather than Some of them were very good.
A few crossed over the bridge.
Some parts can be separated from the whole.
I have four bins. I keep one in the kitchen and the rest in the dustbin area.
Most of the books had been packed into an enormous trunk and the remainder piled on top of it.
2.191 You can add adjectives to a number of and a quantity of to say how large or small an amount or number of things is.
The city attracts a large number of tourists.
We had a limited number of people to choose from.
The novel provides an enormous quantity of information.
…a tiny quantity of acid.
An amount of is always used with adjectives, and is usually used with uncountable nouns.
Pour a small amount of the sauce over the chicken.
He has a large amount of responsibility.
It only involves a small amount of time.
There has to be a certain amount of sacrifice.
They have done a vast amount of hard work.
The plural forms of quantity, number, and amount are used, especially when referring to separate amounts.
…groups that employ large numbers of low-paid workers.
Enormous amounts of money are spent on advertising.
modifying quantity expressions
2.192 When a quantity expression contains an adjective, you can put very in front of the adjective.
…a very great deal of work.