Casa ESL · B1 Intermediate · Unit 14 of 20 · Step 2
Staying informed and using quantifiers
Name
Date
Vocabulary
headline
nounThe title at the top of a newspaper article or news story.
"Several headlines this morning were about the election."
broadcast
nounA programme sent out on television or radio.
"There wasn't much information in the evening broadcast."
journalist
nounA person who writes or reports news.
"A few journalists were waiting outside the building."
source
nounThe place or person that information comes from.
"You should check several sources before believing a story."
reliable
adjectiveCan be trusted to be accurate or honest.
"There are few truly reliable news websites."
misleading
adjectiveGiving a wrong or confusing idea about something.
"Plenty of misleading articles appear on social media."
subscribe
verbTo pay regularly to receive a newspaper, magazine, or service.
"Many people subscribe to online news platforms."
coverage
nounThe reporting of news and events by the media.
"There was little coverage of the local election."
Grammar Focus
Quantifiers — much, many, a lot of, few, little, several, plenty of
Use 'many', 'a few', 'few', and 'several' with countable nouns. Use 'much', 'a little', and 'little' with uncountable nouns. Use 'a lot of' and 'plenty of' with both. Note: 'few' and 'little' (without 'a') have a negative meaning — they suggest 'not enough'.
There are many news channels available online.
I don't have much time to read the newspaper.
A few students in the class follow international news regularly.
There is plenty of information on this topic if you search carefully.
Exercises
Exercise 1
Choose the correct quantifier to complete each sentence.
1. There isn't reliable information about this topic online.
2. She reads different newspapers every week.
3. people still buy printed newspapers these days.
4. I have free time this evening, so I can watch the documentary.
5. There are good podcasts about current affairs.
Exercise 2
Match each quantifier with the type of noun it is used with.
Reading
How Do You Get Your News?
Twenty years ago, many people read a newspaper with their morning coffee. Today, few people under thirty buy a printed paper. Instead, plenty of young adults get their news from social media or podcasts. However, there are several problems with this. Much of the content shared online is not checked by professional journalists, and a lot of it can be misleading. A few studies have shown that people who read news from multiple sources understand events better. Experts say we should spend a little time each day reading from reliable outlets. There is no shortage of information — the challenge is finding news you can trust.
1. According to the passage, why is getting news from social media problematic?
2. What do experts recommend?
Speaking
Discuss these questions with a partner or your teacher.
Writing
Write 6–8 sentences about your media habits. Use at least four different quantifiers (much, many, a few, several, plenty of, etc.).
Example: I don't spend much time watching television news. I follow several accounts on social media that share current events. A few of them are from major newspapers. There is plenty of information available, but I try to choose a little carefully.
Answer Key — For Teacher Use
Exercise 1
1. much · 2. several · 3. Few · 4. a little · 5. plenty of
Exercise 2
1. many → countable nouns (e.g., articles, channels) · 2. much → uncountable nouns (e.g., information, news) · 3. a few → countable nouns — small positive amount · 4. a little → uncountable nouns — small positive amount · 5. plenty of → both countable and uncountable nouns
Reading Comprehension
1. Much of the content shared online is not checked by professional journalists, and a lot of it can be misleading. · 2. Experts say we should spend a little time each day reading from reliable outlets and use multiple sources.