| |
A or an?
- a
is used before words beginning with a consonant sound:
- a biscuit,
a history book, a European, a universal
truth, a UN official, a one-way street
- an
is used before words beginning with a vowel sound:
- an apple,
an honest man, an MP, an X-ray, an
L-shaped room, an SOS
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Countables
/ uncountables
| |
Countables |
Uncountables |
| a, an |
Would you like a
biscuit? |
- |
| several, many, five |
There were several
biscuits left. |
- |
| prop-word one |
This is the last one. |
- |
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Some
uncountable nouns that take the indefinite article in
English
- That's a pity.
- What a shame!
- They're making
such a noise.
- Roy takes an interest
in stamps.
But as countables:
- I heard some
strange noises.
- Stamps are one of
his chief interests (=
hobbies).
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Regular
and irregular usage with what
| a.
What an interesting rule! |
C,
singular |
regular |
| b.
What beautiful weather!
|
U |
regular |
| c.
What a pity!
|
U |
irregular |
C
: countable , U : uncountable
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Some
countable nouns in set expressions
- make a speech
- have a headache
- drive a car
- get an answer
- look for a job
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Nouns
denoting groups or categories of people
I'm an American. I'm a
teacher. I'm an idiot.
| |
article
in English |
| nationality |
I'm an
American. |
| occupation |
I am (became)
a teacher . |
| politics |
I am (became)
a Conservative. |
| religion |
I am (became)
a Catholic. |
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A
reminder
Some nouns that are uncountable
or always plural in English.
 Uncountable |
an item of news, a
news item, a loaf of bread |
| Always
Plural |
a pair of scissors, a
pair of binoculars |
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Specific reference
| Shall I shut the
window? |
| Pass the
salt, please. |
| The eggs are in the
fridge. |
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General reference
| U : uncountable |
C : countable |
pl : plural |
sing : singular |
General reference
- a. Oil (U) is lighter than
water (U).
- b. Apples (C pl) are good
for you.
- c. Without the motor car (C
sing), things would come to a halt.
Specific
reference
- d. Here's the oil (U) I
bought yesterday
- e. Who's eaten the apples'?
(C pl)
- f. Without the car (C sing),
I wouldn't get to work in time.
Rule:
Uncountables and countable plurals used in a general
sense do not take the definite article.
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Example -
oil, apples
| Oil is expensive just now. |
| Apples will be cheap this autumn. |
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Example - literature
| a. I like to read
modern American literature. |
| b. Modern American
literature often deals with problems of identity |
| c. The modern
American literature that l've read. |
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the +
noun + of + noun
| the names of the books |
| the owner of the car |
| the front of the house |
| the roofs of the houses |
| the price of food |
| the cost of living |
| (or: food prices / living
costs - no article) |
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Two
difficult nouns: economy and industry
 the
(British) economy |
|
| adj. economic
(policy, problems) |
adj.
economical (method, product) |
| (British)
industry |
|
| adj.
industrial (worker, conflict) |
adj.
industrious (student) |
| But: the car
industry, the steel industry |
|
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Proper Nouns
| Singular |
Plural |
| Queen Elizabeth |
the Johnsons |
| Big Ben |
the Midlands |
| modern Europe |
the Netherlands |
| medieval Rome |
|
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The
definite article with uncountables
| The
weather is improving. |
| The
traffic is very heavy at this time of day. |
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|
Three
commonly confused nouns: opportunity, possibility, chance
These nouns can be used
similarly, but do not mean quite the same thing. The complementation
patterns are also usually different.
eg I have the
opportunity to go / of going to Beijing
next month. (= I can go if I want to do so - opportunity is a choice)
The noun opportunity
is often used in these structures:
| opportunity
+ to + infinitive |
| opportunity
+ of + -ing |
| opportunity
+ for + noun |
The noun possibility
is usually used in these structures:
| possibility
+ of + -ing |
| possibility
+ that + clause |
eg There's a
possibility (that) I will go / of my going to
Beijing next month. (= I may go - there is no choice
involved)
Ö : This
is a good opportunity
to learn more.
Ö : This
is a good opportunity
for making some money.
Ö : There is
little possibility
of house prices rising next year.
û: There is
little opportunity
of house prices rising next year.
The noun chance
can be used to have the meaning of either possibility
or opportunity,
and can also be used in the complementation structures shown above.
Ö : This
is a good chance
to make some money.
Ö : There is
little chance
of house prices rising next year.
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|
Possessive
+ own + noun The
word own
is used as a noun modifier following a possessive, and is used to
emphasize owning or having something yourself, in
contrast to having something which belongs to someone else.
| eg |
She really wants her own
apartment - she's tired of living in rented
accommodation. |
| |
It's time he found his own place. |
| |
She has her own opinions - you
can't change her mind. |
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