Question

Fill in the blank from the alternatives given below:
He threw _____ nuts to the monkeys.
(a)A little
(b)Some
(c)Few
(d)Much

Answer 1

Hint: Read the given sentence and try to understand the information it is trying to convey. Now go through the options, recall what they signify and choose the one that fits the context of the sentence and helps it to convey the information in the best possible way.

Complete answer: We use determiners to indicate the quantity or amount of something or someone. For example- a few books, little oil, etc. Let’s look at the functions of different determiners and quantifiers-
(i)A little- It is a determiner that is used to a small quantity or amount of something. ‘Little’ is used with uncountable nouns. For example- I added a little oil in the salad.
(ii)Some- It is a determiner that is used to denote indefinite quantities. ‘Some’ can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. For example- Pass me some sugar.
(iii)Few- It is a determiner that is used to indicate a scarce number or amount of something. It is also used with plural countable nouns. For example- Few people like to have salt with curd.
(iv)Much- It is a determiner that is used to indicate uncountable plural nouns. For example- I don’t have much time to complete the work.
In the given question- We can conclude that he threw some nuts to the monkeys. Here, we have used ‘some’ because nuts are uncountable nouns or unspecified in number.
Now, let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘a little’ is an incorrect option because it is used to denote small qualities.
Option b- ‘some’ is the correct option because it is used to denote uncountable nouns.
Option c- ‘few’ is an incorrect option because it is used to indicate a very little amount.
Option d- ‘much’ is an incorrect option because it is used to denote large quantities.
The correct answer is Option ‘b’.

Note: Keep in mind, the use of a determiner depends upon the type of noun- Plural or Singular. Also, quantifiers and determiners help in modifying the nouns.