Countable / Uncountable Nouns
A noun can be countable or uncountable. Countable nouns can be "counted", they have a singular and plural form .
For example:
• A book, two books, three books .....
• An apple, two apples, three apples ....
Uncountable nouns (also called mass nouns or noncount nouns) cannot be counted, they are not seperate objects. This means you cannot make them plural by adding -s, because they only have a singular form. It also means that they do not take a/an or a number in front of them.
For example:
• Water
• Work
• Information
• Coffee
• Sand
Countable
(use a/an or a number in front of countable nouns) Uncountable
(there is no a/an or number with uncountable nouns)
An Apple / 1 Apple Rice
I eat an apple every day. I eat rice every day. (not I eat a rice every day.)
Add (s) to make a countable noun plural There is no plural form for an uncountable noun
apples rice
I eat an apple every day. Apples are good for you. I eat rice every day. Rice is good for you.
A computer= Computers are fun. To make uncountable nouns countable add a counting word, such as a unit of measurement, or the general word piece. We use the form "a ....... of ......."
An elephant=Elephants are large. Rice=a grain of rice
Water=a glass of water
Rain=a drop of rain
Music=a piece of music
You can use some and any with countable nouns.
Some dogs can be dangerous.
I don't use any computers at work. You can use some and any with uncountable nouns.
I usually drink some wine with my meal.
I don't usually drink any water with my wine.
You only use many and few with plural countable nouns.
So many elephants have been hunted that they are an endangered species.
There are few elephants in England. You only use much and little with uncountable nouns.
I don't usually drink much coffee.
Little wine is undrinkable though.
You can use a lot of and no with plural countable nouns.
No computers were bought last week.
A lot of computers were reported broken the week before. You can use a lot of and no with uncountable nouns.
A lot of wine is drunk in France.
No wine is drunk in Iran.
Making uncountable nouns countable
You can make most uncountable noun countable by putting a countable expression in front of the noun.
For example:-
• A piece of information.
• 2 glasses of water.
• 10 litres of coffee.
• Three grains of sand.
• A pane of glass.
Sources of confusion with countable and uncountable nouns
The notion of countable and uncountable can be confusing.
Some nouns can be countable or uncountable depending on their meaning. Usually a noun is uncountable when used in a general, abstract meaning (when you don't think of it as a separate object) and countable when used in a particular meaning (when you can think of it as a separate object).
For example:-
glass - A glass of water. (Countable) | A window made of glass. (Uncountable)
Some supposedly uncountable nouns can behave like countable nouns if we think of them as being in containers, or one of several types.
This is because 'containers' and 'types' can be counted.
Believe it or not each of these sentences is correct:-
Doctors recommend limiting consumption to two coffees a day.
(Here coffees refers to the number of cups of coffee)
You could write; "Doctors recommend limiting consumption to two cups of coffee a day."
The coffees I prefer are Arabica and Brazilian.
(Here coffees refers to different types of coffee)
You could write; "The types of coffee I prefer are Arabica and Brazilian."
Selasa, 12 April 2011
countable and uncountable
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
the, a, an
Plurals
Types of Uncountable Nouns
Noun Practice
Back to Nouns
Back to Exercises
Countable nouns refer to things that that can be counted. They are usually tangible things, things that can be perceived by one of our senses (taste, touch, sight, hearing, smell). These nouns can be either singular or plural.
Concrete nouns can be countable.
Flowers, oranges, trees, houses, bricks, cars, men, women, cats, birds
Joseph slipped on a banana peel. How many banana peels did Joseph slip on? Just one.
Cody ate a piece of cake. Pieces of cake can be counted.
Paul saw an anteater at the zoo. Anteaters can be counted.
Collective nouns can be countable or uncountable, depending on the meaning of the sentence.
Collective nouns refer to a group (army, committee, group, government, etc.) Americans tend to use collective nouns as singular nouns:
The crowd is cheering.
The navy was commissioning three new cruisers last week.
The group has elected Rodney to be chairman.
Some proper nouns are countable.
There are more Irish in New York than in Eire. (Irish people...How many Irish people are in...)
The Rockefellers produced several statesmen.
An uncountable noun refers to something that can't be counted, because it's thought of as a whole that can’t be cut into parts. They are often abstract, and occasionally have a collective meaning. (for example, food; Is the food ready now?) These nouns take only the singular form.
Correct: 1) I want to eat the food you made yesterday. Is it still good? 2) Yes, some of it is still good.
Correct: I gave the dog three pieces of food, but he only ate two.
Correct: I don't enjoy food when it's served cold. I like hot food to be served hot, and cold food to be served cold.
Incorrect: Don't give him an old food. Only give the dog a fresh food.
Jasper jumped into the air. How many airs did he jump into? The question doesn’t make any sense because air can't be counted.
Myra enjoyed the warm weather. How many weathers? Weather cannot be counted.
Diana didn't like the music the band played at the concert. How many musics? Music cannot be counted. Use the word songs when you want to count how much music you have.)
There are exceptions to the above definitions. (Be aware that a countable noun in a different language may not be countable in English, and vice versa.
Exceptions: Meanings can change, according to how the word is used. This is just a sampling:
Countable—concrete and specific Uncountable—abstract; general statement of fact
The lectures were scheduled once a week during the summer. We went to hear all eight lectures. lecture He hates lectures.
Kids can make a lot of different noises. (different kinds of sounds) noise Kids can make a lot of noise. (Kids, generally, make noise, and a lot of it!)
For Sale: House with 6 rooms and a barn room There wasn’t any room for me on the plane. (room, meaning space)
We had three great meals at the hotel. meal It’s not healthy to skip meals.
The Mona Lisa is a famous work by DaVinci. There are three other Da Vinci works in the museum. work All the work he does is done very carefully.
An easy way to identify uncountable nouns is by category. This is only a partial list.
Things made up of small pieces
cereal sand rice sugar
corn rye popcorn salt
lettuce hair flour oats
dust spinach garlic powder
Wholes composed of individual parts
These nouns represent collections made up of similar individual parts, which are usually countable nouns. Many of these collective nouns have more than one kind of individual component.
Collection Sample Components
mail package, letter
vegetable carrot, tomato
clothing slacks, shoes
food cookie, cracker
fruit pineapple, banana
furniture bed, chair
garbage egg shell, tin can
jewelry ring, bracelet
machinery flywheel, cog
Note: Sometimes an uncountable noun can be understood as an individual item that's distinct from other items of the same category. These nouns are often foods and beverages: pastry /pastries, drink/drinks, wine/wines, bread/breads, cheese/cheeses, tea/teas, etc.
• Men seem to like Limburger cheese more than other kinds. (kinds of cheese)
• Marlene drinks Indian tea, not Chinese tea. (kinds of tea)
• Some people prefer Danish pastry to French pastry. (kinds of pastry)
Fields of study and professional fields
physics geography geology music
advertising medicine grammar mechanics
biology economics history accounting
sociology law mathematics linguistics
Abstract ideas
strength equality sadness love selfishness
anger happiness knowledge patriotism slang
wonder hatred laughter peace trouble
courage health laziness permission wealth
crime help leisure relaxation wisdom
Liquids
oil water milk gasoline
syrup coffee vodka juice
tea soda molasses saliva
Gases
helium methane
air oxygen
ether ozone
carbon monoxide hydrogen
Solids, minerals, and elements
Countable and uncountable nouns that refer to a generalized mass
lava chicken cotton iron wood
pork wool fire lamb plastic
beef cloth glass lead silver
ice coal gold meat soap
bread concrete cheese ice steel
Sports and Recreational Activities
archery bridge jogging swimming
aerobics checkers Monopoly tag
badminton chess Scrabble tennis
baseball football soccer water polo
bowling hockey surfing volleyball
Natural Phenomena
snow cold darkness dew fog frost gravity hail
humidity light lightning mist rain sleet heat thunder
Medical Conditions
An article does not precede terms for general medical conditions. When referring to specific instances of a medical condition or disease, some uncountable nouns use the; others do not use any article.
General statement: Measles is a childhood disease.
Specific statement: He has the German measles.
arthritis hiccups cancer polio tuberculosis
AIDS flu measles smallpox lupus
Scientific processes and procedures
anesthesia electroshock
fission fusion
sonar radar
dissection dialysis
Articles
Notice that this, that, these, and those have been included because like the word the, they mark a definite noun rather than a general one.
a, an the this, that these, those no article
Countable singular Countable singular Countable singular
Countable plural Countable plural Countable plural
Uncountable Uncountable
Countable Singular:
• She peeled the orange.
• He drove the car.
• Did they see this movie?
Countable Plural:
• I love to watch the squirrels play.
• Does Patricia want these videos?
• I think she prefers those videos that are on the next shelf.
• Dogs are faithful to their owners. (no article)
Uncountable:
• The heat is awful today.
• Thunder scares me. (no article)
Plurals: Although uncountable nouns do not usually take a plural form, they can when used in a countable sense.
• •most countable nouns can be made plural adding s, or ies (study, studies)
• uncountable nouns can't be made plural at all
• nouns used in a countable sense can be made plural
• nouns used in an uncountable sense can't have a plural form.
No Plural Plural
uncountable noun countable noun
uncountable Use countable use
Uncountable (general) Use Countable (specific) Use
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have heard about the beauties of the French countryside.
He likes to eat cake. He brought four double-fudge chocolate cakes to the party.
She has gorgeous hair. The detective found several blond hairs on the body of the victim.
Anthropology is the study of man. Those men standing at the coffee machine were my teachers last year at school.
the, a, an
Plurals
Types of Uncountable Nouns
Noun Practice
Back to Nouns
Back to Exercises
Countable nouns refer to things that that can be counted. They are usually tangible things, things that can be perceived by one of our senses (taste, touch, sight, hearing, smell). These nouns can be either singular or plural.
Concrete nouns can be countable.
Flowers, oranges, trees, houses, bricks, cars, men, women, cats, birds
Joseph slipped on a banana peel. How many banana peels did Joseph slip on? Just one.
Cody ate a piece of cake. Pieces of cake can be counted.
Paul saw an anteater at the zoo. Anteaters can be counted.
Collective nouns can be countable or uncountable, depending on the meaning of the sentence.
Collective nouns refer to a group (army, committee, group, government, etc.) Americans tend to use collective nouns as singular nouns:
The crowd is cheering.
The navy was commissioning three new cruisers last week.
The group has elected Rodney to be chairman.
Some proper nouns are countable.
There are more Irish in New York than in Eire. (Irish people...How many Irish people are in...)
The Rockefellers produced several statesmen.
An uncountable noun refers to something that can't be counted, because it's thought of as a whole that can’t be cut into parts. They are often abstract, and occasionally have a collective meaning. (for example, food; Is the food ready now?) These nouns take only the singular form.
Correct: 1) I want to eat the food you made yesterday. Is it still good? 2) Yes, some of it is still good.
Correct: I gave the dog three pieces of food, but he only ate two.
Correct: I don't enjoy food when it's served cold. I like hot food to be served hot, and cold food to be served cold.
Incorrect: Don't give him an old food. Only give the dog a fresh food.
Jasper jumped into the air. How many airs did he jump into? The question doesn’t make any sense because air can't be counted.
Myra enjoyed the warm weather. How many weathers? Weather cannot be counted.
Diana didn't like the music the band played at the concert. How many musics? Music cannot be counted. Use the word songs when you want to count how much music you have.)
There are exceptions to the above definitions. (Be aware that a countable noun in a different language may not be countable in English, and vice versa.
Exceptions: Meanings can change, according to how the word is used. This is just a sampling:
Countable—concrete and specific Uncountable—abstract; general statement of fact
The lectures were scheduled once a week during the summer. We went to hear all eight lectures. lecture He hates lectures.
Kids can make a lot of different noises. (different kinds of sounds) noise Kids can make a lot of noise. (Kids, generally, make noise, and a lot of it!)
For Sale: House with 6 rooms and a barn room There wasn’t any room for me on the plane. (room, meaning space)
We had three great meals at the hotel. meal It’s not healthy to skip meals.
The Mona Lisa is a famous work by DaVinci. There are three other Da Vinci works in the museum. work All the work he does is done very carefully.
An easy way to identify uncountable nouns is by category. This is only a partial list.
Things made up of small pieces
cereal sand rice sugar
corn rye popcorn salt
lettuce hair flour oats
dust spinach garlic powder
Wholes composed of individual parts
These nouns represent collections made up of similar individual parts, which are usually countable nouns. Many of these collective nouns have more than one kind of individual component.
Collection Sample Components
mail package, letter
vegetable carrot, tomato
clothing slacks, shoes
food cookie, cracker
fruit pineapple, banana
furniture bed, chair
garbage egg shell, tin can
jewelry ring, bracelet
machinery flywheel, cog
Note: Sometimes an uncountable noun can be understood as an individual item that's distinct from other items of the same category. These nouns are often foods and beverages: pastry /pastries, drink/drinks, wine/wines, bread/breads, cheese/cheeses, tea/teas, etc.
• Men seem to like Limburger cheese more than other kinds. (kinds of cheese)
• Marlene drinks Indian tea, not Chinese tea. (kinds of tea)
• Some people prefer Danish pastry to French pastry. (kinds of pastry)
Fields of study and professional fields
physics geography geology music
advertising medicine grammar mechanics
biology economics history accounting
sociology law mathematics linguistics
Abstract ideas
strength equality sadness love selfishness
anger happiness knowledge patriotism slang
wonder hatred laughter peace trouble
courage health laziness permission wealth
crime help leisure relaxation wisdom
Liquids
oil water milk gasoline
syrup coffee vodka juice
tea soda molasses saliva
Gases
helium methane
air oxygen
ether ozone
carbon monoxide hydrogen
Solids, minerals, and elements
Countable and uncountable nouns that refer to a generalized mass
lava chicken cotton iron wood
pork wool fire lamb plastic
beef cloth glass lead silver
ice coal gold meat soap
bread concrete cheese ice steel
Sports and Recreational Activities
archery bridge jogging swimming
aerobics checkers Monopoly tag
badminton chess Scrabble tennis
baseball football soccer water polo
bowling hockey surfing volleyball
Natural Phenomena
snow cold darkness dew fog frost gravity hail
humidity light lightning mist rain sleet heat thunder
Medical Conditions
An article does not precede terms for general medical conditions. When referring to specific instances of a medical condition or disease, some uncountable nouns use the; others do not use any article.
General statement: Measles is a childhood disease.
Specific statement: He has the German measles.
arthritis hiccups cancer polio tuberculosis
AIDS flu measles smallpox lupus
Scientific processes and procedures
anesthesia electroshock
fission fusion
sonar radar
dissection dialysis
Articles
Notice that this, that, these, and those have been included because like the word the, they mark a definite noun rather than a general one.
a, an the this, that these, those no article
Countable singular Countable singular Countable singular
Countable plural Countable plural Countable plural
Uncountable Uncountable
Countable Singular:
• She peeled the orange.
• He drove the car.
• Did they see this movie?
Countable Plural:
• I love to watch the squirrels play.
• Does Patricia want these videos?
• I think she prefers those videos that are on the next shelf.
• Dogs are faithful to their owners. (no article)
Uncountable:
• The heat is awful today.
• Thunder scares me. (no article)
Plurals: Although uncountable nouns do not usually take a plural form, they can when used in a countable sense.
• •most countable nouns can be made plural adding s, or ies (study, studies)
• uncountable nouns can't be made plural at all
• nouns used in a countable sense can be made plural
• nouns used in an uncountable sense can't have a plural form.
No Plural Plural
uncountable noun countable noun
uncountable Use countable use
Uncountable (general) Use Countable (specific) Use
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have heard about the beauties of the French countryside.
He likes to eat cake. He brought four double-fudge chocolate cakes to the party.
She has gorgeous hair. The detective found several blond hairs on the body of the victim.
Anthropology is the study of man. Those men standing at the coffee machine were my teachers last year at school.
degree of comparison
Degree of comparison
In English grammar the degree of comparison of an adjective or adverb that describes the relational value of one thing with something in another clause of a sentence. An adjective may simply describe a quality, (the positive); it may compare the quality with that of another of its kind (comparative degree); and it may compare the quality with many or all others (superlative degree). [1] In other languages it may describe a very large degree of a particular quality (in Semitic linguistics, called an elative).
The degree of comparison may be expressed morphologically, or syntactically. In English, for example, most monosyllabic and some disyllabic adjectives have morphological degrees of comparison: green (positive), greener (comparative), greenest (superlative); pretty, prettier, prettiest; while most polysyllabic adjectives use syntax: complex, more complex, most complex.
1. The positive degree is the most basic form of the adjective, positive because it does not relate to any superior or inferior qualities of other things in speech.
2. The comparative degree denotes a greater amount of a quality relative to something else. The phrase “Anna is taller than her father” means that Anna's degree of tallness is greater than her father's degree of tallness.
3. The superlative degree denotes the most, the largest, etc., by which it differs from other things.
Rhetorical use of unbalanced comparatives
In some contexts, such as advertising or political speeches, absolute and relative comparatives are intentionally employed in a way that invites a comparison, and yet the basis of comparison is not established. This is a common rhetorical device used to create an implication of significance where one may not actually be present. Although such usage is common, it is sometimes considered ungrammatical.
For example:
• Always!
• Why pay more?
• We work harder.
• We sell for less!
for Example : Seethapathi is a talent boy (Positive degree)
Seethapathi is more talent than his brother (Comparative degree)
Seethapathi is the most talent between his brothers (Superlative degree)
English usage
Traditional English grammar uses the comparative form when comparing exactly two things, and the superlative when comparing three or more, but in informal usage this may not hold.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Good Better Best
Beautiful More Beautiful Most Beautiful
Big Bigger Biggest
Tall Taller Tallest
Sincere More Sincere Most Sincere
Small Smaller Smallest
References
1. Tom McArthur, ed. (1992) The Oxford Companion to the English Language, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-214183-X
2. World book encyclopedia volumes.. 2009 edition
In English grammar the degree of comparison of an adjective or adverb that describes the relational value of one thing with something in another clause of a sentence. An adjective may simply describe a quality, (the positive); it may compare the quality with that of another of its kind (comparative degree); and it may compare the quality with many or all others (superlative degree). [1] In other languages it may describe a very large degree of a particular quality (in Semitic linguistics, called an elative).
The degree of comparison may be expressed morphologically, or syntactically. In English, for example, most monosyllabic and some disyllabic adjectives have morphological degrees of comparison: green (positive), greener (comparative), greenest (superlative); pretty, prettier, prettiest; while most polysyllabic adjectives use syntax: complex, more complex, most complex.
1. The positive degree is the most basic form of the adjective, positive because it does not relate to any superior or inferior qualities of other things in speech.
2. The comparative degree denotes a greater amount of a quality relative to something else. The phrase “Anna is taller than her father” means that Anna's degree of tallness is greater than her father's degree of tallness.
3. The superlative degree denotes the most, the largest, etc., by which it differs from other things.
Rhetorical use of unbalanced comparatives
In some contexts, such as advertising or political speeches, absolute and relative comparatives are intentionally employed in a way that invites a comparison, and yet the basis of comparison is not established. This is a common rhetorical device used to create an implication of significance where one may not actually be present. Although such usage is common, it is sometimes considered ungrammatical.
For example:
• Always!
• Why pay more?
• We work harder.
• We sell for less!
for Example : Seethapathi is a talent boy (Positive degree)
Seethapathi is more talent than his brother (Comparative degree)
Seethapathi is the most talent between his brothers (Superlative degree)
English usage
Traditional English grammar uses the comparative form when comparing exactly two things, and the superlative when comparing three or more, but in informal usage this may not hold.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Good Better Best
Beautiful More Beautiful Most Beautiful
Big Bigger Biggest
Tall Taller Tallest
Sincere More Sincere Most Sincere
Small Smaller Smallest
References
1. Tom McArthur, ed. (1992) The Oxford Companion to the English Language, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-214183-X
2. World book encyclopedia volumes.. 2009 edition
active and passive
Active / Passive Verb Forms
Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have "active forms" and "passive forms." You must learn to recognize the difference to successfully speak English.
Active Form
In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.
[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]
Examples:
Passive Form
In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.
[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]
Examples:
Active / Passive Overview
Active Passive
Simple Present Once a week, Tom cleans the house. Once a week, the house is cleaned by Tom.
Present Continuous Right now, Sarah is writing the letter. Right now, the letter is being written by Sarah.
Simple Past Sam repaired the car. The car was repaired by Sam.
Past Continuous The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store. The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store.
Present Perfect Many tourists have visited that castle. That castle has been visited by many tourists.
Present Perfect Continuous Recently, John has been doing the work. Recently, the work has been being done by John.
Past Perfect George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license. Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license.
Past Perfect Continuous Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years before he moved to Paris. The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris.
Simple Future
will Someone will finish the work by 5:00 PM. The work will be finished by 5:00 PM.
Simple Future
be going to Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight.
Future Continuous
will At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be washing the dishes. At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be being washed by John.
Future Continuous
be going to At 8:00 PM tonight, John is going to be washing the dishes. At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going to be being washed by John.
Future Perfect
will They will have completed the project before the deadline. The project will have been completed before the deadline.
Future Perfect
be going to They are going to have completed the project before the deadline. The project is going to have been completed before the deadline.
Future Perfect Continuous
will The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished.
Future Perfect Continuous
be going to The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished.
Used to Jerry used to pay the bills. The bills used to be paid by Jerry.
Would Always My mother would always make the pies. The pies would always be made by my mother.
Future in the Past
Would I knew John would finish the work by 5:00 PM. I knew the work would be finished by 5:00 PM.
Future in the Past
Was Going to I thought Sally was going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. I thought a beautiful dinner was going to be made by Sally tonight.
Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have "active forms" and "passive forms." You must learn to recognize the difference to successfully speak English.
Active Form
In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.
[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]
Examples:
Passive Form
In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.
[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]
Examples:
Active / Passive Overview
Active Passive
Simple Present Once a week, Tom cleans the house. Once a week, the house is cleaned by Tom.
Present Continuous Right now, Sarah is writing the letter. Right now, the letter is being written by Sarah.
Simple Past Sam repaired the car. The car was repaired by Sam.
Past Continuous The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store. The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store.
Present Perfect Many tourists have visited that castle. That castle has been visited by many tourists.
Present Perfect Continuous Recently, John has been doing the work. Recently, the work has been being done by John.
Past Perfect George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license. Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license.
Past Perfect Continuous Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years before he moved to Paris. The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris.
Simple Future
will Someone will finish the work by 5:00 PM. The work will be finished by 5:00 PM.
Simple Future
be going to Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight.
Future Continuous
will At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be washing the dishes. At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be being washed by John.
Future Continuous
be going to At 8:00 PM tonight, John is going to be washing the dishes. At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going to be being washed by John.
Future Perfect
will They will have completed the project before the deadline. The project will have been completed before the deadline.
Future Perfect
be going to They are going to have completed the project before the deadline. The project is going to have been completed before the deadline.
Future Perfect Continuous
will The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished.
Future Perfect Continuous
be going to The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished.
Used to Jerry used to pay the bills. The bills used to be paid by Jerry.
Would Always My mother would always make the pies. The pies would always be made by my mother.
Future in the Past
Would I knew John would finish the work by 5:00 PM. I knew the work would be finished by 5:00 PM.
Future in the Past
Was Going to I thought Sally was going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. I thought a beautiful dinner was going to be made by Sally tonight.
active and passive
Active (Simple Forms)
Simple Present I drive
Simple Past I drove
Present Perfect I have driven
Past Perfect I had driven
will-future I will drive
Future Perfect I will have driven
Conditional I I would drive
Conditional II I would have driven
Active (Progressive/Continuous Forms)
Simple Present I am driving
Simple Past I was driving
Present Perfect I have been driving
Past Perfect I had been driving
will-future I will be driving
Future Perfect I will have been driving
Conditional I I would be driving
Conditional II I would have been driving
Passive (Simple Forms)
Simple Present I am driven
Simple Past I was driven
Present Perfect I have been driven
Past Perfect I had been driven
will-future I will be driven
Future Perfect I will have been driven
Conditional I I would be driven
Conditional II I would have been driven
Passive (Progressive/Continuous Forms)
Present I am being driven
Past I was being driven
Present Perfect ¹ I have been being driven
Past Perfect ¹ I had been being driven
Future ¹ I will be being driven
Future Perfect ¹ I will have been being driven
Conditional I ¹ I would be being driven
Conditional II ¹ I would have been being driven
¹ Tenses which are rarely used in everyday conversation.
Simple Present I drive
Simple Past I drove
Present Perfect I have driven
Past Perfect I had driven
will-future I will drive
Future Perfect I will have driven
Conditional I I would drive
Conditional II I would have driven
Active (Progressive/Continuous Forms)
Simple Present I am driving
Simple Past I was driving
Present Perfect I have been driving
Past Perfect I had been driving
will-future I will be driving
Future Perfect I will have been driving
Conditional I I would be driving
Conditional II I would have been driving
Passive (Simple Forms)
Simple Present I am driven
Simple Past I was driven
Present Perfect I have been driven
Past Perfect I had been driven
will-future I will be driven
Future Perfect I will have been driven
Conditional I I would be driven
Conditional II I would have been driven
Passive (Progressive/Continuous Forms)
Present I am being driven
Past I was being driven
Present Perfect ¹ I have been being driven
Past Perfect ¹ I had been being driven
Future ¹ I will be being driven
Future Perfect ¹ I will have been being driven
Conditional I ¹ I would be being driven
Conditional II ¹ I would have been being driven
¹ Tenses which are rarely used in everyday conversation.
Reported speech
Reported Speech
Reported Statements
When do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight". Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said.
Here's how it works:
We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:
• direct speech: “I like ice cream”
• reported speech: She says she likes ice cream
We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.
But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:
• direct speech: “I like ice cream”
• reported speech: She said she liked ice cream
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
present simple “I like ice cream” She said (that) she liked ice cream.
present continuous “I am living in London” She said she was living in London.
past simple “I bought a car” She said she had bought a car OR She said she bought a car.
past continuous “I was walking along the street” She said she had been walking along the street.
present perfect “I haven’t seen Julie” She said she hadn’t seen Julie.
past perfect* “I had taken English lessons before” She said she had taken English lessons before.
will “I’ll see you later” She said she would see me later.
would* “I would help, but..” She said she would help but...
can “I can speak perfect English” She said she could speak perfect English.
could* “I could swim when I was four” She said she could swim when she was four.
shall “I shall come later” She said she would come later.
should* “I should call my mother” She said she should call her mother
might* "I might be late" She said she might be late
must "I must study at the weekend" She said she must study at the weekend OR She said she had to study at the weekend
* doesn’t change
Occasionally, we don’t need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense):
• direct speech: “The sky is blue”
• reported speech: She said that the sky is/was blue
Reported Questions
Okay, so now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?
• direct speech: "where do you live?"
How can we make the reported speech here?
In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence. Confused? Sorry, maybe this example will help:
So, to look again at the example:
• direct speech: "where do you live?"
• She asked me where I lived.
Do you see how I made it? The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to change the verb to the past simple.
How about another example:
• direct speech: "where is Julie?"
• She asked me where Julie was.
The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We make the question form of the present simple of be by inverting (changing the position of)the subject and verb. So, we need to change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.
Here are some more examples:
Direct Question Reported Question
“Where is the Post Office, please?” She asked me where the Post Office was.
“What are you doing?” She asked me what I was doing.
“Who was that fantastic man?” She asked me who that fantastic man had been.
So much for 'wh' questions. But, what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any question word to help us. It's easy, instead use 'if':
• direct speech: "Do you like chocolate?"
• She asked me if I liked chocolate.
No problem? Here are a few more examples:
Direct Question Reported Question
“Do you love me?” He asked me if I loved him.
“Have you ever been to Mexico?” She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.
“Are you living here?” She asked me if I was living here.
Reported Requests
There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:
• direct speech: "Close the window, please"
• or: "Could you close the window please?"
• or: "Would you mind closing the window please?"
All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word when we tell another person about it. We simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':
• reported speech: She asked me to close the window
Here are a few more examples:
Direct Request Reported Request
“Please help me” She asked me to help her.
“Please don’t smoke” She asked me not to smoke.
“Could you bring my book tonight?” She asked me to bring her book that night.
“Could you pass the milk, please?” She asked me to pass the milk.
“Would you mind coming early tomorrow?” She asked me to come early the next day.
To report a negative request, use 'not':
• Direct speech: "Please don't be late"
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.
Reported Orders
And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:
• Direct speech: "Sit down!"
In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask':
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down
Direct Order Reported Order
“Go to bed!” He told the child to go to bed.
“Don’t worry!” He told her not to worry.
“Be on time!” He told me to be on time.
“Don’t smoke here!” He told us not to smoke there.
Reported Statements
When do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight". Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said.
Here's how it works:
We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:
• direct speech: “I like ice cream”
• reported speech: She says she likes ice cream
We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'.
But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:
• direct speech: “I like ice cream”
• reported speech: She said she liked ice cream
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
present simple “I like ice cream” She said (that) she liked ice cream.
present continuous “I am living in London” She said she was living in London.
past simple “I bought a car” She said she had bought a car OR She said she bought a car.
past continuous “I was walking along the street” She said she had been walking along the street.
present perfect “I haven’t seen Julie” She said she hadn’t seen Julie.
past perfect* “I had taken English lessons before” She said she had taken English lessons before.
will “I’ll see you later” She said she would see me later.
would* “I would help, but..” She said she would help but...
can “I can speak perfect English” She said she could speak perfect English.
could* “I could swim when I was four” She said she could swim when she was four.
shall “I shall come later” She said she would come later.
should* “I should call my mother” She said she should call her mother
might* "I might be late" She said she might be late
must "I must study at the weekend" She said she must study at the weekend OR She said she had to study at the weekend
* doesn’t change
Occasionally, we don’t need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense):
• direct speech: “The sky is blue”
• reported speech: She said that the sky is/was blue
Reported Questions
Okay, so now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?
• direct speech: "where do you live?"
How can we make the reported speech here?
In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word. The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence. Confused? Sorry, maybe this example will help:
So, to look again at the example:
• direct speech: "where do you live?"
• She asked me where I lived.
Do you see how I made it? The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away. Then I need to change the verb to the past simple.
How about another example:
• direct speech: "where is Julie?"
• She asked me where Julie was.
The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We make the question form of the present simple of be by inverting (changing the position of)the subject and verb. So, we need to change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.
Here are some more examples:
Direct Question Reported Question
“Where is the Post Office, please?” She asked me where the Post Office was.
“What are you doing?” She asked me what I was doing.
“Who was that fantastic man?” She asked me who that fantastic man had been.
So much for 'wh' questions. But, what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any question word to help us. It's easy, instead use 'if':
• direct speech: "Do you like chocolate?"
• She asked me if I liked chocolate.
No problem? Here are a few more examples:
Direct Question Reported Question
“Do you love me?” He asked me if I loved him.
“Have you ever been to Mexico?” She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.
“Are you living here?” She asked me if I was living here.
Reported Requests
There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:
• direct speech: "Close the window, please"
• or: "Could you close the window please?"
• or: "Would you mind closing the window please?"
All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word when we tell another person about it. We simply use 'ask me + to + infinitive':
• reported speech: She asked me to close the window
Here are a few more examples:
Direct Request Reported Request
“Please help me” She asked me to help her.
“Please don’t smoke” She asked me not to smoke.
“Could you bring my book tonight?” She asked me to bring her book that night.
“Could you pass the milk, please?” She asked me to pass the milk.
“Would you mind coming early tomorrow?” She asked me to come early the next day.
To report a negative request, use 'not':
• Direct speech: "Please don't be late"
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.
Reported Orders
And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do something. For example:
• Direct speech: "Sit down!"
In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask':
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down
Direct Order Reported Order
“Go to bed!” He told the child to go to bed.
“Don’t worry!” He told her not to worry.
“Be on time!” He told me to be on time.
“Don’t smoke here!” He told us not to smoke there.
adverbial clause
Adverbial Clause
Adverbial Clause is a (clause) which functions as an adverb, which describes a verb. Adverbial Clause usually classified based on "meaning / intent" of the conjunction (conjunctive that preceded it).
The types of adverbial Clause include:
1. Clause of Time
Clause which shows the time. Usually made by using conjunction (conjunctive) as before, while, as, after, no sooner, etc.
Examples:
• We will finish after he comes.
• While he was walking home, he saw an accident.
• By the time he finished, I had cooked dinner.
• No sooner had she entered than he gave an order.
2. Clause of Place
Clause with shows the place. Usually made by using conjunction as where, nowhere, anywhere, wherever, etc.
Examples:
• They sat down wherever they could find empty seats.
• The guard stood where he was positioned.
• Go where you like.
3. Clause of Contrast (or Concession)
Clause which shows the contradiction between the two incidents or events that are related. Usually made by using conjunction (conjunctive) as although, though, even though, whereas, even if, in spite of, as the time, etc.
Examples:
• As the time you were sleeping, we were working hard.
• Mary wanted to stop, whereas I wanted to go on.
• Although it is late, we'll stay a little longer.
4. Clause of Manner
Examples:
• She did as I told her.
• You may finish it how you like.
• They may beat us again, like they did in 1978.
5. Clause of Purpose and Result
Clause which shows the relationship intent / objectives and outcomes. Usually made by using conjunctions like (in order) that, so that, in the hope that, to the end that, lest, in case, etc.
Examples:
• They went to the movie early (in order) to find the best seats.
• He is saving his money so that he may take a long vacation.
• I am working night and day in the hope that I can finish this book soon.
6. Clause of Cause and Effect
Examples:
• Ryan ran so fast that he broke the previous speed record.
• The soup tastes so good that everyone will ask for more.
• I'm studying hard because I want to pass my exam.
• The student had behaved so badly that he was dismissed from the class.
In addition, to reveal the relationship of cause and effect can be used in other patterns,
namely:
1. Use Preposition like because of, due to, due to the fact that,etc
Examples:
• Because of the cold weather, we stayed home. (=We stayed home because of the cold weather)
• Due to the cold weather, we stayed home. (=We stayed home due to the cold weather)
• Due to the fact that the weather was cold, we stayed home. (=We stayed home due to the fact that the weather was cold)
2. Use conjunction like because, since, now, that, as, as long as, inasmuch as
Examples:
• Because he was sleepy, he went to bed.
• Since he's not interested in classical music, he decided not to go to the concert.
• As she had nothing in particular to do, she called up a friend and asked her if she wanted to take in a movie.
• Inasmuch as the two government leaders could not reach an agreement, the possibilities for peace are still remote.
3. Use transition words like therefore, consequently.
Examples:
• Alex failed the test because he didn't study.
• Alex didn't study. Therefore, he failed the test.
• Alex didn't study. Consequently, he failed the test.
Some can be changed into an adverb Clause Modifying Phrases by:
1) Eliminating the subject of the dependent Clause and the verb (be)
Examples:
a. ADVERB CLAUSE : While I was walking to class, I ran into an old friend.
b. MODIFYING PHRASE : While walking to class, I ran into an old friend.
2) If the Clause does not exist be an adverb , change the subject and verb in the
adverb clause-ing it into shape.
Examples :
a. ADVERB CLAUSE : Before I left for work, I ate breakfast.
b. MODIFYING PHRASE : Before leaving for work, I ate breakfast.
Clause adverb can be converted into Modifying Phrase Clause if the subject of the
adverb and the subject of playing the same Clause.
Examples:
1. Can be changed
• While I was sitting in class, I fell asleep --> While sitting in class, I fell asleep.
• While Ann was sitting in class, she fell asleep --> While sitting in class, Ann fell asleep.
• Since Mary came to this country, she has made many friends --> Since coming to this country, Mary has made many friends.
2. Cannot be changed
• While the teacher was lecturing to the class, I fell asleep.
• While we were walking home, a frog hopped across the road in front of us.
7. Clause of Condition
Clause which shows the requirements between the two events (events) are related. Usually made by using conjunctions like if, even if, unless, in the even that, or in even that, in case, provided (that), providing (that), on condition that, if only, suppose (that), supposing (that), etc.
Examples:
• If I see him, I will invite him to the party tomorrow.
• She would forgive her husband everything, if only he would come back to her.
• Suppose (that) your house burns down, do you have enough insurance to cover such a loss.
• In case a robbery occurs in the hotel, the management must be notified at once.
• We should be able to do the job for you quickly, provided (that) you give us all the necessary information.
Adverbial Clause is a (clause) which functions as an adverb, which describes a verb. Adverbial Clause usually classified based on "meaning / intent" of the conjunction (conjunctive that preceded it).
The types of adverbial Clause include:
1. Clause of Time
Clause which shows the time. Usually made by using conjunction (conjunctive) as before, while, as, after, no sooner, etc.
Examples:
• We will finish after he comes.
• While he was walking home, he saw an accident.
• By the time he finished, I had cooked dinner.
• No sooner had she entered than he gave an order.
2. Clause of Place
Clause with shows the place. Usually made by using conjunction as where, nowhere, anywhere, wherever, etc.
Examples:
• They sat down wherever they could find empty seats.
• The guard stood where he was positioned.
• Go where you like.
3. Clause of Contrast (or Concession)
Clause which shows the contradiction between the two incidents or events that are related. Usually made by using conjunction (conjunctive) as although, though, even though, whereas, even if, in spite of, as the time, etc.
Examples:
• As the time you were sleeping, we were working hard.
• Mary wanted to stop, whereas I wanted to go on.
• Although it is late, we'll stay a little longer.
4. Clause of Manner
Examples:
• She did as I told her.
• You may finish it how you like.
• They may beat us again, like they did in 1978.
5. Clause of Purpose and Result
Clause which shows the relationship intent / objectives and outcomes. Usually made by using conjunctions like (in order) that, so that, in the hope that, to the end that, lest, in case, etc.
Examples:
• They went to the movie early (in order) to find the best seats.
• He is saving his money so that he may take a long vacation.
• I am working night and day in the hope that I can finish this book soon.
6. Clause of Cause and Effect
Examples:
• Ryan ran so fast that he broke the previous speed record.
• The soup tastes so good that everyone will ask for more.
• I'm studying hard because I want to pass my exam.
• The student had behaved so badly that he was dismissed from the class.
In addition, to reveal the relationship of cause and effect can be used in other patterns,
namely:
1. Use Preposition like because of, due to, due to the fact that,etc
Examples:
• Because of the cold weather, we stayed home. (=We stayed home because of the cold weather)
• Due to the cold weather, we stayed home. (=We stayed home due to the cold weather)
• Due to the fact that the weather was cold, we stayed home. (=We stayed home due to the fact that the weather was cold)
2. Use conjunction like because, since, now, that, as, as long as, inasmuch as
Examples:
• Because he was sleepy, he went to bed.
• Since he's not interested in classical music, he decided not to go to the concert.
• As she had nothing in particular to do, she called up a friend and asked her if she wanted to take in a movie.
• Inasmuch as the two government leaders could not reach an agreement, the possibilities for peace are still remote.
3. Use transition words like therefore, consequently.
Examples:
• Alex failed the test because he didn't study.
• Alex didn't study. Therefore, he failed the test.
• Alex didn't study. Consequently, he failed the test.
Some can be changed into an adverb Clause Modifying Phrases by:
1) Eliminating the subject of the dependent Clause and the verb (be)
Examples:
a. ADVERB CLAUSE : While I was walking to class, I ran into an old friend.
b. MODIFYING PHRASE : While walking to class, I ran into an old friend.
2) If the Clause does not exist be an adverb , change the subject and verb in the
adverb clause-ing it into shape.
Examples :
a. ADVERB CLAUSE : Before I left for work, I ate breakfast.
b. MODIFYING PHRASE : Before leaving for work, I ate breakfast.
Clause adverb can be converted into Modifying Phrase Clause if the subject of the
adverb and the subject of playing the same Clause.
Examples:
1. Can be changed
• While I was sitting in class, I fell asleep --> While sitting in class, I fell asleep.
• While Ann was sitting in class, she fell asleep --> While sitting in class, Ann fell asleep.
• Since Mary came to this country, she has made many friends --> Since coming to this country, Mary has made many friends.
2. Cannot be changed
• While the teacher was lecturing to the class, I fell asleep.
• While we were walking home, a frog hopped across the road in front of us.
7. Clause of Condition
Clause which shows the requirements between the two events (events) are related. Usually made by using conjunctions like if, even if, unless, in the even that, or in even that, in case, provided (that), providing (that), on condition that, if only, suppose (that), supposing (that), etc.
Examples:
• If I see him, I will invite him to the party tomorrow.
• She would forgive her husband everything, if only he would come back to her.
• Suppose (that) your house burns down, do you have enough insurance to cover such a loss.
• In case a robbery occurs in the hotel, the management must be notified at once.
• We should be able to do the job for you quickly, provided (that) you give us all the necessary information.
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)