Advanced determiners. 45 questions on all/both/either/neither/no, complex quantifier patterns, and formal determiner use.
What this test covers
- All, Both, Either & Neither
- No vs Not Any
- Complex Quantifier Patterns
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All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1___ the two candidates performed well in the interview.
Answer: A. Both
The quantifier 'both' refers to two people or things collectively and precedes a plural noun and verb ('performed'). 'All' is the universal quantifier used for groups of three or more. 'Either' and 'Neither' are distributive, meaning they refer to the two candidates individually; they typically require a singular noun when used as determiners (e.g., 'Neither candidate') or a singular verb when used as pronouns.
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Q2___ of the five applicants were shortlisted for the final round.
Answer: A. All
For a group of five, the universal quantifier 'all' is required to refer to the whole set. 'Both', 'neither', and 'either' are dual quantifiers, meaning they are strictly limited to referring to sets of exactly two. In this partitive construction ('All of...'), 'all' correctly agrees with the plural verb 'were' and the plural noun 'applicants'.
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Q3___ of the two solutions is acceptable — choose whichever you prefer.
Answer: A. Either
The distributive determiner 'either' means 'one or the other' of two options. It is used with the singular verb 'is' and directly fits the context of a binary choice ('whichever you prefer'). 'Neither' is the negative equivalent and contradicts the instruction to choose one. 'Both' would require the plural verb 'are' and implies they must both be used. 'All' is reserved for groups of three or more and is grammatically non-standard with 'of the two'.
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Q4___ candidate met the minimum requirements, so the post was readvertised.
Answer: C. Neither
'Neither' is a negative distributive determiner that refers to a pair and precedes a singular count noun ('candidate'). The context of readvertising the post confirms that zero candidates were successful. 'Both' and 'all' are additive and require plural nouns ('candidates'). 'Either' would imply that one of the two met the requirements, which contradicts the failure to fill the post.
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Q5She has visited ___ Paris and Rome in the last six months.
Answer: C. both
This sentence uses 'both' as part of the correlative coordinator 'both... and', which links two specific nouns or entities. 'All' cannot be used to link two distinct proper nouns in this structure. 'Either' and 'neither' would change the meaning to 'one or the other' or 'not one and not the other', which does not fit the affirmative context of having visited two cities.
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Q6___ of the two sides was willing to compromise, so the talks broke down.
Answer: D. Neither
'Neither' is the negative dual quantifier used to indicate that not one and not the other of the two sides was willing to compromise. In formal English, it takes the singular verb 'was'. The word 'no' is purely a determiner and cannot precede 'of'; the pronoun 'none' would be required instead. 'Either' and 'both' are affirmative and contradict the logic of the talks 'breaking down'.
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Q7___ of the two proposals were accepted by the board.
Answer: D. Both
The plural verb 'were' requires the additive quantifier 'both', which treats the two proposals as a collective pair. In formal English, the distributive quantifiers 'either' and 'neither' are treated as singular and would require the verb 'was'. 'All' is semantically incorrect here because it refers to groups of three or more.
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Q8___ of the two options seems viable given the current budget constraints.
Answer: B. Neither
The negative distributive 'neither' indicates that zero out of two options are viable, which aligns with the mention of 'budget constraints'. 'No' is a determiner and cannot head a partitive phrase starting with 'of' (one would use 'none of'). 'Either' and 'both' are positive quantifiers and would suggest the options are feasible, contradicting the negative tone of the sentence.
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Q9The prize was shared equally between ___ finalists (two in total).
Answer: A. both
'Both' is the correct determiner for a set of two when they are viewed as a collective pair. 'All' is reserved for sets of three or more. 'Neither' and 'either' are distributive quantifiers that focus on individuals separately; they do not fit the context of 'sharing' a prize between two people at the same time.
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Q10___ of her three children are now working in the medical profession.
Answer: B. All
Because the sentence specifies 'three' children, the universal quantifier 'all' must be used. 'Both', 'either', and 'neither' are dual quantifiers, meaning they are strictly limited to referring to sets of exactly two. 'All of' followed by a plural noun ('children') correctly takes the plural verb 'are'.
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Q11There is ___ time left to revise your answer.
Answer: A. no
The word 'no' is a determiner used to negate a noun phrase directly. Here, it modifies the uncountable mass noun 'time'. 'None' is a pronoun and cannot be followed directly by a noun. 'Not' is an adverb used to negate a verb, and 'not any' is typically used with a contracted verb (e.g., 'There isn't any time').
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Q12Have you got ___ time left to revise your answer?
Answer: B. any
'Any' is the standard determiner used in questions (interrogative clauses) to ask about an indefinite amount. While 'no' can be used in questions, it creates a 'biased question' that expects a negative answer, which is less common in neutral contexts. 'None' is a pronoun, not a determiner, and 'neither' is only for a choice between two things.
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Q13She provided ___ explanation for her sudden departure.
Answer: A. no
'No' functions as a determiner to negate the noun 'explanation' directly. 'None' is a pronoun and cannot modify a noun without the preposition 'of'. 'Not' is an adverb that negates the verb, and 'not any' would require a different sentence structure, such as 'She did not provide any explanation'.
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Q14She didn't provide ___ explanation for her sudden departure.
Answer: B. any
After a negated verb like 'didn't', we use the determiner 'any' to express zero quantity. This is known as a negative polarity item — a word used in negative or questioning contexts. Using 'no' would create a double negative, which is non-standard. 'None' is a pronoun, and 'some' is generally used in positive, assertive statements.
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Q15There are ___ tickets available for the Saturday performance.
Answer: D. no
'No' is a determiner used to indicate a zero quantity of the plural noun 'tickets'. 'None' is a pronoun and cannot modify a noun directly. The adverb 'not' negates a verb, and 'not any' would require the verb to be negative ('There aren't any tickets').
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Q16There aren't ___ tickets available for the Saturday performance.
Answer: A. any
When the verb is already negated ('aren't'), 'any' is used as the negative polarity item to indicate zero quantity. Using 'no' or 'none' would create a double negative ('aren't no'), which is incorrect in standard English. 'Some' is typically reserved for positive statements and suggests that at least a few tickets exist.
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Q17___ of the several solutions proposed were found to be cost-effective, as all of them exceeded the allocated budget.
Answer: D. None
'None of' is the negative partitive referring to zero members of a group of three or more ('several'). Since the sentence confirms 'all of them exceeded the budget', none were cost-effective. 'Neither' is restricted to a pair. 'No' is a determiner that cannot be followed by 'of'. 'Few' would imply that a small positive number were cost-effective, which contradicts the statement that all exceeded the budget.
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Q18He has ___ intention of resigning from his position.
Answer: B. no
'No' is the determiner used to negate the mass noun 'intention' directly. 'None' is a pronoun that cannot modify a noun. 'Not' is an adverb for verb negation, and 'not any' would require the verb to be negative (e.g., 'He hasn't any intention').
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Q19He doesn't have ___ intention of resigning from his position.
Answer: C. any
In a sentence with a negative verb ('doesn't have'), 'any' is the required determiner to indicate zero quantity. Using 'no' would result in a double negative ('doesn't have no'), which is ungrammatical in standard English. 'None' is a pronoun and cannot be used as a determiner.
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Q20___ further action will be taken on this matter at this time.
Answer: C. No
'No' is the determiner used to negate the noun phrase 'further action' in this formal passive construction. 'Not' is an adverb that would need to follow the auxiliary 'will' ('Action will not be taken'). 'None' is a pronoun and requires 'of' to modify a noun. 'Few' refers to a small number of actions, which contradicts the definitive tone.
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Q21The majority ___ the committee members voted against the resolution.
Answer: C. of
The phrase 'the majority of' is a standard partitive construction used to quantify a specific plural noun phrase. The preposition 'of' is required to link the word 'majority' to the specific group it describes ('the committee members').
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Q22A large number ___ students were absent during the examination period.
Answer: D. of
'A large number of' is a complex quantifier used with plural countable nouns. It functions as a single unit to indicate a significant quantity. The preposition 'of' is an essential part of this phrase; without it, the quantifier cannot modify the noun 'students'.
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Q23___ the research was funded by private corporations, while the rest was government-funded.
Answer: C. Much of
The word 'research' is an uncountable (mass) noun, so it requires 'much of' to indicate a large portion. 'Several of' and 'many of' are only used with plural countable nouns (e.g., 'many of the studies'). 'All of' is grammatically possible but 'much of' better fits the contrast with 'the rest', implying a specific portion.
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Q24___ the delegates expressed concerns about the proposed timeline.
Answer: C. Several of
'Several of' is used to quantify plural countable nouns like 'delegates'. 'Much of', 'little of', and 'a great deal of' are quantifiers reserved exclusively for uncountable mass nouns (e.g., 'much of the water').
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Q25A great deal ___ effort went into organizing the international summit.
Answer: D. of
'A great deal of' is a fixed quantifier phrase used with uncountable nouns like 'effort' to denote a large amount. It functions similarly to the word 'much'. The preposition 'of' is mandatory to connect the quantifier to the noun it modifies.
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Q26The vast majority ___ the evidence points to a structural flaw.
Answer: B. of
The expression 'the vast majority of' is a partitive structure used to quantify a portion of a group or a mass. Here, it modifies the uncountable noun 'evidence'. The preposition 'of' is necessary to link the head noun 'majority' to its complement.
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Q27___ the furniture in the new office needs to be replaced.
Answer: C. Much of
'Furniture' is an uncountable (mass) noun, which means it must be modified by 'much of' rather than quantifiers used for countable items. 'Many of', 'a number of', and 'several of' are strictly reserved for plural countable nouns (e.g., 'many of the chairs').
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Q28Plenty ___ time was allocated for questions after the presentation.
Answer: A. of
'Plenty of' is a fixed quantifier used before both countable and uncountable nouns to indicate a large amount. In this case, it modifies the uncountable noun 'time'. The preposition 'of' is a required part of the expression.
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Q29A minority ___ the shareholders voted against the merger.
Answer: D. of
'A minority of' is a partitive quantifier used with plural countable nouns to describe a smaller subset of a group. 'Of' is the standard preposition required to link the noun 'minority' to the specific group 'the shareholders'.
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Q30___ the proposals submitted were found to be technically feasible, without a single exception.
Answer: B. All of
The phrase 'without a single exception' is a semantic clue indicating that 100% of the items are included, requiring the universal quantifier 'all of'. 'A number of' only refers to an unspecified subset. 'Much of' and 'a great deal of' are incorrect because they are used with mass nouns, not plural count nouns like 'proposals'.
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Q31___ the three students passed the examination on the first attempt, achieving a perfect score.
Answer: C. All of
Since the group consists of 'three students', the universal quantifier 'all of' must be used. 'Both of' and 'either of' are strictly limited to sets of exactly two people or things. 'None of' means zero passed, which directly contradicts the positive result 'achieving a perfect score'.
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Q32___ the candidates were successful — the search will continue.
Answer: C. None of
The second part of the sentence, 'the search will continue', implies that no suitable candidates were found. Therefore, the negative universal quantifier 'none of' is logically required to negate the entire set of candidates. 'All of', 'both of', and 'each of' would imply success, which contradicts the decision to continue the search.
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Q33___ the two plans should work — only one is needed, so let's proceed with the simpler one.
Answer: D. Either of
'Either of' is a distributive dual quantifier meaning 'one or the other' of two. This matches the context that 'only one is needed', making a binary selection appropriate. 'None of' would mean neither plan works, contradicting the instruction to proceed. 'All of' is reserved for groups of three or more. 'Some of' is used for indefinite, partial quantities and is non-standard when referring to an exact group of two.
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Q34___ these options is perfect, but we must choose the least problematic.
Answer: B. None of
The contrast 'but we must choose the least problematic' implies that all available options have flaws. 'None of' negates the entire set, indicating that zero options are 'perfect'. In formal English, 'none of' is followed by a singular verb ('is'), though 'are' is common in casual speech. 'Both of' and 'all of' are positive and would require plural verbs ('are').
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Q35___ the ten employees received a bonus at the end of the financial year.
Answer: A. Each of
'Each of' is a distributive quantifier that focuses on the individual members of a group. Unlike 'every', 'each' can function as a pronoun and head an 'of' phrase. 'Every' is strictly a determiner and must be followed directly by a singular noun (e.g., 'Every employee'); 'every of' is ungrammatical. 'Both' and 'neither' are limited to groups of two.
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Q36___ the five candidates was interviewed before the final decision.
Answer: C. each of
'Each of' is the distributive quantifier that focuses on individual members of a group one at a time. Crucially, in the structure 'each of + plural noun', the verb must be singular ('was'), because 'each' treats one member at a time. 'Every' is a determiner and cannot precede 'of' ('every of' is ungrammatical). 'Both of' is restricted to groups of exactly two, not five. 'All of the five candidates' requires the plural verb 'were', not the singular 'was' used here.
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Q37___ my two colleagues agreed with my interpretation of the data.
Answer: A. Neither of
'Neither of' is the negative quantifier used specifically for a set of two. 'None of' is typically reserved for groups of three or more. While 'all of' and 'some of' are grammatically possible, they represent positive agreement; 'neither' is the standard way to express that zero out of two people agreed.
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Q38She replied to ___ the fifty enquiries she received within 24 hours, ensuring no client was left without a response.
Answer: A. all of
'All of' is the universal quantifier expressing completion of the entire set of fifty enquiries, which is confirmed by the clause 'ensuring no client was left without a response.' 'Both of' is restricted to exactly two items and cannot refer to fifty. 'Half of' would mean only twenty-five enquiries were answered, contradicting the context. 'Any of' is typically used in questions and negative statements to indicate an indefinite member of a group, not to express total completion of a set.
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Q39___ his two arguments was convincing enough to change the outcome.
Answer: A. Neither of
The singular verb 'was' and the mention of 'two arguments' require 'neither of', the negative distributive quantifier for pairs. 'None of' is used for sets of three or more. 'Both of' would indicate that both arguments were convincing, but it would require the plural verb 'were'.
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Q40___ the ten new recruits will undergo a period of intensive induction training.
Answer: C. All
For a group of ten, 'all' is the universal quantifier used to refer to the entire membership. 'Both' and 'either' are dual quantifiers and can only refer to two people. 'None' would be semantically possible (meaning zero recruits will train), but in the context of professional 'induction training', the affirmative 'all' is the logical choice for a standard requirement.
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Q41She was offered ___ the two positions and accepted the one with the better salary.
Answer: D. both
'Both' is the additive determiner for a pair, indicating she was offered two positions. 'All' is for three or more items. 'Neither' would mean zero positions, and 'either' usually implies a choice between two where only one is available; 'both' correctly sets up the scenario where she has two the other options and chooses the best one.
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Q42He has written to ___ member of the panel separately.
Answer: B. each
The singular count noun 'member' and the adverb 'separately' require the distributive determiner 'each'. 'Each' highlights the individual members of the group. 'All' and 'several' must be followed by plural nouns ('members'). 'Any' would mean he wrote to one random member, which contradicts the sense of reaching the whole panel.
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Q43___ of the candidates was considered unsuitable for the role.
Answer: D. Each
'Each' is a distributive word that can function as a pronoun and head a partitive 'of' phrase. It correctly governs the singular verb 'was'. 'Every' is strictly a determiner and cannot be followed by 'of' ('Every of' is ungrammatical). 'Several' and 'all' are plural quantifiers and would require the plural verb 'were'.
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Q44There is very ___ evidence to support the theory, so it is likely to be dismissed.
Answer: D. little
'Evidence' is an uncountable (mass) noun, so it must be modified by 'little' to express a small or insufficient quantity. 'Few' is only used with plural countable nouns. 'Much' and 'many' would imply a large amount, which contradicts the conclusion that the theory is 'likely to be dismissed'.
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Q45She was offered the two positions and accepted ___ of them — she starts both roles next month.
Answer: D. both
The final clause 'she starts both roles next month' confirms that she accepted both of the positions offered. Therefore, 'both' is the only quantifier that is logically and grammatically consistent with the outcome. 'Neither' would mean zero, 'either' would mean only one, and 'all' is not used for a set of two.
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