Question

Fill in the blank with the correct option.
There is ____ hope of his recovery.
a- any
b- little
c- many
d- few

Answer 1

Hint: We use quantifiers to indicate the quantity or amount of something or someone. For example- a few pieces, some water, etc.

Complete answer:Let’s look at the functions of different quantifiers and determiners-
1) Any- It is a determiner that is used to indicate the quantity of something. It is generally used with negative sentences. For example- I don’t have any money.
2) 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 have a little time to do the work.
3) Many- It is a determiner that is used to indicate a large quantity or amount. It is used with plural countable nouns. For example- We have many books.
4) 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- I have a few pencils.
In the given question- We can conclude that there is little hope of his recovery. Here, we have used ‘little’ because ‘hope’ is an uncountable noun. We use ‘little’ with uncountable nouns.
Now, let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘any’ is an incorrect option because it is used with negative statements.
Option b- ‘little’ is the correct option because it is used with uncountable nouns.
Option c- ‘many’ is an incorrect option because it is used with countable nouns.
Option d- ‘few’ is an incorrect option because it is used with countable nouns.
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.