martes, 2 de noviembre de 2010

Countables and Uncountables

Contables
Los contables son aquellos nombres de cosas, gente, etc que nosotros podemos contar. Por ejemplo nosotros podemos decir: one pencil, two pencils, three pencils... Entonces decimos que pencil es contable.

chair, book, cat, pen, box, letter ...

Incontables
Incontable es todo aquello que nosotros no podemos contar. Por ejemplo nosotros no podemos decir: one rice, two rices, three rices... Entonces decimos que rice es incontable.

salt, wood, tea, wine, sugar, oxygen, advice, bread, furniture, hair, information, money, news, spaghetti, weather, rice

Quantifiers

much or many
much: uncountable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.)
many: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)

Examples:
How much money have you got?
How many dollars have you got?


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a little or a few
a little: non countable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.)
a few: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)

Examples:
He has a little money left.
He has a few dollars left.


some: affirmative statements, offers, requests and in questions when you expect the answer "yes"

any: negative statements, questions

Have you got any bananas? No, we haven't got any. But we've got some oranges.

Can Should

Can
"Can" is one of the most commonly used modal verbs in English. It can be used to express ability or opportunity, to request or offer permission, and to show possibility or impossibility.

Examples:

•I can ride a horse. ability
•We can stay with my brother when we are in Paris. opportunity
•She cannot stay out after 10 PM. permission
•Can you hand me the stapler? request
•Any child can grow up to be president. possibility

Should
"Should" is most commonly used to make recommendations or give advice. It can also be used to express obligation as well as expectation.

Examples:

•When you go to Berlin, you should visit the palaces in Potsdam. recommendation
•You should focus more on your family and less on work. advice
•I really should be in the office by 7:00 AM. obligation
•By now, they should already be in Dubai. expectation