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Kooyeen Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Quite a lot / few --- AmericanEng

Hi, do these examples mean the same?

  • There were quite a lot of girls.

  • There were quite a few girls.
The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary says: "Quite a lot = a large number or amount," "Quite a few = a fairly large number or amount."

The Longman Advanced Learner's Dictionary says they are exactly the same, a fairly large number or amount.

I read some threads in this forum about quite, and it seems American speakers see quite a lot as more than a lot, a really large amount. So I feel there's some difference between the two examples I wrote. I see quite a lot as a really large number or amount, and quite a few as a fairly large amount.

This is what I think. Do native American speakers feel any differences?

Thank you in advance.
  

Top answer

" A few Quite a few A lot / Quite a lot - Perhaps quite a lot is more than a lot ... I'm not sure, but I'd say that a lot is more. " (Are you sure you want to learn American English?

— BarbaraPA

  • " A few Quite a few A lot / Quite a lot - Perhaps quite a lot is more than a lot ...
  • I'm not sure, but I'd say that a lot is more.
  • " (Are you sure you want to learn American English?
  • )
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4 Answers
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Hi Kooyeen,

I don't know if there are more girls when you have "a lot of girls" or when you have "quite a lot of girls," but you have more girls when you have "quite a lot" than when you have "quite a few."

A few

Quite a few

A lot / Quite a lot - Perhaps quite a lot is more than a lot... I'm not sure, but I'd say that a lot is more.
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  • There were quite a lot of girls.
  • There were quite a few girls.
The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary says: "Quite a lot = a large number or amount," "Quite a few = a fairly large number or amount."

The Longman Advanced Learner's Dictionary says they are exactly the same, a fairly large number or amount.

I agree with the Oxford Dictionary.
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Thanks a lot! Perfect! [y]
Grammar Geek(Are you sure you want to learn American English? Emotion: smile )

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Not being an expert, my understanding of this issue is that "quite a few" means many, but less than a majority, while "quite a lot" means not all, but a majority.
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