Intermediate numbers and quantifiers. 45 questions on approximation language, formal quantifiers (several, various, numerous), every/each/all/whole, and number-based comparisons.
What this test covers
- Approximation and Qualification of Numbers
- Formal Quantifiers: several, various, numerous, every, each
- all vs whole and Number-Based Comparisons
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
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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Q1The project budget is ___ 5 million dollars, which is slightly less than we initially expected.
Answer: B. just under
The context clue 'slightly less' indicates we need a phrase that means 'not quite.' 'Just under' is used for values slightly below a specific amount. 'As many as' and 'as few as' are used for emphasis, and 'a total of' indicates an exact sum, which contradicts 'slightly less.'
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Q2Identify the correct sentence regarding the company's recent growth.
Answer: D. The number of employees has increased.
In English grammar, 'The number of' functions as a singular subject because it refers to the specific total or figure itself; therefore, it requires the singular verb 'has.' In contrast, 'A number of' acts like a quantifier meaning 'several' or 'many' and requires a plural verb (e.g., 'A number of employees have').
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Q3The examination hall had a maximum capacity of 200 students, and ___ 200 students had enrolled for the course by the deadline.
Answer: D. As many as
'As many as' is used to emphasize that a surprisingly high number has been reached. Since 200 is the 'maximum capacity,' we cannot use 'Just over,' which would imply exceeding the limit. 'As much as' is used for uncountable quantities, while students are countable.
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Q4The manager reviewed ___ student's application individually to ensure fairness in the selection process.
Answer: C. each
The word 'individually' is a key context clue showing we are looking at members of a group one by one. 'Each' is used with a singular countable noun ('student') to emphasize individual treatment. 'All' would require a plural noun ('students'), and 'the whole' refers to a single thing in its entirety, like 'the whole class.'
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Q5The new stadium cost ___ 1 billion dollars, well exceeding the initial estimate.
Answer: A. well over
The phrase 'well exceeding' tells us the actual cost was significantly higher than the estimate. 'Well over' is an intensifier used with numbers to mean 'considerably more than.' 'About' and 'as many as' do not convey the idea of exceeding a limit as strongly.
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Q6___ studies have shown that regular exercise improves mental health significantly.
Answer: B. Numerous
'Numerous' is a formal quantifier used with plural countable nouns ('studies') to indicate a large number. 'Much' is used with uncountable nouns. 'A number' is incorrect here because it would require 'of' to function as a quantifier (a number of studies).
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Q7I have ___ completed the report; I just need to add the final conclusion.
Answer: D. nearly
The context 'just need to add the final conclusion' shows that the task is almost finished. 'Nearly' and 'almost' are adverbs of degree used to indicate that a state is close to completion. 'About,' 'roughly,' and 'around' are used for approximations of quantities or time, not usually for the progress of a single task.
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Q8Choose the correct sentence regarding the department's profit.
Answer: A. The department's profit is twice as much as last year.
When comparing quantities with 'twice,' 'three times,' etc., the standard structure is 'twice as [adjective/adverb] as.' Since profit is uncountable, we use 'as much as.' 'Twice as more than' and 'twice more as' are grammatically incorrect combinations of comparative structures.
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Q9Attendance was lower than expected; ___ 20 students showed up for the lecture.
Answer: B. as few as
The phrase 'lower than expected' signals that the number was surprisingly small. 'As few as' is used to emphasize a small quantity of countable items. 'As much as' and 'well over' would imply a large or high number, which contradicts the context.
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Q10The report discusses ___ different methods for reducing waste in the office.
Answer: D. various
'Various' is an adjective used before plural countable nouns to indicate several different types. 'Every' requires a singular noun ('every method'). 'Numerously' is an adverb and cannot describe the noun 'methods' directly.
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Q11We have ___ 100 staff members, so please make sure everyone gets a lunch voucher.
Answer: D. roughly
'Roughly' is an adverb used for numerical approximations, meaning 'approximately.' 'Every' cannot precede a specific number like 100 in this context, and 'as much as' is used for uncountable nouns or to emphasize a large amount, which is less common when simply stating an estimated headcount.
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Q12Identify the correct sentence:
Answer: D. Each of the employees is scheduled for a review.
'Each of the [plural noun]' is followed by a singular verb ('is') because it focuses on the individuals. 'All of the employees' would require a plural verb ('are'). 'The whole' is used with singular nouns (e.g., 'the whole staff'), and 'every' cannot be followed by 'the' or 'of' directly.
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Q13The revenue is ___ 10% higher this year compared to the last.
Answer: A. slightly
'Slightly' is a degree adverb used to modify comparative adjectives (like 'higher') when the difference is small but specific. 'Very' and 'too' cannot modify comparative adjectives directly (you would say 'much higher' or 'far higher' instead).
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Q14___ the team participated in the workshop, which lasted all afternoon.
Answer: B. All
'All the team' or 'All of the team' is used to refer to the group collectively. 'Every' and 'Each' must be followed by a singular countable noun (e.g., 'every member' or 'each member'). 'Whole' requires an article before it when used as an adjective (e.g., 'The whole team').
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Q15We can accept ___ 50 applicants for this program; no more, due to space.
Answer: B. no more than
The phrase 'no more, due to space' clearly establishes a maximum limit. 'No more than' is used to set an upper bound. 'Just over' would mean more than 50, and 'no fewer than' would set a minimum, both of which contradict the context.
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Q16The team reviewed ___ three drafts before approving the final version.
Answer: D. all
'All' is the correct quantifier to use before a specific number ('three') to indicate that the entire set was reviewed. 'The whole' is used with singular uncountable nouns or singular countables (e.g., 'the whole book'). 'Each' would require a singular noun ('each draft') and cannot precede a number directly.
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Q17The train arrives in ___ 10 minutes, so we should head to the platform now.
Answer: B. about
'About' is used to give an approximate time. 'Well over' and 'as much as' would imply that 10 minutes is a long or high amount of time, whereas the context suggests a quick estimate before leaving.
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Q18The new machine is ___ as fast as the old one, making production much slower.
Answer: B. half
The context 'making production much slower' tells us the new machine has a lower speed than the old one. 'Half as fast as' indicates a 50% reduction in speed. The other options suggest the machine is faster, which contradicts the second half of the sentence.
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Q19___ a number of staff members have requested more flexible working hours.
Answer: B. Quite
'Quite a number of' is a common idiomatic expression meaning 'a large number of' or 'many.' 'Somes' is not a word, and while 'The number of' is a valid phrase, it would require a singular verb ('has requested') and would change the meaning to the specific total figure.
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Q20The price of the product has seen a ___ rise over the last decade.
Answer: D. tenfold
'Tenfold' is an adjective (or adverb) that means 'ten times as much.' It is the standard way to describe a multiple-based increase in a formal context. 'Ten time's' and 'ten-fold as' are grammatically incorrect forms.
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Q21We need ___ 10 volunteers to help with the event; any fewer and we won't succeed.
Answer: A. no fewer than
The clue 'any fewer and we won't succeed' indicates that 10 is the absolute minimum required. 'No fewer than' is used to emphasize a minimum number. 'No more than' sets a maximum, which is the opposite of what is needed.
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Q22There was one bottle on the table. She drank ___ bottle of water.
Answer: C. the whole
'The whole' is used with a singular countable noun ('bottle') to mean 100% of that specific item. 'All' is generally used with plural nouns ('all the bottles') or uncountable nouns. 'Each' and 'every' are used to distinguish items in a group of many, but here there is only one bottle.
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Q23The HR department has received ___ complaints about the new policy.
Answer: C. several
'Several' is a quantifier meaning 'some, but not many,' and it is used with plural countable nouns like 'complaints.' 'Numerously' and 'variously' are adverbs and cannot modify nouns directly. 'Each' requires a singular noun ('each complaint').
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Q24The marathon runner finished in ___ 3 hours, just missing the record.
Answer: B. just over
To 'just miss' a record usually means you were slightly slower than required. 'Just over 3 hours' means he took slightly more than three hours. If he had finished 'just under' or 'nearly' 3 hours, he likely would have broken the record if the record was 3:00.
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Q25The company experienced a ___ decrease in sales last quarter.
Answer: A. fourfold
'Fourfold' is the correct adjective to describe a quantity that has increased or decreased by a factor of four. '-fold' can be added to numbers to form adjectives and adverbs. 'Four-foldly' and 'four-timely' are not standard English words.
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Q26___ student in the class received a certificate of achievement.
Answer: B. Every
'Every' is a distributive quantifier used with a singular countable noun ('student') to refer to all members of a group. 'Several' would require a plural noun ('students'). 'Eaches' and 'Alls' are incorrect forms.
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Q27The professor gave ___ student in the room a unique topic, one by one.
Answer: D. each
'Each' is used to focus on individual members of a group, which perfectly matches the context clue 'one by one' and the singular noun 'student.' 'All' would require a plural noun ('students'), and 'various' is an adjective that also usually precedes plural nouns.
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Q28___ 1,000 people signed the petition within the first hour.
Answer: C. As many as
'As many as' is used to emphasize that a large number has been reached (1,000). 'As few as' is used to emphasize a small number. 'Each' cannot be used directly before a number in this way, and 'very' is an adverb of degree that cannot modify a noun phrase directly.
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Q29The new office is ___ larger than the previous one.
Answer: A. three times
When using a comparative adjective (larger), the multiplier 'three times' is used without 'as.' The structure is '[multiplier] + comparative.' 'Three-fold' is usually an adjective or adverb ('a threefold increase') rather than a modifier for a comparative adjective.
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Q30Identify the correct sentence:
Answer: A. A number of students are waiting outside.
'A number of' functions as a plural quantifier meaning 'several' or 'many,' so it requires the plural verb 'are.' This is the correct sentence. 'The number of students is waiting' is grammatically ill-formed because a number (a count) cannot perform the action of waiting — only the students themselves can. 'The number of' takes a singular verb only with a logically compatible predicate (e.g., 'The number of students is increasing').
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Q31___ the participants agreed that the session was useful.
Answer: C. All
'All' is used with plural nouns ('the participants') to refer to the group collectively. 'Every' and 'Each' are used with singular countable nouns (e.g., 'every participant'). 'The whole' is used with singular nouns (e.g., 'the whole group').
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Q32The company reported a profit of ___ £2 million last quarter.
Answer: A. approximately
'Approximately' is the standard adverb for giving a rough estimate of a value. While 'as many as' can be used with numbers, it is typically used for countable items to emphasize a high quantity, whereas money is an uncountable concept usually estimated with 'approximately' or 'about.'
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Q33They earned ___ money this year compared to last year.
Answer: B. twice as much
'Money' is an uncountable noun, so we must use 'much' rather than 'many.' The correct comparative structure is 'twice as much (as).' 'Twice more than' is a common error; in standard English, we use 'three times more than' but usually 'twice as much as.'
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Q34___ research papers suggest that regular exercise improves health.
Answer: D. Numerous
'Numerous' is a formal adjective meaning 'many' and is correctly used with the plural noun 'research papers.' 'Every' and 'Each' require a singular noun ('each paper'). 'Severally' is an adverb used in legal contexts and does not function as a quantifier for a noun.
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Q35The storm caused ___ 50% of the trees in the park to fall.
Answer: D. nearly
'Nearly' is used to mean 'almost.' 'Justly under' and 'aroundly' are not standard English expressions. 'As many as' is used to emphasize a high number of individual items, but 'nearly' is the most natural way to approximate a percentage.
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Q36We have ___ resources now than we did five years ago.
Answer: C. three times more
The presence of the word 'than' requires a comparative form like 'more.' 'Three times more' is the correct choice. 'Three times as many' and 'three times as much' would both require the word 'as' instead of 'than' (e.g., 'three times as many resources as...').
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Q37The team has ___ members as the rival department.
Answer: A. twice as many
'Members' is a plural countable noun, so we use 'as many as.' The structure 'twice as many... as' is used for comparisons of countable items. 'Twice as much' is used for uncountable nouns like 'water' or 'money.'
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Q38The number of attendees ___ growing every year.
Answer: A. is
The subject of the sentence is 'The number,' which is singular. Therefore, it requires the singular verb 'is.' If the subject were 'A number of attendees' (meaning 'many attendees'), the plural verb 'are' would be used.
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Q39She drank ___ bottle of water after the race, leaving none.
Answer: A. the whole
'The whole' refers to the entire amount of a single countable item ('bottle'). 'Everys,' 'eaches,' and 'alls' are not valid plural forms of these quantifiers. 'The whole bottle' emphasizes that no water was left in that specific container.
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Q40___ employee must sign the confidentiality agreement.
Answer: A. every
'Every' is used with a singular countable noun ('employee') to refer to all members of a group individually. 'A' would be grammatically possible but lacks the 'all-inclusive' emphasis of the policy. 'Alls' and 'eaches' are not English words.
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Q41I spent ___ afternoon reading.
Answer: D. the whole
'The whole' is used with singular time expressions (afternoon, day, week) to mean the entire duration of that period. 'Every afternoon' would mean multiple afternoons, and 'each' would also imply a selection from a group of different afternoons.
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Q42I have read ___ book, not just the first few chapters.
Answer: A. the whole
The context 'not just the first few chapters' shows we are talking about one single book from start to finish. 'The whole' is used with singular nouns to mean the complete unit. 'Every' and 'each' would imply multiple different books.
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Q43A number of issues ___ addressed during the meeting yesterday.
Answer: B. were
'A number of' functions as a plural quantifier meaning 'several' or 'some.' Because the time marker 'yesterday' indicates the Past Simple, we must use the plural past verb 'were.' 'Was' and 'is' are singular, and 'have been' is Present Perfect.
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Q44The interest rate has risen by ___ 2% since last year.
Answer: C. roughly
'Roughly' is a common adverb used for numerical approximations. 'Near' is typically used as a preposition or adjective, and 'justly under' is an incorrect formation (the correct phrase is 'just under').
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Q45Identify the correct sentence.
Answer: C. The whole class passed the exam.
'The whole' is correctly used with the singular noun 'class' to mean everyone in that group. 'All' requires a determiner or a plural noun (e.g., 'All the class' or 'All classes'). 'Each' and 'every' must be followed by a singular noun, making 'Each classes' and 'Every classes' incorrect.
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