The word 'of' can be used to make nouns specific. Use quantifiers alone to talk about nonspecific nouns or a noun in general. We can make these nouns specific by using:
quantifier + 'of' + determiner
Remember, determiners can be words like 'my' and 'your' or they can use 's.
Here are some ways in which quantifiers can be changed using 'of' to make nouns specific.
| Nonspecific | Specific |
|---|---|
| All brothers are annoying. (brothers in general) | All of my brothers are annoying. (talking about my brothers only) |
| No homework was handed back. (homework in general) | None of our homework was handed back. (talking about our homework only) |
| Some dogs are adopted. (dogs in general) | Some of these dogs are adopted. (talking about these dogs only) |
Note that the quantifier 'no' cannot be made to be specific. Instead, it changes to 'none.'
Sometimes you can have singular nouns that might be made up of different parts, or that have a mass. You can use a quantifer and 'of' to refer to part of the whole.
| Nonspecific | Specific |
| The movie is not interesting. | Some of the movie is interesting, but most of it is dull. |
| The bread is mouldy. | A little of the bread is mouldy. Don't eat that part. |
| The pages in this book are faded. | A few of the pages in this book are faded. |
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