Using many, much, a few, a little

Using many, much, a few, a little

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Measurements with Noncount Nouns

Units of measure are used with noncount nouns to express a specific quantity. For example: a glass of, a cup of, a piece of.

In (a): some water = an unspecific quantity.

In (b): a glass of water = a specific quantity.

• I’d like some
• I’d like a glass of
• I’d like a cup of
• I’d like a piece of

Common expressions of measure:

• A bag of rice
• A bar of olive oil
• A bowl of cereal
• A box of candy
• A bunch of bananas
• A can of corn
• A carton of milk
• A glass of water
• A head of lettuce
• A jar of pickles
• A loaf of cheese
• A sheet of paper
• A tube of toothpaste

 

Using many, much, a few, a little

• In (a): “many” is used with plural count nouns.
• In (b): “much” is used with noncount nouns.
• In (c): “a few” is used with plural count nouns.
• I (d): “a little” is used with noncount nouns.

1. I don’t get many
2. I don’t get much
3. Ann gets a few
4. Tom gets a little

 

Using several, a lot of, many/much, and a few/a little

• “Several” is used only with count nouns.
• “A lot of” is used with both count and noncount nouns.
• “Many” is used with count nouns.
• “Much” is used with noncount nouns.
• “A few” is used with count nouns.
• “A little” is used with noncount nouns.

 

Count	Noncount
(a)             Several chairs	Ø
(b)            A lot of chairs	A lot of furniture
(c)             Many chairs	Much furniture
(d)            A few chairs	A little furniture

 

Using “THE”

(a) A: Where’s David?

B: He’s in the kitchen.

(b) A: I have two pieces of fruit for us, an apple and a Which do you want?

B: I’d like the apple, thank you.

(c) A: It’s a nice summer day today.

The sky is blue. The sun is hot.

B: Yes, I really like summer.

• A speaker use “the” when the speaker and the listener have the same thing or person in mind. “The” shows that a noun is specific.
• In (a): Both A and B have the same kitchen in mind.
• In (b): When B says “the apple”, both A and B have the same apple in mind.
• In (c): Both A and B are thinking of the same sky (there is only one sky for them to think of) and the same sun (there is only one sun for them to think of).

(d) Mike has a pen and a

The pen is blue.

The pencil is yellow.

(e) Mike has some pens and pencils.

The pens are blue.

The pencils are yellow.

(f) Mike has some rice and some cheese.

The rice is white.

The cheese is yellow.

 

• “The” is used with:

Singular count nouns, as in (d).

Plural count nouns, as in (e).

Noncount nouns, as in (f).

In other words, “the” is used with each of the three kinds of nouns.

– Notice in the examples: the speaker is using “the” for the second mention of a noun. When the speaker mentions a noun for a second time, both the speaker and listener are now thinking about the same thing.

First mention: I have a pen.

Second mention: The pen is blue.

 

Using Ø (No article) to make generalizations

No article (symbolized by Ø) is used to make generalizations with:

– Plural count nouns, as in (a) and (b), and

– Noncount nouns, as in (c) and (d).

a. Ø Apples are good for you.

b. Ø Students use Ø pens and Ø pencils.

c. I like to listen to Ø music.

d. Ø Rice is good for you.

 

COMPARE: in (a), the word “apples” is general. It refers to all apples, any apples. No article (Ø) is used.

In (e), the word “apples” is specific, so “the” is used in front of it. It refers to the specific apples that Tom and Ann ate.

COMPARE: In (c), “music” is general. In (f), “the music” is specific.

 

Guidelines for article usage

Singular count nouns	Using A or Ø (no article)
	(a)             A dog makes a good pet.
	(b)            A banana is yellow.
	(c)             A pencil contains lead.
	A speaker uses “a” with a singular count noun when s/he is making a generalization.In (a): The speaker is talking about any dog, all dogs, dogs in general.

 

Plural  count nouns	Using A or Ø (no article)
	(a)             Ø Dogs make good pets.
	(b)            Ø Bananas are yellow.
	(c)             Ø Pencils contain lead.
	A speaker uses no article (Ø) with a plural count noun when s/he is making a generalization.In (d): The speaker is talking about any dog, all dogs, dogs in general.Note: (a) and (d) have the same meaning.

 

non count nouns
	(a)             Ø Fruit is good for you.
	(b)            Ø Coffee contains caffeine.
	(c)             I like Ø music.
	A speaker uses no article Ø with a noncount noun when s/he is making a generalization.In (g): The speaker is talking about any fruit, all fruit, fruit in general.

 

Singular count nouns	Using A or Some
	(a)             I saw a dog in my yard.
	(b)            Mary ate a banana.
	(c)             I need a pencil.

 

Plural  count nouns	Using A or Some
	(a)             I saw some dogs in my yard.
	(b)            Mary bought some bananas.
	(c)             Bob has some pencils in his pocket.
Noncount nouns	(d)            I bought some fruit.
	(e)             Bob drank some coffee.
	(f)              Would you like to listen to some music?

 

 

Using The

– A speaker uses “a” with a singular count noun when s/he is talking about one thing (or person) that is not specific.

(s) Did you feed the dog?

(t) I had a banana and an apple. I gave the banana to Mary.

(u) The pencil on that desk is Jim’s.

(v) The sun is shining.

(w) Please close the door.

(x) Mary is in the kitchen.

• In (j): The speaker is saying, “I saw one dog (not two dogs, some dogs, many dogs). It wasn’t a specific dog (e.g., your dog, the neighbor’s dog, that dog). It was only one dog out of the whole group of animals called dogs.”

 

• A speaker often uses “some” with a plural count noun when s/he is talking about things (or people) that are not specific.

 

• In (m): The speaker is saying, “I saw more than one dog. They weren’t specific dogs (e.g. your dogs, the neighbor’s dogs, those dogs). The exact number of dogs isn’t important (two dogs, five dogs); I’m simply saying that I saw an indefinite number of dogs.”

(y) Did you feed the dogs?

(z) I had some bananas and apples. I gave the bananas to Mary.

(aa) The pencils on that desk are Jim’s

(bb) Please turn off the lights.

– A speaker often uses “some” with a noncount when s/he is talking about something that is not specific.

– In (p): The speaker is saying, “I bought an indefinite amount of fruit. The exact amount of fruit. The exact amount (e.g. two pounds of fruit, four, bananas, and two apples) isn’t important. And I’m not talking about specific fruit (e.g. that fruit, the fruit I that bowl.)”

(cc) The fruit in this bowl is ripe.

(dd) I drank some coffee and some milk. The coffee was hot.

(ee) I can’t hear you. The music is too loud.

(ff) The air is cold today.

• “The” is used in front of:
• Singular count nouns: the dog .
• Plural count nouns: the dogs.
• Noncount nouns: the fruit.

The speaker uses “the” (not a, Ø, or some) when the speaker and the listener are thinking about the same specific person(s) or thing(s).

In (s): The speaker and the listener are thinking about the same specific dog. The listener knows which dog the speaker is talking about: the dog that they own, the dog that they feed every day. There is only one dog that the speaker could possibly be talking about.

In (t): A speaker uses “the” when s/he mentions a noun the second time.

First mention:

I had a banana…

Second mention:

I gave the banana….

In the second mention, the listener now knows which banana the speaker had (not the banana John had, not the banana in that bowl).