Number, quantity, degree and intensity (cuong do)

1. Number and quantity
Number is used for countable nouns, amount for uncountable
Scale of adjectives useful for expressing number and quantity:

_ Add just a tiny amount of chilli pepper, or else it may get too hot.
_ A considerable number of people failed to get tickets. (formal)
_ Vast/huge amount of money have been wasted on this project.
_ Were there many people at the airport? Oh, about average, I'd say.

$5 bilion was wasted on the developing the new rocket.
_ That's a huge amount of money to be wasted like that!
Over 50 people come to Sally's lecture yesterday. We were pleasantly surprised.
_ That's a considerable number of people.
We have 120 students most years, and we'll probably have about that this year, too.
_ It seems it'll be about average again this year, then.
There was only five dollar in my purse when it was stolen
_ At least that's only a small amount of money.
We've wasted over 100 hours in meetings and got nowhere (adv- ko noi nao).
_ You've wasted a huge amount of time.

Much/many, a lot, lots, plenty, a good/great deal
   Is there much work to do?_ No, not much.
   There are lots of nice shops in this street.
   Don't worry, there's plenty of time.
   You were making a lot of noise last night.
   There's a great deal of hard work still to do.

I've got dozen of nails in my tool-box. Why buy more?
There's heaps/bags/loads of time yet, slow down!
There was absolutely tons of food at the party.
There are tons of apples on this tree this year.

2. Degree and intensity (cuong do)
Typical collocations of adverbs: a bit, quite, rather, fairly (adv- kha kha), very, really, awfully, extremely combine with 'scale' adjectives such as tired, worried, weak, hot.
Totally, absolutely, completely, utterly combine with 'limt' adjectives such as ruined, exhausted, destroyed, wrong.

_ You heard that a friend was in trouble with the police. (quite shocked/ extremely anxious)
_ A close friend coming to stay did not turn up and sent no message to say why. (slightly anxious/ a bit surprised)
_ Three people gave you different directions to get to the same place. (rather/quite/ totally confused)
_ You passed an exam you expected to fail. (quite surprised)
_ Your best friedn was going abroad for two years. (a bit / rather sad)
_ You had been working non-stop for 18 hours. (absolutelty/ completely exhausted/ extremely tired)