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How to say the date in English

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How to say the date in English

Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.




Ask for the date in English:

Look at these examples:

  • What’s today’s date ? / What’s the date today ?
  • It’s May 5. / It’s the 5th of May.
  • What day is it today ? / What day is it ? / What’s today ?
  • Today’s Thursday, May 5th (May fifth). 

Be careful of the difference between ‘day’ and ‘date’.

  • Day: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
  • Date: July 14th, December 2nd, January 3rd…

Note: remember to capitalize the months! = January, not january

Why put “th”, “nd” or “rd” after the number?

These are ordinal numbers! Indeed, to say the date in English you should not use normal numbers but ordinal numbers:

Ex:  Today is the seventh of August (NOT:  Today is the seven of August  )

How to read ordinal numbers from 1 to 31:

Days of the Month
  1st    first
  2nd    second
  3rd    third
  4th    fourth
  5th    fifth
  6th    sixth
  7th    seventh
  8th    eighth
  9th    ninth
  10th    tenth
  11th    eleventh
  12th    twelfth
  13th    thirteenth
  14th    fourteenth
  15th    fifteenth
  16th    sixteenth
  17th    seventeenth
  18th    eighteenth
  19th    nineteenth
  20th    twentieth
  21st    twenty-first
  22nd    twenty-second
  23rd    twenty-third
  24th    twenty-fourth
  25th    twenty-fifth
  26th    twenty-sixth
  27th    twenty-seventh
  28th    twenty-eighth
  29th    twenty-ninth
  30th    thirtieth
  31st    thirty-first

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How to read the date? A few examples:

1st May → the first of May
2nd April → the second of April
3rd December → the third of December
4th May → the fourth of May
5th March → the fifth of March
6th June → the sixth of June
7th October → the seventh of October
8th August → the eighth of August
9th May → the ninth May
10th July → the tenth of July
16th March → the sixteenth of March
23rd November → the twenty-third of November
26th May → the twenty-sixth of May
30th May → the thirtieth of May

May 1 → May the first
May 2 → May the second
May 23 → May the twenty-third
May 30 → May the thirthieth

Ordinals are also used to talk about centuries:

  • The 16th century 
  • The 12th century 
  • The 20th century 

How to say the date in British English and American English:

The English and Americans have a different way of saying the date. If in doubt, it is better to use the British way which seems the most obvious:

  • British (day/month/year) → the seventeenth of July
  • American (month/day/year) → July the seventeenth

The year:

It is not necessary to say the year if you are asked for a current date. On the other hand, if you are talking about a date in the past or the future, it is worth saying the year. Don’t forget to put a comma beforehand:

  • 15/04/2001 → The fifteenth of April two thousand and one (orally) / The fifteenth of April, 2001 (in writing).
  • When were you born ? → 1st May, 1983.
  • When did you arrive in New York ? → In 2011.
  • When is the next World Cup ? → In July of 2017.

Talk about the beginning, middle and end of the month:

Look at these examples:

  • at the beginning of August 
  • in mid-October 
  • at the end of May 
  • by the end of November 

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©Englishfornoobs.com

English conversation: Talking about possibilities

Posted on by in Conversation

English conversation: Talking about possibilities

To download and print this free English phrases list, click here.

Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.



TALKING ABOUT POSSIBILITIES
It may / might / could snow tomorrow.
I suppose it will snow tomorrow.
I won’t be surprised if it snows tomorrow.
In all probability, it will snow.
It’s probably going to snow tomorrow.
It’s quite likely it will snow.
Maybe it will snow tomorrow.
Perhaps it’s going to snow tomorrow.
Possibly, it’s going to snow tomorrow.
The odds are it will snow tomorrow.
There’s a chance it will snow.
There’s a fifty-fifty chance of snow.
There’s a good chance it will snow.

©Englishfornoobs.com

Common mistakes in English (PDF)

Posted on by in grammar

Common mistakes in English (PDF)

 

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Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.




Here is the complete list of the most common errors in English, with all the grammar mistakes to avoid (and how to correct them):

You don’t say You say
A blue-eyes girl A blue-eyed girl
A book of Stephen King A book by Stephen king
A humoristic text A humorous text
A news A piece of news
A political man A politician
A scientific experience A scientific experiment
According to what say people According to what people say
All the people are/ Everybody are Everybody is
All what I can do All that I can do
An american writer An American writer
An economic car An economical car
An economical problem An economic problem
An information / informations Some information
Can we use there boat? Can we use their boat?
Every days/ all the days Every day
Explain her the situation Explain the situation to her
Google point com Google dot com
He doesn’t stop telling lies He keeps telling lies
He entered into the room He entered the room
He has blue eyes He is blue-eyed
He has left smoking. He has stopped smoking.
He is a more nicer person than you He is a nicer person than you
He is lawyer He is a lawyer
He is on holidays He is on holiday
He is sympathetic He is nice
He like cheese He likes cheese
He married with her He married her
He said me He said to me
He succeeded to get the prize He succeeded in getting the prize
He told / He told to me He told me
He took his girlfriend in the hand He took his girlfriend by the hand
He went to abroad to study He went abroad to study
He wins a lot of money He earns a lot of money
He worked during three months. He worked for three months
He’s more big than him he’s bigger than him
Here are some advices Here is some advice
How many childs you have? How many childs do you have?
How many luggages do you have? How many pieces of luggage do you have?
How much is the price of this car? How much is this car?
How much is the temperature? What is the temperature?
How the writer says As the writer says
How to spell… ? How do you spell… ?
I am a French I am French
I am agree I agree
I am boring / shocking I am bored / shocked
I am difficult to learn English its is difficult for me to learn English
I am not agree I don’t agree ou I disagree
I am used to work a lot I am used to working a lot
I am waiting since 10 I have been waiting since 10
I call you tomorrow I’ll call you tomorrow
I did a mistake  I made a mistake
I didn’t meet nobody I didn’t meet anybody
I didn’t say nothing I didn’t say anything
I didn’t understood I didn’t understand.
I don’t know nothing I don’t know anything
I don’t know to swim I can’t swim
I don’t like fish and chips – Me too I don’t like fish and chips – Me neither / Neither do I
I don’t speak chinese, but I speak a little french. I don’t speak Chinese, but I speak a little French.
I don’t use a watch I don’t wear a watch
I entered into the room I entered the room
I go always to work by bike. I always go to work by bike.
I have 25 years I am 25 years old / I’m 25
I have a little more questions for you I have a few more questions for you
I have visited my parents last week I visited my parents last week
I have visited Roma last weekend. I visited Roma last weekend.
I like very much ice cream I like ice cream very much
I look forward to meet you I look forward to meeting you
I looked the paintings. I looked at the paintings.
I meet my wife in 2010 I met my wife in 2010
I need hundred dollars I need a hundred dollars
I play soccer good I play soccer well
I take a decision I make a decision
I told: ‘ I will go home’ I said: ‘I will go home’
I want that she comes I want her to come
I want to lend a car from you I want to borrow a car from you
I’ll date you this Saturday I’ll take you on a date this Saturday
I’m thinking of you I’m thinking about you
I’m two tired I’m too tired
In the today world In today’s world
It depends of… It depends on…
It is diferent of It is different from
It is more hot now. It’s hotter now.
It takes an important part in It plays an important part in
It’s more easy It’s easier
Its a wonderful world. It’s a wonderful world.
Last night I cry Last night I cried
Less and less people Fewer and fewer people
Let’s go at home. Let’s go home.
Let’s profit of life Let’s enjoy life
lots of young Lots of young people/youngsters
Me and Sarah live in London Sarah and I live in London
My boyfriend is dentist My boyfriend is a dentist
My car isn’t enough big My car isn’t big enough
My flight departs in 5:00 am My flight departs at 5:00 am
Over all the world All over the world
Paul and me went to the zoo. Paul and I went to the zoo.
Paul has been absent from Monday Paul has been absent since Monday
payed paid
Pollution touches a lot of countries Pollution affects a lot of countries
Sarah is easy to suffer from cold Sarah suffers from cold easily
She has been dying for two years She has been dead for two years
She is angry at me She is angry with me
She is dead two years ago She died two years ago
She is waiting her friend She is waiting for her friend
Six hundreds of people Six hundred people
Someone has stolen a bank Someone robbed a bank
Tell her don’t come now. Tell her not to come now.
Tell me how are you. Tell me how you are.
Tell me why did you go there? Tell me why you went there?
That is an other story That is another story
That’s a honour That’s an honour
The another day The other day
The answer of this question is complicated The answer to this question is complicated
The apples are very tasty Apples are very tasty
the begining the beginning
The climate of Japan is different from Thailand The climate of Japan is different from that of Thailand
The man which works here is from Spain. The man who works here is from Spain.
The nuclear Nuclear power
The people usually think that… People usually think that
The police has arrested him. The police have arrested him.
The police is coming The police are coming
The poors The poor
The teacher learnt us a lesson The teacher taught us a lesson
The text speaks about The text deals with / is about
The three first years The first three years
Their coming tomorrow. They’re coming tomorrow.
There is no place in the hall There is no room in the hall
There is seven girls in the class There are seven girls in the class
They are not used to live in a hot country They are not used to living in a hot country
They go to school by foot they go to school on foot
They profit of him They take advantage of him
They succeed to do something They succeed in doing something
They sympathized They got on well
This is a good news This is good news
Throught Through
Tina is married with a doctor Tina is married to a doctor
To have a success To be successful
To take conscience To realize
To tell the true To tell the truth
to win money to earn money
We enjoyed at the party. We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
We know / are knowing a crisis We are going through a crisis
We studied during four hours. We studied for four hours.
We will help you make the dinner We will help you make dinner
What for has he come? What has he come for?
What means this? What does this means?
What time it is? What time is it?
Where I can find a pharmacy? Where can I find a pharmacy?
You can’t talk to him, he’s actually in a meeting You can’t talk to him, he’s currently in a meeting
You should not to smoke You should not smoke
You speak English good You speak English well
Your beautiful. You’re beautiful.

 

©Englishfornoobs.com

Whose and whom: what’s the difference?

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Whose and whom: what’s the difference?

 

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Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.




WHOSE

Whose is the genitive of who. It shows a relationship of belonging. Whose is used in different ways:
1 – As an interrogative word, to ask who owns something:
  • Whose book is on my bed? 
  • Whose umbrella is that? 
  • Whose pen is it? 
2 – As a relative pronoun, in sentences where the relative subordinate expresses possession. It is always followed by a noun:
  • That’s the boy whose bike is broken. 
  • This is Mrs Smith, whose husband died recently. 
  • Paul works with that other guy whose name I can’t remember. 

⚠️ The noun that follows whose is never preceded by a determinant:

  • This is the boy whose the sister is my friend. 
  • Whose the bike is broken? Is it Tom’s bike or is it your bike? 

⚠️ Whose should not be confused with who’s (which means ‘who is‘). Who’s is used to ask about identity, not possession:

  • Who’s that girl? 
  • Whose sister is she? 

WHOM

Whom is also an interrogative pronoun, but it is used instead to replace the subject of a question (it is mainly used in formal English):

  • Whom is this book about? 
  • Whom did Paul hired? 

Whom is also used in statements instead of the subject of a clause. We say, for example:

  • This is my friend whom I just told you about. 
  • She’s calling the friend with whom she is living. 

⚠️ If the antecedent is not human, you have to use which:

  • This is the house which I bought. 

©Englishfornoobs.com

How to use Would rather in english

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How to use Would rather in English

 

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Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.




Rather is an adverb of degree and nuance that is also used to express alternatives and preferences.

Rather as a degree adverb

Rather is used to emphasize an adjective or adverb. Rather is often used to suggest an idea of something unexpected or surprising (it can be replaced by remarkably):

  • It’s rather cold today. 
  • The film was rather good. 
  • Paul speaks Spanish rather well. 
  • My city is rather small in comparison with Paris. 

⚠️Rather or quite? Rather has a meaning similar to quite (or fairly), even if these two words have a rather positive meaning, while rather has a rather negative meaning.

  • It’s quite warm today  (positive sense)
  • It’s rather warm today  (negative sense)

Alternatives and preferences with Rather than

Rather than is used to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are compared. It can be replaced by ‘instead of’.

  • Let’s take the train rather than the bus. 
  • I would prefer to leave now rather than wait. 
  • He decided to write rather than telephone. 
  • It would be better to go in July rather than in August. 

⚠️ When the main clause has a verb in -ing, ‘rather than‘ can be followed by -ing:

  • I prefer walking rather than driving. 
  • I would rather spend my time traveling than working. 

Rather than is usually used when you want to compare two things. However, it can also be used at the beginning of a sentence. When we use rather than with a verb, we use the basic form or (less often) the -ing form of a verb:

  • Rather than walking, he ran. 
  • ❌ Rather than to pay … ❌

Wishes and preferences with Would rather

To talk about preferences or wishes, there is also the structure ‘would rather‘ (=’d rather) followed by the infinitive without to. It can be replaced by ‘prefer to‘:

  • I’d rather go alone. 
  • I don’t want to go to the cinema. I’d rather stay here. 

To say that a person would prefer another person to do something, ‘would rather‘ is usually followed by a tense in the past:

  • I’d rather (that) you came another time. 

To express regrets about something that has already happened, ‘would rather‘ is followed by the past perfect tense (it is similar to ‘wish‘):

  • I’d rather you hadn’t done that.

Rather with adjective + noun

With a/an we generally use rather a/an + adjective + noun, but we can also use a rather + adjective + noun.

With other determinants (some, those) we use determinant + rather + adjective + noun:

  • We had to wait rather a long time. (= We had to wait a rather long time. – less common) 
  • He helped her out of rather an bad situation. (= He helped her out of a rather bad situation.) 
  • I had some rather good news today. 
  • ❌ I had rather some good news today. ❌

Rather a + noun

Rather a followed by a name is used more in formal language than in informal language (especially written):

  • It was rather a shock when I heard the news. 

Rather a lot

We often use rather with a lot to refer to large quantities of something:

  • This requires rather a lot of experience. 
  • There is rather a lot to do. 

We also use rather a lot with a meaning of ‘often’:

  • They went there rather a lot. 
  • This happens rather a lot. 

Rather + verb

Rather is often used to highlight verbs such as enjoy, hate, hope, like, love:

  • I was rather hoping you’d forgotten about that. 
  • I rather hate Indian food, actually.

Rather in short answers

Rather can be used to make a short answer:

  • ‘Are you comfortable?’ ‘Yes, rather!’ 

Rather to make comparisons

We use rather with more or less + an adjective or adverb to make a comparison with something (especially in writing):

  • I’m rather more concerned about the pollution. 
  • The country is rather less strong today than it was five years ago. 

Rather like

Rather with like is used to refer to similarities. Rather like then means ‘quite similar to’:

  • They were small insects, rather like cockroaches. 
  • I felt rather like a student facing his professor. 

Or rather

We use or rather to correct what we have just said, or to clarify things:

  • Her daughter is a doctor, or rather, a dentist. 
  • Paul picked us up in his car, or rather his dad’s car which he’d borrowed. 
  • He explained what this building is, or rather, what it was. 
  • He had to walk, or rather, run to the office. 

 

©Englishfornoobs.com

May and Might – lesson pdf

Posted on by in grammar

May and might

 

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Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.




How to use May and Might in English ?

May and might are modal verbs. Might is the preterite of may and their use can be classified into two categories:

To express permission

We may use to ask politely:

  • May I ask you a question?

One can also use may to grant permission:

  • You may stay up late this evening. 

May can also be used to formulate a prohibition:

  • You may not smoke here. 

Might only express a permission in reported speech with a subordinate:

  • I asked her if I might borrow her car. 

May is only used in the present context. The equivalent in past and future contexts is be allowed to (to be authorized to, to have the right to…)

  • She wasn’t allowed to drink sodas. 
  • I hope that I’ll be allowed to watch TV tonight. 

To express the hypothesis

We also use may to suggest a probability, an uncertainty or a possibility, when we are not sure of something:

  • She may be jealous. 
  • You may be right but I’ll have to check. 

With might, the speaker expresses a greater uncertainty than with may:

  • He might not live here. 
  • It might not rain today. 

⚠️ Do not confuse might + verb and might + be v-ing:

  • He might play soccer.  (in general)
  • He might be playing soccer.  (right now)

⚠️ Do not confuse can and may:

  • This watch can be damaged by misuse. →  This watch may be damaged if it is not used properly.
  • This watch may be damaged by misuse. →  This watch may be damaged due to misuse. 

 

©Englishfornoobs.com

Compound nouns rules pdf

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Compound nouns rules in English

 

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Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.




In English, to form compound names, two or more names are associated, which can be juxtaposed, joined or simply separated by a dash:

  • a bookshop 
  • a bread knife 
  • a beach towel 
  • a horse-race 
  • the city-centre 

There are also other constructions possible, but they are rarer: with a gerund (ing) + noun, a particle + noun, or a noun + particle:

  • a checkout 
  • winbdsurfing 

It’ss always the last element that bears the mark of the plural (with some exceptions). It is then necessary to add an -s to the last element:

  • a bus driver 
  • the bus drivers 
  • a toothbrush 
  • two toothbrushes 

There are a few exceptions:

  • a sports car 
  • a savings account 
  • a clothes shop 
  • a customs officer 

USE

It is always the last noun that is the most important. The one or those which precede it play the role of adjective: they describe the last word.

  • a flower garden 
  • a garden flower 

A compound noun is used when the relationship between the two nouns is recognized as constant. The meaning of the relationship between nouns is diverse: place, use, material, cause, etc…

  • the town centre 
  • a stone bridge 

Be careful! We use noun + of + noun, and not a compound noun, to talk about a quantity of something.

  • a piece of cheese 
  • a slice of ham 
  • a box of matches 
  • a spoonful of honey 
  • a group of tourists 

Be careful to distinguish the container and content:

  • a glass of wine 
  • a wine glass 
  • a tea cup 
  • a cup of tea 

Some compound nouns have a particle at the end:

  • a take-off 
  • a close-up 
  • a passer-by 
  • a grown-up 
  • a breakdown
  • a handout 
  • a breakthrough 

The plural is formed by adding an -s to the particle:

  • breakdowns 
  • grown-ups 

The particle can sometimes be at the beginning of the compound noun (in these cases the plural is formed by adding -s to the last word):

  • an outbreak 
  • an oucast 
  • an overdose 
  • an income

Compound nouns are widely used in newspaper headlines and technical language. They sometimes have more than two elements:

  • An evening dress rental service 

 

©Englishfornoobs.com

So and Such pdf

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So and Such in English

 

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Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.




So and such can be used in several different ways in English sentences.

SO and SUCH in exclamations

Both words can add emphasis to your sentences, to make the meaning stronger. In the exclamations, we use the formula so + adjective and such + adjective + noun (singular or plural):

  • It’s such a nice day! (noun)
  • It’s so beautiful outside…  (adjective)
  • He’s such a generous man.  (noun)
  • He’s so generous. (adjective)

The meaning is similar to words like ‘very’ or ‘really’:

  • The music is very loud! = The music is so loud!
  • She’s in a very bad mood today. = She’s in such a bad mood today.

Let’s take a closer look at So and Such:

SO

As an adverb, so is similar to such and expresses an exclamation. It is often associated with an adjective, a quantifier (= a quantity word like many, much…), or a verb, and has different meanings according to the context:

  • I’m so glad to see you. 
  • I’m not so sure. 
  • We had so much work! 
  • You mustn’t worry so. 

So is also used to express the consequence:

  • I fel tired so I went to bed. 

We use so to express similarity:

  • I’m tired – So am I. 
  • Sam likes soccer. – So do I. 
  • Kevin lives in Germany. → So does Tina. 

So allows you to refer to previous statements or events:

  • I think so. 
  • Who says so? 
  • So… ? 
  • So what’s the problem? 
  • So we can’t go after all. 

So helps to avoid repetitions:

  • We arrived early and so did he. 
  • Tonny speaks Spanish and so does his friend. 

So can refer to a size, a length, an unspecified quantity:

  • The table is about so high. 
  • They pay us so much a week. 

So can also refer to a way of doing things:

  • Hold the pen (like) so. 
  • The helmet is so constructed as to absorb most of the impact. 

Finally, so can be used with quantifiers: much, many, little, few, often, rarely… This makes it possible to know a quantity, an amount of something:

  • Sarah earns so much money! 
  • You have had so much to drink! 
  • There was so little damage after the storm.
  • I’m surprised that so few students turned up today. 

The constructions So… that and such … that are used to express purpose and consequence:

So + adjective + that 

  • The hotel was so comfortable that we decided to stay another night.
  • Give me some money so (that) I can buy some eggs. 
  • I took a taxi so that I could get there on time. 
  • His handwriting is so bad (that) it’s illegible. 

The expression so as to, more formal, also expresses the purpose:

  • We came back early so as to avoid the bad weather. 

SUCH

We use Such in front of names that can be counted in the singular, and in front of nouns that can be counted in the plural and uncountables nouns.

Such (a/an) expresses an exclamation or admiration and is used differently according to the context:

  • It’s such a surprise to see you here. 
  • Such situations are common. 
  • He’s changed his mind again. Oh well, such is life. 

Idioms with Such

Such … as can be used to make a comparison :

  • I’ve never seen such a fast car as yours. 

We use such as to present one or a list of examples of what we mention (it is mainly used in writing):

  • How can you forget a movie such as ‘Star Wars’?
  • I love action video games, such as Assassin’s Creed, GTA or Resident Evil. 
  • There are many ways to do it. – Such as? 

We use as such with a negative to indicate that a word or expression is not a very accurate description of the real situation. It can also be used after a noun to indicate that this thing is being considered alone, separately from other things or factors:

  • He’s not an expert as such, but … 
  • You’re a member of the staff and as such you can get coffe for free. 

Such and such is used to refer to a particular type of person or similar thing, regardless. Such and such is placed in front of the nouns:

  • Then she said the band was coming to Glasgow on such and such a date. 
  • If you do such and such a job, you will become rich. 

The constructions So… that and such … that are used to express the purpose and consequence: Such + adjective + noun + that (that is optional):

  • It’s such a good film (that) I’m going to see it again. 
  • Paul has such a big house (that) I got lost on the way to the kitchen. 

 

©Englishfornoobs.com

Countable and uncountable nouns (PDF)

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Countable and uncountable nouns in English

 

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Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.




There are two categories of nouns in English: countable nouns and uncountable nouns in English. They must be distinguished because their use is different.

Countable nouns

Countable nouns refer to distinct elements, things that we can count. In front of a countable noun, we can use a number, the indefinite articles a/an, the defined article the, some (in the plural), or a possessive or demonstrative adjective. They can be used either in the singular or plural, usually with a final -s:

  • a car → two cars
  • an orange → three oranges
  • one girl → two girls
  • a friend → four friends

These names can be counted, so they are countable.

However, there are spelling irregularities as well as exceptions and invariable words (which do not change to the plural) – for more details see the lesson on plurals.

  • man → men
  • woman → women
  • baby → babies
  • tooth → teeth
  • child → children
  • kiss → kisses
  • knife → knives
  • mouse → mice
  • tomato → tomatoes
  • sheep → sheep
  • deer → deer
  • aircraft → aircraft

Uncountable nouns

The uncountable nouns represent global things, which cannot be counted. They may not be preceded by a number or a year. They require a verb in the singular. Often, uncountable nouns do not have a plural.

  • I hate milk. 

Milk cannot be counted, so it is an uncountable noun. You can’t say: I hate the milk

The uncountable nouns are generally:

  • Materials, substances or food too small or too fluid to be counted one by one (liquid, powder, gas): coffee, flour, butter, blood, gold, cheese, bread, honey, air, milk, rice, sugar, tea, water, soap, jam, paint
  • Human feelings or qualities: beauty, fear, anger, love
  • Abstract concepts, ideas or qualities: information, knowledge, luck, safety, money, evidence, weather, advice, transport
  • Nouns formed from verbs or adjectives: reading, youth 
  • colours: red, yellow, etc…
  • The names of sports and games: football, billiards, chess, darts…

⚠️ These nouns are invariable and always followed by a verb in the singular:

  • Her hair is black. 

How to quantify uncountable nouns

To indicate a quantity of elements, or to isolate a unit from a set represented by an uncountable noun, it is sometimes necessary to use expressions or measures that make it possible to count them more or less precisely (also called “enumerator”): some, a lot of, a bit of, a cup of, a bag of, a handful of, a pinch of…

  • a bag of flour 
  • a bowl of soup 
  • a cup of tea 
  • a game of tennis 
  • a glimmer of hope 
  • a handful of almonds 
  • a kilo of rice 
  • a loaf of bread 
  • a lump of sugar 
  • a means of transport 
  • a piece of advice 
  • a piece of cake 
  • a piece of fruit 
  • a piece of furniture 
  • a pinch of salt 
  • a sheet of paper 
  • a slice of bread 
  • a spoonful of jam 
  • some advice 

⚠️ Some singular uncountable nouns are not used with a enumerator. It may be that:

  • Some nouns formed from verbs: advertising, skating…
  • Some disease names: AIDS, flu, measles…
  • Abstract values: business, happiness, justice, poverty, unemployment, weather…
  • Names in -ics: athletics, economics, electronics, mathematics, mechanics, physics, politics…

⚠️ The article ‘a’ is sometimes found in front of some uncountable nouns, in some expressions in particular:

  • I’m in a hurry 
  • What a relief! 
  • What a shame! 

An uncountable singular can be replaced by a countable noun, which can be completely different:

Uncountable nouns Countable nouns
accomodation a room, a flat
advertising an advertisement
fishing a good catch
homework an exercise
progress a breakthrough
travel a trip, a journey
work a job

Compare:

  • He’s looking for work (in general)
  • He’s looking for a job (something specific)

⚠️ The word hair is normally uncountable in English, so it is used in the singular. It can also become countable only when it refers to one hair:

  • She has long blond hair. 
  • I washed my hair yesterday. 
  • I found a hair in my soup! 

Plural uncountable nouns 

Some uncountable names are always in the plural:: clothes, contents, customs, goods, looks, morals, oats, stairs, jeans, pyjamas, shorts, trousers, tights, binoculars, glasses, pliers, scales, scissors…

They always match with a plural verb!

  • Where are the binoculars? 
  • Those stairs don’t look very safe.

If you want to talk about one or more specific objects, you must use a enumerator:

  • two flights of stairs 
  • I need three pair of jeans 
  • a pair of scissors 

Plural uncountable nouns with a collective meaning

Nouns like clergy, police, poultry, cattle… have a collective meaning: contrary to their appearance, they are true plurals and they always require a verb in the plural, with the personal pronoun they:

  • Cattle are fed with grass 
  • The police are coming 

Category change

Some countable nouns can be used as uncountable nouns: they change their meaning and function:

  • Give me a glass of wine.  (the container)
  • Look out for broken glass.  (the material)
  • I’ve got two chickens in my garden. (birds)
  • I’ve had chicken for lunch. (meat)

 

©Englishfornoobs.com

100 most common Phrasal Verbs list

Posted on by in Vocabulary

100 most common Phrasal Verbs list

To download and print this free English vocabulary list, click here.

Feel free to leave a comment if you find any errors or if you have any suggestions to make to improve this lesson.



 

TOP 100 PHRASAL VERBS
break down live up to
believe in look after
blow up look down
break down look out
break off look up (something/somebody)
break out make (something) up
bring back make out
bring in meet up
bring out move in
call back move out
call off move up
call round phone up (and ring up)
carry on pick out
carry out pick up
check in point out
cheer up put down
come along put in
come back put off
come in put on
come out put out
come over queue up
eat out read out
fall out rely on / upon
fall over rub out
find out run out (of)
get back save up
get down sell out
get in set about
get off set down
get on set off
get out settle down
get up show off
give back sit back
give in sit down
give out sort out
give up take off
go back take on
go down tell off
go over throw away
go round try on
go through turn around
go up turn back
grow up turn down
hang around turn round
hang up turn up
hold back wait up
hold on wake up
hold up wash up
hurry up work out
join in write down

 

©Englishfornoobs.com