[eng] QUANTIFIERS: Amount of, Number of, Quantity of

We probably have heard or seen the phrases amount of, number of, and quantify of numerous times and know that both share the same meaning, which is a quantity of something. However, you can’t replace the two phrases interchangeably. When it comes to counting a quantity, they differ from each other. The difference goes as the following explanations.

“Amount of…”

Amount of  is to be used with something that is uncountable (i.e. hair, rice, and courage). Remember the keyword, AMOUNT = NON COUNT. For example:

My mom limits the amount of sugar she should take per day.

“Number of…”

Meanwhile, Number of  is to be used with countable nouns, such as teachers, chairs, and beans. To make it easier to distinguish, think that “number” means numeral, of which we can count it. Therefore, remember the keyword, NUMBER = COUNTABLE. For example:

The local governments have agreed to provide a number of new parks in the city.

“Quantity of”

There is another phrase that is more formal than the two phrases mentioned above, that is a quantity of or quantities of. A quantity of or quantities of is possible to be used with either countable or uncountable nouns. In addition, an adjective may be added before a quantity of or quantities of to emphasize the number of something/somebody being described (i.e. small, huge, and large). For example:

Next, we are going to add just a small quantity of sea salt to the salad. (uncountable)

The students donated huge quantities of books for the charity. (countable)

Hope this helps! 🙂