Most People or Most of the People?
By the end: I can distinguish people or things in general from part of an identified group.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Before you start
Compare a statement about students in general with one about the students in your class.
Useful background: Plural nouns, pronouns and basic quantifiers.
Talk about a general group
Use most, some or many directly before a plural noun when talking generally. Most usually means the larger part, not everyone. No the is needed when the group is not identified as a particular set.
Most learners need practice.
Some buses run at night.
Select from a known group
Use of when the noun phrase is introduced by the, these, those or a possessive. This selects part of an identified group. The group can be known from the situation, not only from an earlier sentence.
Most of the learners in this room work full-time.
Some of my books are still in boxes.
Select from a pronoun
Use object pronouns after of: us, you, them. Keep the group clear. Some of them means some members of the group already mentioned; some people does not identify the same set by itself.
Most of us came by bus.
Many of them arrived early.
Guided practice
Say or write your answer first. Compare the meaning and form; the model is one possible answer.
1. Complete a general statement: Most ___ need water. Use plants.
Compare a model and explanation
plants
No of or the is required for the general class.
2. Complete: Most ___ the plants in this room need water.
Compare a model and explanation
of
The identifies a particular group.
3. Complete: Some ___ my friends work abroad.
Compare a model and explanation
of
Use of before a possessive determiner.
4. Replace the group: Most of the students in our class → Most of ___. Include yourself.
Compare a model and explanation
us
After of, use the object pronoun us.
5. Correct the general statement: Most of people like a friendly welcome.
Compare a model and explanation
Most people like a friendly welcome.
Without an identifying determiner, use most plus the general noun.
6. A set of six photos has been introduced. Four are blurred. Describe the set using most.
Compare a model and explanation
Most of the photos are blurred.
The known set requires of the; four out of six is a majority.
7. Explain the difference: Some books are expensive. / Some of my books are expensive.
Compare a model and explanation
The first is general; the second selects books from my own collection.
Of my establishes the containing group.
8. Write one general statement about learners and one about this class, without claiming everyone is the same.
Compare a model and explanation
Many learners enjoy conversation. Some of the learners in this class prefer writing.
Keep the reference of each noun phrase clear and avoid turning some into all.
A short conversation
Listen first if you can, then open the transcript when useful.
Open the conversation transcript
A: Do most learners in your evening class work during the day?
B: Yes, most of us do. Some of my classmates work at weekends too.
A: What about the new students?
B: Many of them work nearby, but two travel from another town.
Listening checks
Listen to each extract or open its transcript. These three questions have their own score.
Mastery quiz
Choose the best answer in each situation. Your score is out of eight.
Use it in your own words
Speaking task 1
Describe a fictional class of ten learners: seven work, four cycle to class and all ten study English. Use most and some accurately.
Reveal a possible response
Most of the learners work. Some of them cycle to class. All ten study English, but I cannot say that everyone cycles or works.
Success check: Match each quantifier to the supplied group and numbers.
Speaking task 2
Describe your possessions using a general statement and two identified subsets.
Reveal a possible response
Books can be useful presents. Some of my books were gifts, and most of the books on this shelf are novels.
Success check: Make of my and of the refer to clear collections.
Speaking task 3
Explain why Most people are… is not equivalent to Most of the people I met were…. Then give your own paired example.
Reveal a possible response
The first makes a general claim. The second only describes a particular group I met. For example, some cafés are noisy, but most of the cafés near my home are quiet.
Success check: Do not extend an observation about a small set to everyone.
Take it with you
I can distinguish people or things in general from part of an identified group.