Kata sifat menyatakan jumlah tak tentu

Kata sifat menyatakan jumlah tak tentu. Pada artikel sebelumnya Countable nouns and uncountable nouns, telah kita pelajari bahwa untuk menyatakan jumlah tak tentu untuk benda yang dapat dihitung (countable nouns) dan benda tak dapat dihitung (uncountable nouns), kita menggunakan some dan any. Some dan any yang digunakan dengan countable nouns berarti: beberapa, sedangkan some dan any yang digunakan dengan uncountable nouns berarti: sedikit.

Some dipakai dalam kalimat positif, any dipakai dalam kalimat negative dan interrogative. Selain menggunakan some dan any untuk menyatakan jamak, kita juga dapat menggunakan kata lain, yaitu: many, much, alot of, a few, a little dan sebagainya.

Sekarang kita akan pelajari penggunaan kata-kata tersebut:

A. A lot of

A lot of artinya: banyak. Dapat di ikuti oleh countable nouns atau uncountable nouns, dalam kalimat positif. Kata-kata yang sama arti dan penggunaannya dengan a lot of yaitu: lots of dan plenty of yang artinya: banyak.

Example:

1. I have a lot of English magazines.

2. Dewi needs plenty of oranges to make syrup.

3. My father wants lots of folders.

4. Budi is buying a lot of choholate.

5. Mr. Budi added plenty of sugar to this coffee.

6. My mother needs lots of margarine.

Note:

Kalimat nomor 1, 2 dan 3 dengan countable nouns bentuk jamak.

Kalimat nomor 4, 5 dan 6 dengan uncountable nouns.

B. Many

Many artinya: banyak. Dipakai dengan countable nouns dalam kalimat positive, negative dan interrogative.

Example:

(+) There are a lot of books on the table.

(-) There are not many books on the table.

(+) Mr. Budi saw plenty of stars in the sky.

(-) Mr. Budi didn't see many stars in the sky.

(+) The secretary needs lots of folders.

(-) The secretary doesn't needs many folders.

(+) There a lot of women in the canteen.

(?) Were there many women in the canteen?

(+) Mr. Budi bought plenty of magazines.

(?) Did Mr. Budi buy many magazines?

(+) Budi wanted to borrow lots of novels.

(?) Did Budi want to borrow many novels?

C. Much

Much artinya: banyak. Dipakai dengan countable nouns dalam bentuk kalimat negative dan interrogative.

Example:

(+) My mother needs a lot of cheese.

(-) My mother doesn't needs much cheese.

(?) Does my mother need much cheese?

(+) The baker wanted to buy plenty of flour.

(-) The baker didn't want to buy much flour.

(?) Did the baker want to buy much flour?

(+) The driver bought lots of petrol just now.

(-) The driver didn't buy much petrol just now.

(?) Did the driver buy much petrol just now?

Note:

Kata many dan much, sekarang jarang dipergunakan dalam kalimat positive, sebab orang cenderung menggunakan: a great deal of, a great number, a great many of, a large amount of, alot of, lebih-lebih dalam situasi informal.

D. A fe dan a little

A few dan a little keduanya artinya: sedikit.

A few dipakai dengan countable nouns bentuk jamak.

A little dipakai dengan uncountable nouns.

Example:

1. a few + countable nouns

1. There are a few pencils in the drawer.

2. I have a few interesting fiction books.

3. Mr. Budi needs a few clips.

4. We needs a few easy-chairs for the livingroom.

5. Miss Erlina has a few ballpoints.

6. a little + countable nouns

7. There is a little milk in the bottle.

8. I need a little glue.

9. Mr. Budi bought a little bread.

10. Miss Erlina wanted to have a little carbon paper.

Her mother is cooking a little rice.