What’s in the Kitchen?

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A2Grammar in Context

What’s in the Kitchen?

I can assess available quantities and agree on a simple shopping need.

Created by , British English teacher.

I’m studying:

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Choose a short recording.

Your situation

Two friends check the kitchen before lunch. There are a few eggs, a little rice and a lot of tomatoes. There isn’t much milk. “How many people are coming?” “Four.” “Then we need more milk, but we have enough tomatoes.”

Read the situation transcript

Two friends check the kitchen before lunch. There are a few eggs, a little rice and a lot of tomatoes. There isn’t much milk. “How many people are coming?” “Four.” “Then we need more milk, but we have enough tomatoes.”

Which available food is described with a lot of?

Compare your idea

The tomatoes are plentiful.

How it works

Two adult women checking tomatoes, eggs and a small milk jug.
How many eggs have we got?Eggs are countable. The women are checking the ingredients on the table.

Count separate items with many or a few: eggs, tomatoes. Describe uncountable amounts with much or a little: milk, rice. A lot of works with both noun types.

Use the quantity to make a practical decision. A few means some, not zero. Little without a puts emphasis on shortage. Explain the need rather than merely naming a quantifier.

How many + plural noun? How much + uncountable noun? A few / a little / a lot of.

Notice this

There are a few eggs.

Some countable items are available.

Compare this

There is a little rice.

Some uncountable food is available.

Hear the examples

There are a few eggs.

Some countable items are available.

There is a little rice.

Some uncountable food is available.

We don’t have much milk.

The amount is small.

How many people are coming?

People are countable here.

One mistake worth avoiding

Instead of: How many milk do we have?

Say: How much milk do we have?

Milk is uncountable in this use, so choose much.

You say

Hear the prompt, answer aloud, then deliberately reveal or hear one possible model. Check it and retry with a changed detail.

Your turn 1

Describe two available foods with different noun types.

Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text

We have a few apples and a little rice.

Check yourself: Use a few for countable items and a little for an amount.

Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.

Your turn 2

Ask about a missing quantity.

Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text

How much milk do we have?

Check yourself: Choose much or many for the noun.

Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.

Your turn 3

Make a simple shopping decision.

Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text

We have little milk, so we need more.

Check yourself: Use the shortage to explain the decision.

Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.

Two adult women checking tomatoes, eggs and a small milk jug.
How much milk have we got?Milk is uncountable. The question refers to the visible jug, without inventing a measured quantity.

Two guided self-checks

Say or write your answer before opening a model.

Self-check 1

Complete: There are ___ tomatoes. Use a lot.

Compare a model and explanation

There are a lot of tomatoes.

Keep of after a lot.

Self-check 2

Ask about the number of eggs.

Compare a model and explanation

How many eggs do we have?

Eggs is plural and countable.

Check your understanding

Choose one answer to each question, then check your answers. One of the ten questions is listening.

1. How ___ eggs are left?

2. There is ___ rice in the pot.

3. We have a lot ___ tomatoes.

4. “A few eggs” means ___.

5. Choose the correct question about milk.

6. Correct “There are a little apples.”

7. Which sentence stresses a shortage of time?

8. What is available in a large quantity?

Read the listening transcript

We have a lot of tomatoes, but we don’t have much milk.

Opening this transcript makes this a reading-supported attempt.

9. Choose a correct negative quantity.

10. What helps turn a quantity sentence into a useful decision?

Automatic scoring needs JavaScript. Use the answer key after attempting all ten questions.

Answer key with explanations

  1. How ___ eggs are left?

    many: Eggs are countable and plural.

  2. There is ___ rice in the pot.

    a little: Rice is uncountable in this use.

  3. We have a lot ___ tomatoes.

    of: The phrase is a lot of before a noun.

  4. “A few eggs” means ___.

    some eggs: A few gives a small number without a fixed exact count.

  5. Choose the correct question about milk.

    How much milk do we have?: Use much with uncountable milk.

  6. Correct “There are a little apples.”

    There are a few apples.: A few matches plural countable apples.

  7. Which sentence stresses a shortage of time?

    We have little time to cook.: Little with uncountable time emphasises scarcity.

  8. What is available in a large quantity?

    Tomatoes: A lot of tomatoes contrasts with not much milk.

  9. Choose a correct negative quantity.

    There aren’t many clean plates.: Plates are countable and plural, so use aren’t many.

  10. What helps turn a quantity sentence into a useful decision?

    Say what is available and what more is needed.: A practical explanation connects the amount with the task.

Take it with you

I can assess available quantities and agree on a simple shopping need.

Try the companion lesson

Grammar Focus: Much, Many, a Lot, Few, LittleExplore the Grammar catalogue