ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR C1

Formal Quantity Expressions and Agreement ESL Lesson Plan (C1, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute C1 lesson on Formal Quantity Expressions and Agreement, built round the theme "Reporting Survey Results".

CEFR C1
60 minutes
Teenagers and adults
Grammar
Quantifiers and Uncountable Nouns
Formal Quantity Expressions and Agreement

About this lesson

Who it is for. Advanced students who use everyday quantifiers accurately but rely on a lot of and many in formal writing. They make agreement errors (The number of students have increased, A large amount of people), and they misuse less / fewer and amount / number.

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level: CEFR C1 (Advanced)
Learners: Teenagers and adults
Length: 60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run "Freer practice" once through without the second round and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills: Speaking and writing
Language focus: Grammar: Formal Quantity Expressions and Agreement in Report Writing (the majority of, a significant proportion of, the number of vs a number of)
Framework: PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials: Handout 1 (an extract from a survey report), Handout 2 (language analysis), Handout 3 (practice), Handout 4 (survey data for writing).
Preparation: About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 4, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

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Google Docs · 60 minutes · PPP (presentation, practice, production)

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Aims

Main aim. To develop students' accurate use of formal quantity expressions for countable and uncountable nouns (a large / significant number of, a great deal of, a substantial amount of, the (vast) majority of, a (small) minority of, a handful of, a significant proportion of, scarcely any) and subject–verb agreement, including the number of vs a number of.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can describe survey data accurately and formally, e.g. The vast majority of respondents (87%) own a smartphone, whereas only a small minority read printed newspapers. The number of students who read for pleasure has fallen.

Subsidiary aim. To accurately describe survey data with fractions and percentages.
Subsidiary aim. To write a short report paragraph.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Formal quantity expressions

Countable (plural) nouns	Uncountable nouns	Both
a large / significant / growing number of + plural	a great deal of / a substantial amount of / a considerable amount of	the (vast) majority of · a (small) minority of
a handful of	a large quantity of	a significant proportion / percentage of
fewer / (very) few / scarcely any	less / (very) little / scarcely any	almost all · hardly any · plenty of (less formal)

Agreement

a number of + plural noun → plural verb: A number of students have complained. (= several)
the number of + plural noun → singular verb: The number of students has increased. (the subject is the number)
the majority / a minority / a proportion / percentage of + plural noun → usually plural verb: The majority of respondents were satisfied. With an uncountable or singular noun → singular verb: The majority of the land is farmland.
The majority used alone (no of) can take a singular or plural verb (The majority was / were in favour).

Precision with data

the vast majority (≈ 80–99%), the majority / over half (> 50%), almost half, a third, a significant minority (≈ 20–40%), a small minority / a handful (< 10%), scarcely any / hardly any (≈ 0–3%).
Avoid vague a lot of / lots of in formal writing.
amount + uncountable; number + countable (not a large amount of people).

Concept-checking questions

The number of students who read daily has fallen. What has fallen: the students or the number? (The number.) So singular or plural verb? (Singular.)
A number of students have complained. Does a number of mean a specific figure? (No, it means several or quite a few.) So singular or plural verb? (Plural.)
Only a small minority of respondents read printed newspapers. Is this more or less than 50%? (Much less.) Would a significant proportion be correct for 4%? (No.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

Problem	Solution
The number of students have increased.	Underline the head noun number; singular verb.
A large amount of people.	Two columns: number (countable) / amount (uncountable).
Less students / fewer time.	Rule: fewer + countable, less + uncountable; less with countable is common informally but avoid it in formal writing.
Imprecise expressions for figures.	Map expressions onto a percentage scale on the board.
Overuse of a lot of in reports.	Substitution task; highlight formal register.

Board plan

Left: percentage scale	Centre: patterns	Right: agreement
0–3% scarcely any / hardly any · < 10% a small minority / a handful · 20–40% a significant minority / proportion · ≈ 33% a third · 50%+ the majority / over half · 80–99% the vast majority / almost all
COUNTABLE: a large number of · a handful of · fewer · UNCOUNTABLE: a great deal of · a substantial amount of · less · BOTH: the majority of · a minority of · a significant proportion of · not: a large amount of people ✗
a number of + plural → plural verb · the number of + plural → singular verb · the majority of + plural → plural verb · the majority of + uncountable → singular verb

Warm-up5 minutes · Whole class, pairs

Aim: To engage students and introduce the topic.

Quick class poll with a show of hands: "Who read a book for pleasure last month? Who reads news on a phone? Who reads a printed newspaper?" Board the numbers.

Pairs describe the results in one sentence each (2 minutes). Board two sentences as students say them (they will probably use a lot of / most / some).

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, groups, whole class

Aim: To present formal quantity expressions in a report and clarify their meaning, form and agreement.

Part A: Reading (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read the extract from a survey report on young people's reading habits. Complete the table with the percentages. Four minutes."

Pairs compare. Check as a class.

Part B: Analysis (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 2. Say: "In groups, find the quantity expressions. Put them on the scale. Then answer the questions about the verbs."

ICQs: "What do you put on the scale?" (The expressions.)

Monitor and help.

Part C: Clarification (8 minutes)

Feedback. Build the scale on the board.

Countable vs uncountable. Board a great deal of time vs a large number of students. Cross out a large amount of people.

Agreement. Board The number of students has fallen and A number of students have complained. Ask the CCQs.

the majority of. Contrast The majority of respondents were ... with The majority of the land is ...

Return to the Stage 1 sentences and rewrite them formally.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise the expressions and agreement accurately.

Give out Handout 3. Say: "Exercise A: choose the correct verb. Exercise B: choose the best expression for each figure. Exercise C: correct the errors. Seven minutes."

Pairs check. Check as a class.

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs, then groups, then whole class

Aim: To use the expressions accurately in report writing.

Give out Handout 4. Pairs choose Survey A or Survey B and write a report paragraph (120–150 words) describing the key findings. They must use at least six expressions from today and get the figures right (10 minutes).

ICQs: "How many expressions?" (At least six.) "Can you write 'a lot of'?" (No.)

Peer review (5 minutes). Pairs swap paragraphs with a pair that wrote about the other survey. They check that each expression matches the figure and that the verbs agree.

Two pairs read their paragraphs to the class (3 minutes).

Monitor and note language use.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Board sentences from the reports (correct and incorrect). Students correct the errors.

Ask: "What's the difference between 'a number of' and 'the number of'?"

Set the homework.

Homework Write a full report (250 words) on the other survey in Handout 4, with an introduction, findings and conclusion. Use at least eight formal quantity expressions and underline the subject and verb in each.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support: Give weaker students the percentage scale on a card. Let them write sentence by sentence using the data table, not a full paragraph.
Stretch: Stronger students use hedged and comparative expressions: a marginally higher proportion, roughly two in five, a twofold increase, the figure stood at. They use inversion: Only a handful of respondents ...; Scarcely any ...

Adapting the lesson

For	What to change
A large class (40 or more)	Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Run "Peer review" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopier	Put the exercises from Handout 3: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online class	Send Handouts 1 to 4 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "Peer review" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age group	With teenagers at this level, cut the academic framing and keep the examples in their own world; the forms do not change. With adults in a work context, swap the lesson's texts for ones from their own field and keep the analysis as it stands.

Checking learning

The report paragraph contains at least six formal quantity expressions that accurately match the figures. Subject–verb agreement is correct after the number of / a number of / the majority of. 10 out of 12 or better on Handout 3, Exercises A and B.

Teacher's reflection

Did students match the expressions to the figures precisely? Was the peer review useful for catching agreement errors?

Handout 1: Survey Report Extract

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Reading Habits of Young People in Colombo: Key Findings

This survey is fictional and was written for this lesson.

A total of 500 respondents aged 16–24 took part in the survey. The vast majority of respondents (91%) own a smartphone, and over half (56%) said they read news online every day. By contrast, only a small minority (4%) still read a printed newspaper regularly, and scarcely any (2%) subscribe to a magazine.

The number of young people who read books for pleasure has fallen since the previous survey, from 48% to 35%. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of respondents (35%) said they had read at least one book in the past month, and a handful (6%) reported reading more than five.

A great deal of reading time is now spent on social media: respondents reported spending an average of three hours a day on it. A number of participants also commented that they had less time for reading because of study pressure. Finally, almost a third (31%) said they would read more if the local library opened in the evenings.

Complete the table.

Finding	%
own a smartphone
read news online daily
read a printed newspaper regularly
read a book in the past month
would read more if the library opened in the evenings

Handout 2: Language Analysis

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Find the quantity expressions in the report. Write them on the scale.

B. Answer the questions.

The number of young people who read books has fallen. Why is the verb singular? ______________________________
A number of participants also commented ... Rewrite this in the present perfect. Singular or plural? ______________________________
Why does the writer say a great deal of reading time, not a large number of reading time? ______________________________
The writer says less time. Would fewer time be correct? Why / why not? ______________________________

%	Expression from the report
2%
4%
6%
31%
35%
56%
91%

Handout 3: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Choose the correct verb.

B. Choose the best expression for each figure.

C. Correct the errors.

The number of cars on the road has / have doubled.
A number of residents has / have complained about the noise.
The majority of the students was / were in favour of the change.
A great deal of money has / have been wasted.
A significant proportion of the population lives / live in rural areas.
The majority of the water is / are used for farming.
95% of teachers: the vast majority / a significant proportion
1% of drivers: scarcely any / a significant minority
52% of voters: over half / almost all
7 people out of 200: a handful / a third
30% of households: a significant proportion / the majority
48% of customers: almost half / the majority
A large amount of people attended the meeting. ______________________________
The number of complaints have risen sharply. ______________________________
There were less applicants this year. ______________________________
A lot of respondents said they were unhappy. (make it formal) ______________________________

Handout 4: Survey Data for Writing

Both surveys are fictional and were written for this lesson.

Survey A: How students in Kandy travel to school (800 respondents)

Survey B: Food waste in Colombo households (600 respondents)

Useful language: the vast majority · over half · almost half · a significant proportion · a third · a small minority · a handful · scarcely any · the number of ... has risen / fallen · a growing number of

	This year	Five years ago
School bus or van	54%	60%
Public bus	22%	25%
Walk	12%	11%
Tuk-tuk	8%	3%
Bicycle	3%	1%
Car	1%	0%

	%
throw away cooked rice at least once a week	68%
compost food waste	9%
plan meals before shopping	37%
know their council's waste collection day	94%
would use a free compost bin	45%
have never thought about food waste	2%

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

2%: scarcely any · 4%: a small minority · 6%: a handful · 31%: almost a third · 35%: a significant proportion · 56%: over half · 91%: the vast majority

Handout 2, Exercise B

Handout 3, Exercise A

Handout 3, Exercise B

Handout 3, Exercise C

Common errors to watch for

The subject is the number, which is singular. · 2. A number of participants have commented ... (plural, because it means several participants). · 3. Time is uncountable; a large number of is for countable nouns. · 4. No; time is uncountable, so less.
has · 2. have · 3. were · 4. has · 5. lives (singular with population; live is also possible in British English when the group is thought of as people) · 6. is
the vast majority · 2. scarcely any · 3. over half · 4. a handful · 5. a significant proportion · 6. almost half
A large number of people attended the meeting. · 2. The number of complaints has risen sharply. · 3. There were fewer applicants this year. · 4. A significant number / proportion of respondents said they were unhappy. (or the majority of, depending on the figure)

Finding	%
own a smartphone	91%
read news online daily	56%
read a printed newspaper regularly	4%
read a book in the past month	35%
would read more if the library opened in the evenings	31%

Error	Correction
The number of students have increased.	The number of students has increased.
a large amount of people	a large number of people
less students	fewer students
A lot of respondents ... (formal report)	A significant proportion of respondents ...

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Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

Formal Quantity Expressions and Agreement ESL Lesson Plan (C1, 60 Minutes)

About this lesson

At a glance

Download this lesson plan

Aims

Language analysis

Formal quantity expressions

Agreement

Precision with data

Concept-checking questions

Anticipated problems and solutions

Board plan

Warm-up5 minutes · Whole class, pairs

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, groups, whole class

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs, then groups, then whole class

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Differentiation

Adapting the lesson

Checking learning

Teacher's reflection

Handout 1: Survey Report Extract

Handout 2: Language Analysis

Handout 3: Practice

Handout 4: Survey Data for Writing

Answer Key

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Elsewhere in Global English

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