How Can I Count And Articule.pdf

Grammar: “the”, a/an, quantifiers And containers

CONTENTS Grammar – When NOT to Use ‘the’! (definite article) .......................................................................................................................... 3

1. GRAMMAR – WHEN NOT TO USE ‘THE’! (DEFINITE ARTICLE) For many English learners, articles are one of the most difficult things to remember! Even more confusing, it is not ALWAYS necessary to use an article in English.

Sometimes it is easier to remember when NOT to use something, instead of trying to memorize when to use something. Here are some situations in which you do not need to use the. Pronunciation: consonant sound“ da”,vowel sound and superlative “ di “ Ruler 1. When you talk about things in general: *The main rule to remember is: you don’t need an article when you talk about things in general. ‘The‘ does NOT = all

Example 1. Use plural count nouns: Cats make great pets! *You’re not talking about one specific cat or one specific pet; you’re just talking about all cats in general. Women love it when men send them flowers! Houses are expensive in that neighbourhood. People think all Canadians speak English and French, but they’re wrong! Companies in Canada pay very high taxes. I love reading books. B) Use non-count nouns: I love listening to music. *Here you are just saying that you enjoy music in general – not any specific kind of music or song. She’s afraid of heights, so we couldn’t go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love chocolate! Have you eaten lunch yet? She’s a vegetarian. She doesn’t eat meat.

2. Names – holidays, geography, companies, languages. [*these are all proper nouns]

a) Holidays I got a beautiful new dress for Christmas. I got my mom a movie catalogue for Mother’s Day. On St. Patrick’s Day everybody wears green. What are you doing on Valentine’s Day?

b) Geography *Articles are not used before countries, states, cities, towns, continents, single lakes, single mountains. I live in Canada. I’m going to Europe next month on vacation. Lake Ontario and Lake Huron are 2 of the Great Lakes. Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan. Mt. Rosa is part of the Alps mountain range. *Mt. Rosa is one mountain; The Alps describe a group of mountains. *Of course, there is an exception to every rule in English: the United States the Czech Republic the Philippines

c) Companies Bill Gates founded Microsoft. Wal-Mart is the largest employer in the U.S. McDonald’s has restaurants in 119 countries. I use Twitter and Facebook every day.

d) Universities Her son graduated from Harvard. She goes to Oxford. He applied to Cambridge, Yale, and Stanford. *However, if the name of the university begins with ‘University,’ then you must use ‘the’: He has a master’s degree from the University of Toronto. e) Languages I am studying Russian. I speak French. In Brazil people speak Portuguese. I teach people how to speak English.

4. Sports *Sports and other physical activities do not need an article: 5. Noun + number

I love to go skiing in the winter. I play football every day after school. He loves watching hockey on TV. She tries to do yoga at least 3 times a week. My daughter really enjoys dancing.

He’s staying at the Hilton hotel in room 221. [NOT the room 221] The train to Paris leaves from platform 2. My English class is in room 6 on the first floor. *’First’ is an adjective in this sentence, used to describe ‘the floor. Picture number 6 matches with ‘window’ [This is something learners say when doing a matching activity in an English class]

6. Acronyms

An acronym is an abbreviation (a short form) of a name. It uses the first letter of each word to form a new word. a) If the acronym is pronounced as a word (not individual letters), don’t use ‘the.’ NATO ambassadors met to discuss the situation. (NATO is the acronym used for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. UNESCO is pronounced as one word, /’neɪtoʊ/.) UNESCO was formed in 1946. (UNESCO is the acronym used for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO is pronounced as one word, /ju’nɛskoʊ/.) 2. The is not used before university acronyms: John Smith got his MBA at UCLA. She has a Ph.D. from MI EXCEPTION: You need to use ‘the’ before acronyms of organizations & countries when the letters are pronounced individually, not as a word.

The UN was created after the Second World War. (UN is used to represent the United Nations. UN is pronounced you-N /ju’ɛn/. It is not pronounced ‘un’ /ʌn/, like in the word under.) Other acronyms that need ‘the’: the EU the US the CIA the FBI



Planets

  

Meals

  

Mars Jupiter Saturn breakfast lunch dinner supper

The isn’t used in the following cases 11. The is omitted before certain "places" used for their routine purpose He’s at work. He left college two years ago. 12. The is not used with personal names 13. The is omitted before means of transport (with by) Come/go by (bus / car / train / plane) Note. A particular train, flight, plane is used with the. 14. The is not used before the names of meals, unless a particular meal is referred have breakfast at tea before lunch stay for dinner

2. GRAMMAR – WHEN USE ‘THE’! (DEFINITE ARTICLE)

Ruler 1. A singular or plural noun when it is clear/obvious which person or thing we are talking about.

2. Anything which we identify immediately

Example  

There is a lamp in my bedroom. (we mention the lamp for the first time) The lamp is next to the desk.

 We watched the new Brad Pitt movie last night.

3. Musical instruments (the violin, the guitar, the drums, the flute, the piccolo).

 She plays the piano.

4. Something that is unique or there is only one.

  

5. Names of rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges and deserts (always in capitals).

   

6. Directions (cardinal points).

We use the to refer to organisations such as

the sun the moon the internet. The Mississippi River The Black Sea The Andes The Sahara Desert

 the west  the south-east  the north-west the police the army the fire brigade the civil service the Inland Revenue

We use the to refer to unique institutions

The World Bank The United Nations The White House The Stock Exchange The Kremlin Abbreviation that have to be pronounced as single letters take the (e.g. the BBC, the CIA). If the abbreviation can be said as a word the is omitted (GATT, ARAMCO, EFTA, TASS, UNIDO, etc.)

Countries and Nationalities. The is used to refer to people belonging to nation

Plural names of countries, geographical areas or island groups

the Dutch the Irish the Portuguese the Bulgarians the Russians the Poles the Ukrainians the Caribbean the Netherlands the Far East the Pacific the United Arab Emirates the Seychelles As do the countries that include "kingdom" or "states" the United Kingdom the United States

3. THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE – A / AN

We use A/AN with: 1. Singular nouns and the first time we refer to a person, animal or thing.   

a child an elephant a television

2. We don't use A/AN with possessive pronouns, demonstratives or cardinal numbers.   

My shirt is dirty. This car is expensive. One person is in the reception.

3. We use ONE (or more) instead of A/AN when the number is important. 

There is only one exit from the airport.

What is the difference between A and AN? A is used when the next word begins with a consonant sound (b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k etc).    

a book a table a clock a university (because the beginning of university sounds like YOU-niversity)

AN is used when the next word begins with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).    

an apple an elephant an umbrella an hour (because the H is silent)

4. USING COUNTABLE & UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS When using countable or uncountable nouns, pay attention to articles and adjectives! Some articles and adjectives can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. However, others can be used with only countable or only uncountable nouns.

Used with Countable Nouns Only a doctor, a pen, a meal, a class, a college many many cups, many books, many libraries, many flights few few questions, few tables, few apples, few holidays, few countries a few a few questions, a few problems, a few issues, a few issues SEVERAL A LARGE NUMBER OF A GREAT NUMBER OF A MAJORITY a

WITH COUNTABLE NOUNS

      

many a few/few/very few ** a number (of) several a large number of a great number of a majority of

Used with Uncountable Nouns Only much little a little bit of

much money, much time, much food, much water, much energy little trouble, little equipment, little meat, little patience a little bit of confidence, a little bit of sleep, a little bit of snow

WITH UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

     

much a little/little/very little * a bit (of) a great deal of a large amount of a large quantity of

Used with Countable & Uncountable Nouns the

countable

uncountable

some

countable

uncountable

any

countable

uncountable

no

countable

uncountable

the monkeys, the schools, the teachers, the boats, the bananas the cheese, the machinery, the luggage, the grass, the knowledge some tables, some stores, some grapes, some cities, some nurses some time, some news, some bread, some salt, some mail any forks, any socks, any bathrooms, any waiters, any beliefs any advice, any soap, any transportation, any gold, any homework no magazines, no chocolates, no pilots, no rings, no markers no trouble, no grass, no scenery, no money, no furniture

a lot of

countable

uncountable

lots of

countable

uncountable

enough

countable

uncountable

plenty of

countable

uncountable

WITH BOTH  all  enough  more/most  less/least  no/none  not any  some  any  a lot of  lots of  plenty of

a lot of animals, a lot of coins, a lot of immigrants, a lot of babies a lot of help, a lot of aggravation, a lot of happiness, a lot of fun lots of computers, lots of buses, lots of parties, lots of colleges lots of cake, lots of ice cream, lots of energy, lots of laughter enough plates, enough onions, enough restaurants, enough worries enough courage, enough wisdom, enough spaghetti, enough time plenty of houses, plenty of concerts, plenty of guitars, plenty of plenty of oil, plenty of sugar, plenty of cheese, plenty of space

A GUIDE TO USING QUANTIFIERS IN ENGLISH - PART 1 .

Definition Quantifiers are a type of determiner which denote imprecise quantity. They modify nouns or pronouns. They differ from numbers or numerals which indicate precise quantity. The most common examples: The most common quantifiers used in English are: some / any , much, many, a lot, a few, several, enough.

There are three types of quantifier;

1. quantifiers of large quantity 2. quantifiers of small quantity 3. neutral quantifiers - some, any etc ,

1. LARGE QUANTITY QUANTIFIERS:

MUCH, MANY, LOTS OF, PLENTY OF, NUMEROUS, A LARGE NUMBER OF, ETC. ► MUCH AND MANY : Muchis used with non-count nouns (always in the singular); many is used with count nouns in the plural. (Click here for the difference between count nouns and non-count nouns). IMPORTANT NOTE: in modern spoken English, Much, and to a lesser extent manyare not often used as quantifiers in affirmative statements; but they are very commonly used in interrogative and negative contexts. Examples: I have many reasons for thinking that this man is innocent is acceptable, but rather formal; most English speakers would more naturally say: I have plenty of / a lot of / ample / reasons for thinking ..... Much whisky is of very good quality. This sentence is technically acceptable, but not probable in modern spoken English. Most people would say (and write): A lot of whisky / A good proportion of whisky / Plenty of whisky ...... Remember : don't use much or many in affirmative statements, if you can avoid it. Though their use may be possible, it often sounds very formal, old-fashioned or strange in modern English. On the other hand, much of / many of are sometimes used in affirmative contexts; and so much / so many and too much / too many are quite acceptable. Examples: He has much money is not normal English. Speakers would more naturally say: He has a lot of money / He has loads of money. Much of what you have written is very good. The expression "much of" is acceptable in the affirmative; but except in a formal context, most English-speakers would say (and write) something like : A lot of what you have written...... A good deal of what you have written..... With so and too There is so much poverty in the world - There are too many people in here

► LOTS OF, A LOT OF, PLENTY OF, A LARGE NUMBER OF, NUMEROUS These expressions are all more or less synonyms. In the list above, they are arranged in order of formality, going from the most informal (lots of) to the most formal (numerous). Informal language is more appropriate in dialogue, formal language in written documents. For more on style, see styles of English .

► MUCH / MANY OR MUCH OF / MANY OF ? As quantifiers, much and many are not followed by of when they quantify a noun directly. However they must be followed by of if they come before a determiner such as an article, a possessive or a demonstrative. The same principle applies to few / few of (see below),some / some of, etc.. Examples: I can't see many people. but I can't see many of my friends Many houses were destroyed in the war. but Many of the houses were destroyed in the war. They didn't drink much beer but They didn't drink much of that beer we gave them. ► SEVERAL AND A NUMBER OF These imply "more than one, but less than a lot". They are not usually used in negative or interrogative structures, only in affirmative statements. For example There are several books / a number of books by J.K.Rowling in our library. Several people / A number of people said that they'd seen the missing child. 1.2. QUANTIFIERS OF RELATIVE QUANTITY

There are a couple of common quantifiers that express relative or proportional quantity. ► MOST / MOST OF These imply more than half of, a majority of, or almost all . They do not mean the same asmany / many of. ► ENOUGH Enough implies a sufficient quantity; it is used in affirmations, negations and questions. Most students will pass their exam. The man lost most of his money at the casino. We can get tickets for the concert, I've got enough money now. Have you got enough money for the tickets? No, I haven't got enough. NOTE: do not confuse enough as a quantifier preceding a noun, with enough as an intensifier following an adjective, as in: That's good enough for me.

2. SMALL QUANTITY QUANT IFIERS:

►

FEW, A FEW, LITTLE, A LITTLE, NOT MANY, NOT MUCH, A SMALL NUMBER OF, ETC.

These quantifiers are normally only used in affirmative statements, to which they give a negative colouring. ► Little, a little, not much are used with non-count nouns (always in the singular) Few, a few, not many are used with count nouns in the plural. Examples: Few people can speak more than three languages A few (of the) paintings in this gallery are really good. There's little point in trying to mend it. You'll never succeed! I've got a little money left; let's go and have a drink.

3. NEUTRAL QUANTIFIERS:

SOME AND ANY: SEVERAL, A NUMBER OF, ETC. THESE ARE TREATED IN PART 2: SEE ► : SOME AND ANY AND NEUTRAL QUANTIFIERS 4. RECAPITULATION: TABLE OF USAGE FOR COMMON ENGLISH QUANTIFIERS

Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

Neutral

some, several, a number of, enough any, enough

any, enough

Large quantity

numerous, plenty of, a lot of, lots of, much, many, too too many many

much, many, too many

Small quantity

few / a few, Little / a little

4.1. QUANTIFIERS WITH OF... TAKE CARE: Much of, many of, few of, a little of, plenty of, lots of, some of, a number of, none of, several of, etc. When followed by of, some of these quantifiers MUST be followed by an article or other determiner; for others there is a choice (article or no article)

The rule....

... applies to

MUST be followed by an article or other determiner

all of, some of, many of, much of, (a) few of, (a) little of, none of, several of, enough of,

MAY or MAY NOT be followed by an article or plenty of, a lot of, lots of, a number of, a couple of, other determiner

Here are a few examples; most are right, some (in grey and barred out) are wrong. Examples: OK Some of the people are right some of the time, but all of the people cannot be right all of the time. Not OK Some of people are right some of time, but all of people cannot be right all of time. OK Plenty of supporters came to the match OK Plenty of the supporters came to the match. OK Several of the players were sent off. OK Several players were sent off. Not OK Several of players were sent off. OK A couple of players were sent off OK A couple of the players were sent off. OK I'd like a few of these apples, please. OK I'd like a few of your apples, please Not OK I'd like a few of apples, please. 5. FEW OR A FEW , LITTLE OR A LITTLE ?

The difference between the two expressions in each phrase is purely one of meaning, not of usage. Without the article, few and little (used respectively with count nouns and non-count nouns) have the meaning of "not much/ not many, and possibly less than one might hope for or expect". These expressions have a negative value to them. With the article, a few and a little have the meaning of "at least some, perhaps more than one might expect" . These expressions have a positive value. Examples: Few of my friends were there, so I was disappointed. A few of my friends were there, so I was quite happy. Hurry up; there's little time left ! We have a little time to spare, so let's stop and have a cup of coffee.

5. LIST OF UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS (THESE ARE SAMPLE UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS ONLY! THERE ARE MANY MORE.)

General

Food

Subjects/Fields

homework equipment luggage

food flour meat

mathematics economics physics

clothing furniture machinery gold silver cotton glass jewelery perfume soap paper wood petrol gasoline baggage hair

rice cake bread ice cream cheese toast pasta spaghetti butter oil honey soup fish fruit salt tea

traffic Abstract

coffee weather

advice help fun recreation enjoyment information knowledge news patience happiness progress confidence courage education intelligence space energy laughter peace pride Languages English Portuguese Hindi Arabic Japanese Korean Spanish

thunder lightning snow rain sleet ice heat humidity hail wind light darkness

Activities swimming walking driving jogging reading writing listening

ethics civics art architecture music photography grammar chemistry history commerce engineering politics sociology psychology vocabulary archaeology poetry Sports golf tennis baseball basketball soccer football cricket hockey rugby chess poker bridge

French Russian Italian Hebrew Chinese

speaking cooking sleeping studying working

CONTAINERS

OSTLY LIQUID CONTAINERS

a spoonful of



honey



medicine



ice cream



sugar

a glass of, a bottle of



milk



water



beer



wine



cola

a cup of, a mug of, a pot of



coffee



tea



cocoa



hot water

a mug of , a glass of, a stein of, a barrel of



beer



cola



lemonade



soda

a pitcher of



water



lemonade



juice

a barrel of



wine



vinegar



olive oil



whiskey

a gallon of, a liter of



milk



wine



oil



orange juice



water

a peck of



apples



peaches



pears



pickled peppers

(~2 gallons)

MOSTLY DRY CONTAINERS

a bag of



flour



sugar



oats



beans

(paper or plastic)

a sack of



flour



rice



corn



wheat

a box, a tin, a carton



pasta



cookies



rice



crackers

a carton of



eggs



milk



yogurt



soup

(liquid or dry)

a plate of



cookies



food



candy

a bowl of



cereal



fruit



soup

a pound of, a kilo of



meat



apples



onions



potatoes



coffee

a bushel of



apples



barley



wheat



maize



oats

(4 pecks, 8 gallons)

Also see Quantity Phrases – negative, Determiners "Basic Markers", Some / Any, Little / Few bushel – (Wikipedia) / peck – (Wikipedia)

SHAPE QUANTIFIERS SPECIFY A QUANTITY BY SHAPE

SHAPE QUANTIFIERS FO R FOOD NONCOUNT FOOD NOUN NO SHAPE

a lump / hunk / chunk of



sugar



cheese



chocolate



butter

LONG

a stalk of



of celery



rhubarb



broccoli

(a rib of celery)

a spear of



asparagus



broccoli



lemongrass

a stick of



gum



cinnamon



butter

ROUND

a head of



lettuce



cabbage /cauliflower



garlic



broccoli "a crown"

an ear of



corn



wheat

(ear botany)

a wheel of



cheese (Swiss)



Gruyère



cheddar

a slice of



salami



bread (squarish)



ham



cheese

PART

a pod of



peas



beans



vanilla



cocoa

(pods)

a clove of



garlic (a section)



shallots

a bunch / a cluster of



grapes / dates / figs "cluster"



tomatoes



bananas



onions

(bunch)



carrots

(bunch)

a sprig of



parsley / cilantro



dill / fennel



mint / spearmint



thyme / oregano / rosemary

NONCOUNT FOOD NOUN NO SHAPE

a pile of



flour



sugar



rice



cocoa

FLAT

a stack of



pancakes with a pat of butter



tortillas



toast

a leaf of



lettuce



kale



cabbage



basil

a sheet of



dough



filo



pastry



pasta (lasagna)

RECTANGLE

a bar of, a square of



chocolate



ice-cream (bar)

a cube of (small)



butter



sugar



bouillon



ice

(stick)

(meat flavor)

a block of



ice



feta (Greek soft cheese)



chocolate

a loaf of



bread



banana bread

(large)



meat loaf

(ground meat mix)

HAND MEASURE

a dash



salt



pepper



cumin



cinnamon

pinch of



salt



pepper



cinnamon



sugar

a handful of



olives



cherry tomatoes



nuts



raisins



beans

an armful of, an armload of



radishes



onions



carrots



corn

MEAT QUANTIFIERS SPECIFY A QUANTITY BY CUT

W ORDS FOR LIVE ANIMALS AND THEIR MEAT ANIMATE

An article is used before an animal name such as a dog, a cat, a turkey. (The noun is unspecific, any.) The word cattle is an exception.

cattle (no singular form exists) a calf (a young milk fed animal) Cattle is the collective noun for cows, bulls, steers and heifers. A steer is a young castrated male. A heifer is a young female.

a turkey a chicken a duck a goose

a fish INANIMATE

Food substances are not usually countable unless they have quantifiers. They are either too small to count, or they are are liquids.

beef, veal

(young or milk fed)



a roast of beef



a leg / a shoulder



a rib / a chop



a flank



a steak / a slice



a patty (hamburger–ground meat)

(roast beef)

turkey, chicken, duck



a roast



a leg



a wing



a breast



a boned turkey



a patty (turkey burger)

fish



a whole halibut



a tail



a fillet



a steak



a patty