5 exercises — master fewer/less, number of/amount of, each/every, and some/any in professional IT writing.
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
The optimisation resulted in _____ memory usage and _____ database round-trips per request.
"Memory usage" is uncountable → "less memory usage". "Database round-trips" is countable (you can count individual trips) → "fewer round-trips". The fewer/less distinction is one of the most tested in professional technical writing. Quick test: if you can put a number in front of it ("three round-trips"), use "fewer". If you cannot ("three memory usages" — unnatural), use "less".
2 / 10
The report showed a significant increase in the _____ failed requests and the _____ time spent waiting for upstream services.
"Failed requests" is countable → "the number of failed requests". "Time" is uncountable → "the amount of time spent". This pairing tests the core rule: countable nouns use "number of"; uncountable nouns use "amount of". Common errors: "the amount of errors" (should be "number of"), "the number of latency" (should be "amount of latency").
3 / 10
_____ microservice is independently deployable, and _____ microservice in the cluster has been assigned a dedicated health check endpoint.
"Every microservice is independently deployable" — "every" makes a universal generalisation about the entire group as a set. "Each microservice has been assigned" — "each" focuses on individual members of the group one by one (each one gets its own endpoint). The distinction is subtle but real: "every" = the whole set; "each" = individually distributed. Both are grammatically correct in many contexts, but this nuance appears in precise technical writing.
4 / 10
The QA engineer checks: "_____ tests are currently failing, and we can't merge until there aren't _____ critical failures in the pipeline."
"Some tests are failing" — positive statement (fact/observation) uses "some". "There aren't any critical failures" — negative clause uses "any". The rule: "some" for positives and offers; "any" for negatives and questions. "There aren't some" is non-standard. Common error: "we don't have some open issues" — should be "we don't have any open issues".
5 / 10
Choose the sentence with correct quantifier usage for a performance report:
"API calls" is countable → "fewer". "Latency" is uncountable (a quality/measure) → "amount of". Only Option B applies both rules correctly. Option A uses "less calls" (wrong — countable) and "number of latency" (wrong — uncountable). Option C correctly uses "fewer calls" but incorrectly uses "number of latency". Option D correctly uses "amount of latency" but incorrectly uses "less calls".
6 / 10
During a code review of the new API endpoint, Sarah comments: 'The response time is consistently high for users in Europe. We're seeing roughly a few hundred requests per second with significant latency.' What does Sarah likely mean when she uses these quantifiers?
Sarah uses 'a few hundred' to quantify the *volume* of requests. 'High' in this context describes the latency – the delay – experienced for those requests. The misconception might be thinking 'high' directly relates to request volume; it's about the response time itself.
7 / 10
During a code review of the new API endpoint, Sarah comments: 'The response time is consistently high for users in Europe. We're seeing roughly a few hundred requests per second with significant latency.' What does Sarah likely mean when she uses these quantifiers?
Sarah uses 'a few hundred' to quantify the *volume* of requests. 'High' in this context describes the latency – the delay – experienced for those requests. The misconception might be thinking 'high' directly relates to request volume; it's about the response time itself.
8 / 10
David from DevOps is reporting: 'The system logs show a surprisingly high number of errors. We're seeing approximately 10-20 failures per minute during peak load.' What does David mean by 'approximately 10-20'?
David isn't providing an exact figure. 'Approximately' signals that he's using a range to express the uncertainty inherent in monitoring real-time data. The key here is understanding that quantifiers like 'approximately' or 'around' indicate a likely value rather than a precise one, and should be treated as such during analysis.
9 / 10
John, a junior developer, is explaining the performance of a new feature to Maria during a code review. He says: 'The service handles about 50-100 requests per second with an average latency of around 200ms.' What does John likely mean by 'about 50-100' and 'around 200ms'?
John is using quantifiers – 'about' and 'around' – to express a range of values. This acknowledges that the actual numbers will fluctuate slightly due to factors like load and network conditions. The key misunderstanding is often thinking these are precise figures; developers frequently use ranges when discussing performance metrics.
10 / 10
During a code review of a new microservice, a senior engineer asks: 'The service currently handles around 5-15 requests per second.' What does this indicate about the system's load capacity?
'Around' and 'between' indicate a range of expected performance. This phrasing acknowledges that the system's load capacity isn't fixed; it's a target within a reasonable operational window. The other options misinterpret these quantifiers as precise values or extreme conditions.
What will I practise in "Quantifiers in Technical English — Grammar Exercise"?
Practise fewer vs less, number of vs amount of, each vs every, and some vs any in IT contexts. 5 interactive grammar exercises with detailed explanations.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 10 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
Is this exercise free to use?
Yes. Every exercise on CoderSlingo, including this one, is free to use with no account, sign-up, or paywall.
Do I need to create an account to do these exercises?
No account is required. Just click an option to answer — your score for this session is tracked automatically in the progress bar above.
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.