This lesson helps us understand what a quantitative adjective is, when to use it, and how to identify it in a sentence.
What is a quantitative adjective in English?
A quantitative adjective is a word that refers to the quantity or position of a noun and modifies it. These adjectives answer questions like:
- How many? (e.g., five books)
- How much? (e.g., little time)
- Which number in order? (e.g., third attempt)
Quantitative adjectives can be:
- Ordinal numbers: first, second, third…
- Cardinal numbers: one, two, three…
| Cardinal number | one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10… |
| Ordinal number | first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth… 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th… |
We have hired six people for the job.
The word ‘six’ is a quantitative adjective that’s modifying the noun ‘people’ by talking about its number.
This is my second job of all time.
In this example, the word ‘second’ is a quantitative adjective. It modifies the noun ‘job’ by giving it a rank.
Examples of quantitative adjectives:
- I saw two guys sitting on your bike.
- This is the first time I got late for a movie.
- Riya was my first girlfriend.
- There were around 1000 people in the protest.
- The boss fired 4 guys from the sales department.
- This is your second chance. Use it to turn your life around.
- You have called me for the 10th time today. What’s wrong with you?
- M.S. Dhoni, the most loved cricketer in India, has a collection of 72 bikes.
- We are drinking for the 5th time this month.
- We waited for you at the mall for 3 hours.
- He was the first person to sign up for the program.
- The doctor said that I had just 100 days to live for.
Quantitative adjective vs Indefinite adjective
A quantitative adjective that modifies a noun with a specific number is called an indefinite adjective. Here are some of the most common quantitative (indefinite) adjectives that refer to an unspecific quantity:
- Some
- Many
- Plenty of
- Much
- More
- Less
- A lot of
- A few/the few
- Several
- Enough
- Other
- Little/a little/the little
Examples:
I know some people that can help you.
We don’t know exactly how many people the speaker is talking about.
There were many students at the main gate.
Again, we don’t know how many students the speaker is referring to. The number the speaker is referring to is not specific. That’s why we call these words an indefinite adjective.
Click here to learn more indefinite adjectives.
What is a quantitative adjective with examples?
A quantitative adjective is a word/number that modifies a noun by referring to its quantity or rank. Ex – We have two hours to finish the task. Ex – There were 25 students in the class. Ex – I am saying this for the third time. Ex – This is not my first trip.
What are 10 examples of quantitative adjectives?
Examples of quantitative examples:
1. She is drinking for the first time.
2. Just give me one chance to prove myself.
3. He has 5 cars.
4. This is my first time cooking something for my mother.
5. The class has 20 boys and 25 girls.
6. I am running into you for the fourth time this month.
7. Is this your first job?
8. I asked her to read the 2nd chapter.
9. Tell me one joke.
10. His house is just 2 kilometers away.
How do you use quantitative adjectives in a sentence?
A quantitative adjective is used before a noun to indicate its number. The number can be cardinal or ordinal. Ex – This is going to be my second bike. Ex – I have 4 friends.
Are ordinal numbers quantitative adjectives?
Yes. Words like first, second, third are ordinal quantitative adjectives because they describe rank.
What’s the difference between quantitative and indefinite adjectives?
Quantitative adjectives show specific quantity (e.g., four students), while indefinite adjectives show non-specific quantity (e.g., many students).
Is “some” a quantitative adjective?
Yes. “Some” is an indefinite quantitative adjective — it shows quantity without giving an exact number.
Can I use a quantitative adjective with uncountable nouns?
Yes, with words like much, little, enough. Example: I have little money left.
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