UNIT 21 – Nouns and Quantifiers

NOUNS
Types of nouns:

1. Proper nouns: Names of people (Abraham), places (Egypt), nationalities (Chinese),

months (March), seasons (spring)

Capitalize the first letters of proper nouns (except seasons). Use ‘the’ before seasons (the
summer).

2. Common nouns: No Names of people (sailor), places (city), and things (eggs)

Types of common nouns:

1. Count nouns: There is no scale of measurement for them.

2. Non-count nouns: There is a scale of measurement (kilo, meter, liter, Rial, …) for them.
(corn, chocolate, fish, gold, money, …)

Important: Theses are also non-count nouns (equipment, homework, news, furniture,
information, work)

Non-count nouns;
1. have no plural forms
2. take singular verbs and pronouns
3. are not usually used with “a / an”

Non-count nouns:

Food: Bread, butter, cake, cheese, chicken, chocolate, coffee, cream, fat, fish, ice cream, lettuce,
meat, pasta, pizza, salad, soup, spaghetti, tea, yogurt.

Liquids and gases: air, gasoline, milk, oil, oxygen, water

Materials: cotton, glass, gold, leather, paper, wood, wool
School subjects: art, English, math, music, photography, science
Very small things: dust, pepper, rice, salt, sand, sugar
Weather: fog, ice, rain, snow, wind
Names of categories: equipment, food, furniture, homework, jewelry, money, mail, work

The following are also non-count nouns:

Advice, garbage/trash, information, traffic, news
Do not pluralize them.

QUANTIFIERS
What is a quantifier?
A quantifier is a word or phrase that shows an amount (but not an exact amount) of
something.
1. Some, any, enough, a lot of
These can be used with both count and non-count nouns.

Some books, some money,

any books, any money,
enough books, enough money,
a lot of books, a lot of money

What is the difference between “some” and “any”?

I have some books.

Do you have any books?
I don’t have any books.

2. many, a few, few, several

These are just used with count nouns in affirmative sentences.

Many people, many books

A few members (=not a lot, but enough)
Few members (=not enough)
Several storms

3. much, a little, little, a great deal of

These are used with non-count nouns in affirmative sentences.

Much money, much planning

A little trouble, a little news, a little information (=not a lot, but enough)
Little trouble, little news, little information (=not enough)
A great deal of food, a great deal of money

What is the difference between much and a lot of?

We saw much pollution. (very formal)

We saw a lot of pollution. (less formal)

UNIT 22 – Articles: Indefinite and Definite

\Nouns
1. Definite: the book, some books, some money
2. Indefinite: a book, an apple

Examples:
a. let’s buy a book.
b. Let’s buy the book.
c. Let’s buy an book.
d. Let’s buy book.
 a. There are books on the floor. Are they yours?
b. There are some books on the floor. Are they yours?
c. There are the books on the floor. Are they yours?

More examples:

A: what do you do?

B: I am a chef. (“a” is used here to say what someone is)
A: What are these?
B: They’re beans. I’m making soup. (no article for plural count and singular non-count
nouns)
A: And this?
B: It’s bread. I just baked it. (no article for singular non-count nouns)

General Statements

a. John loves stories and music. (no article for general statements)

b. I like some stories, but a lot of them are boring. (“some” can be used in general
statements)

Uniqueness

a. Shakespeare is famous all of the world.

b. The moon was shining brightly.
c. The earth is where we live.
d. The sky is blue.

Exception: God

Context
A: Who is she?
B: She is the teacher.

A: The food was great.

B: I enjoyed it too.

Second time
a. An ant lived next to a river. One day, the ant went to the river to drink.
b. They ate cake. The cake was delicious.

Phrase or adjective
Use “the” before best, only, right, and wrong

a. He was the best hunter in the country.

b. He served the only food he had.
c. This is the right time to act.
d. I know the right answer.
e. The clock showed the wrong time.

Place of adjectives
a. Old fables are great.
b. We read the first story in the book.
c. He has some beautiful old books.