…a very large amount of money.
2.193 Some quantity expressions can be modified using quite.
I’ve wasted quite enough of my life here.
Quite a few of the employees are beginning to realise the truth.
Most of them have had quite a lot of experience.
…quite a large amount of industry.
Here is a list of quantity expressions that can be modified by quite:
enough
a few
a lot of
a large amount of
a small amount of
a number of
a large number of
Talking about particular amounts of things: a piece of paper, a drop of water
2.194 When you want to talk about a particular quantity of something, you can use a partitive structure that consists of a particular partitive (e.g. piece) linked by of to another noun. Partitives are always countable nouns.
Who owns this bit of land?
… portions of mashed potato.
If the partitive is singular, then the verb used with it is usually singular. If it is plural, the verb is also plural.
A piece of paper is lifeless.
Two pieces of metal were being rubbed together.
Note that all partitives consist of two or more words, because of is needed in every case. Of is printed in the lists below as a reminder.
partitives with uncountable nouns
2.195 When the noun after the partitive is an uncountable noun, you use countable nouns such as bit, drop, lump, or piece as the partitive.
Here’s a bit of paper.
…a drop of blood.
Drops of sweat dripped from his forehead.
…a tiny piece of material.
…a pinch of salt.
…specks of dust.
These partitives can be used without of when it is obvious what you are talking about.
He sat down in the kitchen before a plate of cold ham, but he had only eaten one piece when the phone rang.
2.196 Here is a list of partitives used with uncountable nouns:
amount of
bit of
blob of
chunk of
clump of
dash of
drop of
grain of
heap of
knob of
lump of
mass of
morsel of
mountain of
piece of
pile of
pinch of
pool of
portion of
scrap of
sheet of
shred of
slice of
speck of
spot of
touch of
trace of
Some of these partitives are also used with plural nouns referring to things that together form a mass.
…a huge heap of stones.
…a pile of newspapers.
Here is a list of partitives used with both uncountable and plural nouns:
amount of
clump of
heap of
mass of
mountain of
pile of
portion of
2.197 Many nouns that refer to the shape of an amount of something can also be partitives with uncountable or plural nouns.
…a ball of wool.
…columns of smoke.
…a ring of excited faces.
Here is a list of partitives used for talking about the shape of an amount of something:
ball of
column of
ring of
shaft of
square of
stick of
strip of
thread of
tuft of
wall of
Many nouns that refer to both shape and movement can also be used as partitives.
It blew a jet of water into the air.
…a constant stream of children passing through the door.
Here is a list of partitives used for talking about both shape and movement:
dribble of
gush of
gust of
jet of
shower of
spurt of
stream of
torrent of
You can use any noun to describe shape in this way. For example you can talk about a triangle of snooker balls.
2.198 There are many nouns that refer to groups that can be used as partitives. They are linked by of to plural nouns that indicate what the group consists of.
It was evaluated by an independent team of inspectors.
A group of journalists gathered at the airport to watch us take off.
…a bunch of flowers.
Here is a list of partitives referring to groups:
audience of
bunch of
clump of
company of
family of
flock of
gang of
group of
herd of
team of
troupe of
You can use any noun referring to a group of people or things in this way. For example, you can talk about an army of volunteers.
measurement nouns
2.199 Nouns referring to measurements are often used in partitive structures to talk about an amount of something that is a particular length, area, volume, or weight. Uncountable nouns are used after of in structures referring to length, and both uncountable and plural nouns are used in structures referring to weight.
…ten yards of velvet.
Thousands of square miles of land have been contaminated.
I drink a pint of milk a day.
…three pounds of strawberries.
…10 ounces of cheese.
Nouns referring to measurements are explained in paragraphs 2.250 to 2.257.
referring to contents and containers
2.200 You use partitives when you want to talk about the contents of a container as well as to the container itself. For example, you can refer to a carton filled with milk as a carton of milk.
I went to buy a bag of chips.
The waiter appeared with a bottle of red wine.
…a packet of cigarettes.
…a pot of honey.
…tubes of glue.
You can also use partitives to refer to the contents only.
They drank another bottle of champagne.
She ate a whole box of chocolates.
Here is a list of partitives referring to containers:
bag of
barrel of
basin of
basket of
bottle of
bowl of
box of
bucket of