5 exercises — practise expressing an almost negligible amount with "next to nothing".
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
Which sentence correctly uses "next to nothing" as an object describing minimal knowledge in a postmortem?
"We knew next to nothing about the root cause" correctly uses the fixed phrase with the preposition "to". Option B wrongly uses "of" instead of "to". Option C wrongly substitutes "none" for "nothing". Option D scrambles the word order.
2 / 20
Which sentence correctly uses "next to nothing" to describe a negligible cost in a budget discussion?
"This caching layer costs next to nothing to run" correctly uses the fixed phrase to mean an almost negligible amount. Option B wrongly uses "from" instead of "to". Option C scrambles the word order. Option D wrongly substitutes "anything" for "nothing", which reverses the meaning.
3 / 20
Which sentence correctly places "next to nothing" mid-sentence describing sparse remaining disk space?
"...has, at this point, next to nothing left in free disk space" correctly preserves the fixed word order "next to nothing". Options B and D scramble the phrase. Option C incorrectly uses "no" instead of "nothing" (the idiom requires the pronoun "nothing", not the determiner "no").
4 / 20
Which sentence correctly distinguishes "next to nothing" (almost none) from "nothing at all" (absolutely none) when describing test coverage before a rewrite?
"The legacy module had next to nothing in the way of unit tests, just a handful for the parser" correctly conveys "almost none", consistent with the mention of a small handful of tests. Option B contradicts itself by stacking "at all" (absolute zero) onto "next to nothing" (almost zero) while a handful exist. Options C and D break the fixed word order.
5 / 20
Which sentence correctly uses "next to nothing" to open a clause about minimal documentation for a legacy system?
"Next to nothing was documented about this billing service..." correctly uses the fixed phrase as the subject of the passive verb "was documented". Option B scrambles the preposition order. Option C wrongly adds a possessive "'s". Option D scrambles the word order entirely.
6 / 20
Sarah: 'The performance bottleneck is only next to nothing – a single poorly optimized regex.' Mark: 'I disagree. The impact could be significant.' Which of the following best explains Mark's concern?
The core issue here is understanding the nuance of 'next to nothing.' While technically accurate when referring to a very small impact, it can be misinterpreted as dismissing potential problems. Mark's concern stems from the fact that even a seemingly 'next to nothing' effect can become significant under load or with increased data volume – Sarah's statement lacks sufficient caution.
7 / 20
During a Slack discussion about refactoring the user authentication service, David writes: 'We can reduce the memory footprint to next to nothing by implementing a lightweight token strategy.' What is David *most* likely trying to convey?
'Next to nothing' in this context emphasizes a minimal level. David isn't suggesting absolute zero; he's indicating a reduction so small that it's functionally equivalent to negligible usage. This is crucial for communicating the benefits of the proposed token strategy without overstating its impact.
8 / 20
In a pull request description for a code change that reduces database query latency, Emily writes: 'This optimization has resulted in next to nothing' latency overhead.' What does Emily *most* likely mean?
'Next to nothing' is used to describe a very small difference. Emily isn't claiming perfect zero latency – that's unrealistic. Instead, she's highlighting the improvement as so minor that it's practically unnoticeable in terms of performance metrics. This acknowledges a real benefit while avoiding overpromising.
9 / 20
During a standup meeting, Ben says: 'I've spent next to nothing on this feature – just a few hours of my time.' What is Ben *primarily* communicating?
'Next to nothing' describes a small quantity of effort. It doesn't signify complete completion or absence of any work; it simply indicates a minimal investment – typically less than an hour of development time. This is a common way of reporting progress concisely.
10 / 20
Liam writes in a code review comment: 'The documentation for this module is next to nothing – it's essentially blank.' What does Liam intend to highlight?
'Next to nothing' signifies a very small amount. It's used to emphasize the lack of documentation – not that it's entirely absent. Liam's comment indicates minimal information is available, suggesting a need for improvement or clarification regarding the module.
11 / 20
Sarah: 'The performance bottleneck is only next to nothing – a single poorly optimized regex.' Mark: 'I disagree. The impact could be significant.' Which of the following best explains Mark's concern?
The core issue here is understanding the nuance of 'next to nothing.' While technically accurate when referring to a very small impact, it can be misinterpreted as dismissing potential problems. Mark's concern stems from the fact that even a seemingly 'next to nothing' effect can become significant under load or with increased data volume – Sarah's statement lacks sufficient caution.
12 / 20
During a Slack discussion about refactoring the user authentication service, David writes: 'We can reduce the memory footprint to next to nothing by implementing a lightweight token strategy.' What is David *most* likely trying to convey?
'Next to nothing' in this context emphasizes a minimal level. David isn't suggesting absolute zero; he's indicating a reduction so small that it's functionally equivalent to negligible usage. This is crucial for communicating the benefits of the proposed token strategy without overstating its impact.
13 / 20
In a pull request description for a code change that reduces database query latency, Emily writes: 'This optimization has resulted in next to nothing' latency overhead.' What does Emily *most* likely mean?
'Next to nothing' is used to describe a very small difference. Emily isn't claiming perfect zero latency – that's unrealistic. Instead, she's highlighting the improvement as so minor that it's practically unnoticeable in terms of performance metrics. This acknowledges a real benefit while avoiding overpromising.
14 / 20
During a standup meeting, Ben says: 'I've spent next to nothing on this feature – just a few hours of my time.' What is Ben *primarily* communicating?
'Next to nothing' describes a small quantity of effort. It doesn't signify complete completion or absence of any work; it simply indicates a minimal investment – typically less than an hour of development time. This is a common way of reporting progress concisely.
15 / 20
Liam writes in a code review comment: 'The documentation for this module is next to nothing – it's essentially blank.' What does Liam intend to highlight?
'Next to nothing' signifies a very small amount. It's used to emphasize the lack of documentation – not that it's entirely absent. Liam's comment indicates minimal information is available, suggesting a need for improvement or clarification regarding the module.
16 / 20
Sarah: 'The performance bottleneck is only next to nothing – a single poorly optimized regex.' Mark: 'I disagree. The impact could be significant.' Which of the following best explains Mark's concern?
The core issue here is understanding the nuance of 'next to nothing.' While technically accurate when referring to a very small impact, it can be misinterpreted as dismissing potential problems. Mark's concern stems from the fact that even a seemingly 'next to nothing' effect can become significant under load or with increased data volume – Sarah's statement lacks sufficient caution.
17 / 20
During a Slack discussion about refactoring the user authentication service, David writes: 'We can reduce the memory footprint to next to nothing by implementing a lightweight token strategy.' What is David *most* likely trying to convey?
'Next to nothing' in this context emphasizes a minimal level. David isn't suggesting absolute zero; he's indicating a reduction so small that it's functionally equivalent to negligible usage. This is crucial for communicating the benefits of the proposed token strategy without overstating its impact.
18 / 20
In a pull request description for a code change that reduces database query latency, Emily writes: 'This optimization has resulted in next to nothing' latency overhead.' What does Emily *most* likely mean?
'Next to nothing' is used to describe a very small difference. Emily isn't claiming perfect zero latency – that's unrealistic. Instead, she's highlighting the improvement as so minor that it's practically unnoticeable in terms of performance metrics. This acknowledges a real benefit while avoiding overpromising.
19 / 20
During a standup meeting, Ben says: 'I've spent next to nothing on this feature – just a few hours of my time.' What is Ben *primarily* communicating?
'Next to nothing' describes a small quantity of effort. It doesn't signify complete completion or absence of any work; it simply indicates a minimal investment – typically less than an hour of development time. This is a common way of reporting progress concisely.
20 / 20
Liam writes in a code review comment: 'The documentation for this module is next to nothing – it's essentially blank.' What does Liam intend to highlight?
'Next to nothing' signifies a very small amount. It's used to emphasize the lack of documentation – not that it's entirely absent. Liam's comment indicates minimal information is available, suggesting a need for improvement or clarification regarding the module.
What will I practise in ""Next To Nothing" for Minimal Quantity — IT Grammar Exercise"?
Practise using "next to nothing" to mean almost none or almost nothing, in postmortems, budget discussions, and documentation reviews.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
Is this exercise free to use?
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What happens if I choose the wrong answer?
You'll immediately see which answer was correct, plus a full explanation covering the grammar rule and reasoning behind it — mistakes are where most of the learning happens.
Can I retry the exercises if I want a higher score?
Yes — use the "Try again" button on the results screen to reset and go through all the questions again.
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No. Progress is tracked only for your current visit; reloading or leaving the page resets the counter. This keeps the exercise simple and account-free.
Where can I find more Grammar exercises?
Browse the full Grammar hub for related drills, or check the "Next up" link below to continue with a connected topic.
How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.