The Pronouns Much, Many, Little, Few

Number

There are 4 basic ways to form the plural of the nouns:

1. Adding –s, -es

a bee – bees [z]

a dog - dogs [z]

a book – books [s]

a) –s,z,x,ch, tch, sh + es

buses, foxes

b) – y – ies

a lady – ladies

c) y+s

days, toys, keys + proper names: Marys, kennedys

d) o – oes

heroes, potatoes, Negroes BUT kilos, zoos, zeros, kangaroos, cuckoos, photos, pianos, Eskimos, hairdos

e) f(e) – v(e) before -s

a knife – knives

a loaf – loaves

a leaf – leaves

a wolf – wolves

a life – lives

a shelf – shelves

a half – halves

a wife – wives

a scarf – scarves

a thief – thieves

BUT cliffs, handkerchiefs, beliefs, roofs, chiefs, griefs, proofs

2. the change of the root vowel

a man – men a woman – women

a goose – geese a foot – feet a tooth - teeth

a child – children an ox – oxen

a louse – lice a mouse – mice

brother – brothers – brethren

3. identical forms for the singular and the plural

deer, species, tuna, moose, swine, means, sheep, series, fish, carp, salmon, pike, trout

Names of nationalities ending in –ese, -ss: Chinese, Vietnamese, Swiss

4. Foreign plurals

a nucleus – nuclei

a datum – data; a memorandum – memoranda

a phenomenon – phenomena

a crisis – crises

a formula – formulae

an index - indeces

an appendix – appendecis

a mother-in-law – mothers-in-law

a passer-by – passers-by

a hotel-keeper – hotel-keepers

a grown-up – grown-ups

merry-go-round – merry-go-rounds

forget-me-not – forget-me-nots

a woman-driver – women-drivers

Articles with Material Nouns

1. When material nouns are used in a general sense they take no articles:

While packing George and Harris upset salt over everything.

If material nouns have descriptive attributes they are used without any articles.

“Your child needs fresh air and sunshine,” – said the doctor.

2. The definite article is used with the nouns, when they are narrowed in their meaning. The narrowing of meaning is shown by the context or their whole situation (sometimes the limiting attribute is used).

The snow near my house is dirty.

The coal of Newcastle is rich in carbon.

3. Material nouns can become countable when they denote different sorts or portions of food or drink. In such cases both the articles are possible.

It’s a very good cheese.

My doctor allows me to drink only French white wines.

The wines of the Crimea are excellent.

He ordered two beers for us and a coke and an ice for Mary.

Note: the phrase “Two beers, please!”, “Want a beer?” are usually use in the restaurant or café, but not at home.

4. Such countable nouns as a duck, a lamb, a chicken, a fish, a turkey, a salmon, a lobster, etc. are used as material nouns when they denote flesh used for food.

Is there duck on the menu?

We had cold turkey for supper.

mutton – sheep

veal - calf

pork – pig

beef – cow

Egg, lemon становятся material, если имеется в виду содержимое продукта, как ингридиент, не целый продукт.

The Pronouns Some and Any

Some – некоторый, какой-то

1. As a rule it is used in affirmative sentences. Some is used in offers and requests in the form of a question.

May I offer you some tea?

May I have some tea?

Some is used in questions when we expect the answer “yes”.

May I ask you something?

What’s wrong, have you got something in your eye?

2. Some is used to express partial negation.

He never writes without making some mistakes.

Any

Any is used in interrogative and negative sentences instead of some. Any in affirmative sentences means “любой”.

You can take any bus.

Any is used in conditional clauses after IF.

If you don’t know any words consult a dictionary.

Any (not some!) is used in sentences with implied negation.

I hardly knew any of those present.

He refused to eat anything.

He denies finding any letters.

Any or some of в значении кто-то из…

any of the students, some of the students.

Примечание: some, any в качестве местоимений-прилагательных употребляется перед существительными во множественном числе. Some может употребляться в единственном числе в значении «как ой-то»: I’ve read it in some books.

Some, any употребляются в качестве местоимений-прилагательных во множественном числе. I want some matches. Have you got any? или с неисчисляемыми существительными. Some употребляется перед числительными со значением «приблизительно, около».

The Pronouns Much, Many, Little, Few

1. These pronouns are used both as adjective pronouns and noun pronouns.

He sat at his translation for many hours.

A great many were missing.

Much and little are used with uncountable nouns and take the verb in the singular.

Many and few are used with countable nouns and take the verb in the plural.

Much time, coal

Many friends

Little bread, money

Few people, books

2. Much and many are used mainly in interrogative and negative sentences in object clauses after IF.

They can be used in affirmative sentences with the adverbs very, too, so, rather and in the function of the subject.

A lot of (“большое количество”), lots of (“множество”), plenty of (“больше, чем достаточно”) are used with uncountable nouns. They replace much, many in affirmative sentences.

A great deal of is used with uncountables, a great many of – with countables.

3. Much

more most

Many

4. Little, fewmean NOT ENOUGH (-).

A little, a few have a positive meaning (+) – несколько, немного

I have little time: I must hurry.

I have a little time: I can help you with your translation.

Only a little and only a few have a negative meaning (мало)

The village was very small: there were only a few houses there.

little – less - the least

few – fewer – the fewest