• I can’t stop LOVING you.

• I am STUDYING English now.
• I was COMPOSING a poem when he called me.
• He has been SMOKING since last year.
• Angga had been WAITING for Anggi for an hour before she finally came.
• I will be WATCHING Barcelona against Real Madrid at 2 a.m.

• This is a very INTERESTING novel.
• Although he looks FRIGHTENING, he is very CARING.

Gerunds dan Penggunaannya

A. Gerunds as Subjects

1. Having a lot of money is better than having a little. (Punya banyak uang lebih baik dibanding punya sedikit uang).
2. Writing and speaking are two different aspects in a language. (Menulis dan berbicara adalah 2 aspek yang berbeda dalam sebuah bahasa).
3. Dropping out of school has caused him hard to find a good job. (Putus sekolah telah  membuat dia sulit mendapatkan pekerjaan yang layak/bagus).

B. Gerunds as Objects

1. Setelah verbs

Subject + verb + gerund

admit (mengakui) appreciate (menghargai) avoid (menghindari) can’t help consider (mempertimbangkan) complete (menyelesaikan) delay (menunda) deny (menyangkal)	enjoy (menikmati) finish (menyelesaikan) mind (keberatan) miss (merindukan) postpone (menunda) practice (berlatih) quit (berhenti) recall (mengingat)	regret (menyesali) report (melaporkan) resent (menyesali) resist (bersikeras) resume (memulai lagi) risk (mengambil resiko) suggest (menyarankan)
begin (mulai) can’t stand (tidak tahan) continue (melanjutkan) dislike (tidak suka)	dread (takut) hate (benci) like (suka)	love (cinta) prefer (lebih suka) start (mulai)
stop (berhenti)	remember (ingat)	forget (lupa)

1. Has Ryan admitted killing eleven people yet? (Apakah Ryan telah mengakui membunuh 11 orang?).
2. I appreciated being given suggestions by her. (Saya menghargai diberi saran-saran oleh dia).
3. Tony always avoids answering my questions. (Tony selalu menghindar menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan saya).
4. I enjoyed being with you last night. (Saya menikmati bersama dengan kamu tadi malam).
5. Have you finished reading the book yet? (Apakah kamu telah selesai membaca buku itu?)
6. They prefer playing football to studying. (Mereka lebih milih/suka main sepakbola daripada belajar). Note: Verb prefer jika diikuti oleh gerund, pola kalimatnya berbeda dengan jika diikuti oleh invinitive.
7. I can’t help worrying about the upcoming exam. (Saya tidak bisa berhenti mengkhawatirkan ujian yang segera/sudah dekat itu).
8. I want to stop smoking. (Saya mau berhenti merokok). Dalam kalimat ini, subject I berkeinginan untuk tidak merokok-merokok lagi.
9. My brother always remembers locking his car. (Kakak saya selalu ingat mengunci mobilnya). Selama ini, mobilnya belum pernah dalam keadaan tidak terkunci. Note: Gunakan gerund setelah verb remember jika aktivitasnya sudah dilakukan in the past.
10. My brother never forgets locking his car. (Kakak saya tidak pernah lupa mengunci mobilnya). Sama dengan contoh 7, selama ini, mobilnya belum pernah dalam keadaan tidak terkunci. Note: Gunakan gerund setelah verb forget jika aktivitasnya sudah dilakukan in the past.

2. Setelah prepositions

Subject

verb adjective noun

preposition

gerund

a. Verbs + prepositions + gerunds

approve of (menyetujui) be better off (lebih baik) give up (berhenti) put off (memadamkan)	think about (memikirkan) think of (memikirkan) worry about  (mencemaskan) succeed in (berhasil)	count on (percaya pada) depend on (tergantung pada) insist on (bersikeras pada) keep on (meneruskan) rely on (tergantung pada)
object to (keberatan)	look forward to (mengharapkan)	confess to (mengakui)

1. He gave up smoking because of his doctor’s advice. (Dia berhenti merokok karena saran dokternya).
2. Jenny insisted on buying that cellphone instead of this one. (Jenny bersikeras untuk membeli HP itu daripada HP ini).
3. Have you ever thought of studying abroad? (Pernahkah kamu berfikir untuk belajar di luar negeri?)
4. After a long trial and error, he finally succeeded in fixing his laptop. (Setelah lama mencoba-coba, dia akhirnya berhasil memperbaiki laptopnya).
5. My older sister objected to not being allowed to go out wit her friends. (Kakak saya keberatan tidak diijinkan keluar rumah dengan teman-temannya).
6. I am looking forward to seeing you soon. (Saya (sedang) sangat menantikan untuk bertemu denganmu segera). INCORRECT jika: I am looking forward to see you soon.
7. No one has confessed to stealing my money yet. (Tak seorang pun yang telah mengaku mencuri uang saya). INCORRECT jika: No one has confessed to steal my money yet.

b. Adjectives + prepositions + gerunds

accustomed to (terbiasa dengan) intent on (bermaksud) afraid of (takut pada)

interested in (tertarik dengan) capable of (bisa/mampu) successful in (sukses pada)

fond of (gemar pada) tired of (lelah akan)

1. Will you be capable of finishing your work by noon tomorrow? (Apakah kamu (akan) bisa menyelesaikan pekerjaanmu sebelum jam 12 siang besok?).
2. Are you afraid of sleeping in the dark? (Apakah kamu takut tidur dalam keadaan gelap?).
3. I am tired of studying all day long. Let’s go out to have fun. (Saya lelah (karena) belajar seharian. Ayo kita cari kesenangan di luar).
4. Judith is fond of singing while taking a shower. (Judith gemar menyanyi ketika sedang mandi shower).
5. Bobby is accustomed to buying roses for his girlfriend. (Bobby terbiasa membeli mawar untuk pacarnya).

c. Nouns + prepositions + gerunds

choice of (pilihan) excuse for (alasan kenapa)

intention of  (maksud) methods for/of (metode untuk)

possibility of (kemungkinan akan) reason for (alasan dari)

1. The teacher gave us a choice of taking another exam. (Guru itu memberi kita pilihan untuk mengikuti ujian lagi).
2. I am so sorry. I had no intention of hurting your feeling. (Saya sangat menyesal. Saya tidak punya maksud untuk menyakiti hatimu).
3. He always has an excuse for being late. (Dia selalu punya alasan kenapa (dia) telat).
4. There is no possibility of recruiting new employees during recession we are facing now. (Tidak ada kemungkinan untuk merekrut pegawai baru selama resesi yang sedang kita hadapi sekarang).
5. Have you found the best method for improving your English yet? (Apakah kamu sudah menemukan metode terbaik untuk meningkatkan (kemampuan) bahasa Inggris kamu?)
6. Your reason for getting bad grades is a big nonsense. (Alasan kamu kenapa nilai-nilai kamu jelek adalah omong kosong/bualan belaka).

C. Gerunds as Modifiers

1. After doing the homework, I will play football. = After I do my homework, I will play football.
2. Cats usually snore while sleeping. = Cats usually snore while they ( the cats) are sleeping.
3. I had had a very bad English before reading these articles. = I had had very bad English before I read these articles.
4. Besides watching movies, I like reading novels. = Besides I like watching movies, I like reading novels.
5. Because of not studying well, I didn’t pass the test. = Because I didn’t study well, I didn’t pass the test. Note: Penggunaan because of dan because adalah berbeda. Can you see the difference?

D. Penggunaan (pronoun/noun) sebelum gerunds

Subject	verb		(pronoun/noun)  in possessive form	gerund
Subject	verb adjective noun	prepositions
-	-	prepositions

1. We are looking forward to your coming next week. (Kami sangat menantikan kedatanganmu minggu depan).
2. My father doesn’t approve of my brother’s marrying her. (Ayah saya tidak menyetujui kakak saya mengawini dia).
3. They resented the teacher’s not announcing the exam sooner. (Mereka menyesalkan pak guru yang tidak mengumumkan ujian lebih awal).
4. He objected to my calling his girlfriend last night. (Dia keberatan atas telpon yang saya lakukan ke pacarnya tadi malam).
5. We all regret Danny’s not going to school anymore. (Kita semua menyesalkan Danny yang tidak sekolah lagi).
6. Before my sister’s leaving for Bali next week, my parents are going to have a small gathering at home this weekend. (Sebelum saudara perempuan saya berangkat ke Bali minggu depan, orang tua saya akan mengadakan acara ngumpul di rumah akhir pekan ini).
7. After his confessing to using drugs, Maria didn’t want to see him again. (Setelah dia mengaku menggunakan narkoba, Maria tidak ingin bertemu  dia lagi).

Negative form Gerunds

1. She regretted not seeing her boyfriend last weekend.(Dia menyesal tidak bertemu pacarnya akhir pekan lalu).
2. Students are usually worried of not getting good grades. (Murid biasanya cemas tidak akan mendapatkan nilai bagus).
3. The criminal insisted on not telling the truth even though the policemen had tortured him. (Penjahat itu bersikeras tidak menceritakan yang sebenarnya walaupun polisi telah menyiksanya).

Subject Kalimat

1. I am reading this article now. (Saya sedang membaca artikel ini).
2. You have been very helpful to me. (Kamu telah sangat membantu saya).
3. He told us to stay out of troubles. (Dia memberitahu kita untuk jangan mencari masalah).
4. She was in my dream last night. (Dia ada dalam mimpi saya tadi malam).
5. It is growing well even though I never take care of it. (Dia sedang tumbuh dengan baik walaupun saya tidak pernah merawatnya).
6. We, students, must study hard to accomplish what we want to be. (Kita, murid, harus belajar keras untuk mencapai apa yang kita cita-citakan).
7. They felt bad because their cousin had got an accident. ((Mereka merasa sedih karena sepupunya telah mendapat kecelakaan).

1. Coffee is delicious. (Kopi adalah enak).
2. Milk contains a lot of calcium. (Susu mengandung banyak kalsium).
3. Soekarno was the first president of the Republic of Indonesia. (Soekarno adalah presiden pertama RI).
4. Plants need water and fertilizers to grow well. (Tanaman-tanaman butuh air dan pupuk untuk tumbuh dengan baik).
5. Books are more and more expensive now. Buku-buku semakin mahal sekarang).

1. The book is on the table. (Buku itu ada di atas meja).
2. That new, red car is John’s. (Mobil baru yang berwarna merah itu adalah mobilnya John).
3. The English teacher cancelled class today. (Guru Bahasa Inggris menunda pelajaran (bahasa Inggris) hari ini).
4. The dead body that was found last night has been brought home by the family. (Mayat yang ditemukan tadi malam telah dibawa pulang oleh keluarganya).
5. The fish, which never survives without water, must be kept under water all the time. (Ikan itu, yang tidak (akan) pernah hidup tanpa air, harus selalu ditempatkan dalam air).

1. Where she is now is still unknown. (Dimana dia sekarang masih belum diketahui).
2. Whoever can melt her feeling is a very lucky guy. (Siapa saja yang dapat memuluhkan hatinya adalah pria yang sangat beruntung). Be careful: guy (dibaca gae)= laki-laki, sedangkan gay (dibaca gei) = fag = homo.
3. How much your English skill will improve is determined by how hard you practice it. (Berapa banyak bahasa Inggrismu akan meningkat ditentukan oleh seberapa keras kamu melatihnya).
4. That it is going to rain soon is very obvious. (Bahwa akan segera turun hujan adalah (tampak) sangat jelas)
5. The fact that the world is round is well known. (Fakta bahwa bumi bundar (adalah sudah) diketahui banyak orang).

1. Gardening is very exciting. (Berkebun (bunga) sangat mengasyikkan).
2. Reading this material will help you increase your English skill. (Membaca materi ini akan membantu kamu meningkatkan kemampuan berbahasa Inggrismu).
3. Hunting wild pigs has been done by Balinese farmers for years. (Berburu babi hutan telah dilakukan oleh petani-petani Bali selama bertahun-tahun).
4. Knowing English well has made Ryan have great experiences in Canada (Mengetahui bahasa Inggris dengan baik telah membuat Ryan punya pengalaman-pengalaman indah di Kanada).
5. Writing and speaking English make me happy. (Menulis dan berbicara dalam Bahasa Inggris membuat saya senang).

1. To play kites when it’s very cloudy is very dangerous. (Bermain layang-layang ketika mendung tebal sangat berbahaya).
2. To study the grammar is a must if you want to improve your English. (Belajar grammar merupakan keharusan jika kamu ingin meningkatkan kemampuan bahasa Inggrismu).
3. To play football when drizzling is very joyful. (Bermain sepakbola ketika hujan rintik-rintik sangat menyenangkan).
4. To be able to be your boyfriend is my fantasy. (Dapat menjadi pacarmu adalah fantasi saya).
5. To pass the exam is my main intention. (Lulus ujian adalah tujuan utama saya).

1. It was a nice day yesterday but it isn’t now. ((Adalah) sebuah hari yang indah kemarin tetapi tidak indah hari ini).
2. There were 9 casualties on the Australian Embassy bombing. (Ada 9 korban pada pengeboman di Kedutaan Australia).
3. It has been a long day. I’m so tired. (adalah) hari yang sangat melelahkan. Saya begitu lelah).
4. There are so many people. It is very crowded. (Ada begitu banyak orang. (adalah) sangat penuh sesak).
5. This is the book that I have been looking for for days. (Inilah buku yang saya telah cari-cari selama berhari-hari). Perhatikan: digunakan dua preposition for di sini; yang satu merupakan bagian dari verb look (i.e. look for = mencari), sedang yang satunya lagi berfungsi untuk menyatakan modifier of time (keterangan waktu).
6. That is my cousin’s house. (Itu adalah rumah sepupu saya).

Nouns (Part 3): Uncountable

1. Contoh uncountable nouns

Berbentuk Cair
juice (jus) tea (teh) water (air) blood (darah),	ink (tinta) soup (sup) milk (susu) coffee (kopi	beer (bir) oil (minyak) kerosene (minyak tanah) gasoline (bensin), etc
Berbentuk Padat
soap (sabun) bread (roti) butter (mentega) cheese (keju) meat (daging)	gold (emas) iron (besi) silver (perak) steel (baja) glass (kaca)	paper (kertas) wood (kayu) cotton (kapas) wool (wol) ice (es), etc
Berbentuk Gas
steam (uap panas) air (udara) oxygen (oksigen)	nitrogen (nitrogen) helium smoke (asap)	smog (kabut asap) pollution (polusi) etc
Berbentuk Partikel
hair (rambut) rice (nasi, beras) corn (jagung) wheat (gandum) flour (tepung)	dirt (lumpur) grass (rumput) dust (debu) powder (bedak) chalk (kapur)	pepper (merica/lada) salt (garam) sand (pasir) sugar (gula)
Benda yang terbuat dari materi-materi sejenis
furniture (furnitur) food (makanan) fruit (buah) money (uang) cash (uang cash) mail (surat)	baggage (bagasi) luggage (bagasi) garbage (sampah) hardware (piranti keras) clothing (pakaian) makeup (makeup)	equipment (peralatan) jewelry (perhiasan) junk (rongsokan) scenery (pemandangan) traffic (lalulintas) machinery (permesinan)
Abstrak
time (waktu) beauty (kecantikan) confidence (keyakinan) courage (keberanian) education (pendidikan) enjoyment (kesukacitaan) fun (kesenangan) health (kesehatan) help (bantuan) honesty (kejujuran) hospitality (keramahan) importance (pentingnya) intelligence (kecerdasan) justice (keadilan)	advice (nasihat) information news (kabar/berita) evidence (bukti) proof (bukti) knowledge (pengetahuan) luck (keberuntungan) laughter (tawa) music patience (kesabaran) piece (kedamaian) pride (rasa bangga) progress (kemajuan) recreation (rekreasi)	space (ruang angkasa) energy (energi) homework (PR) work (pekerjaan) grammar (tata bahasa) slang (bahasa gaul) vocabulary sleep (tidur) truth (kebenaran) significance (signifikansi) violence (kekerasan) wealth (kekayaan) sadness (kesedihan) dislike (antipati), etc.
Bahasa
English Indonesian Javanese (bahasa Jawa)	Japanese (bahasa Jepang) German Chinese	Spanish (bahasa Spanyol) Arabic etc.
Bidang ilmu
mathematics economics	physics (fisika) chemistry (kimia)	literature psychology, ect
Permainan/games
football soccer (sepakbola) badminton	basketball tennis chess (catur)	bridge poker etc,
Aktivitas yang dinyatakan dengan gerund
advertising (pengiklanan) driving swimming	shopping studying fishing	sleeping traveling marketing, etc
Fenomena alam
weather (cuaca) wind (angin) dew (embun) fog (kabut) rain hail (hujan es)	heat (panas) humidity (kelembaban) lightning (halilintar) snow (salju) thunder (guntur) darkness	light sunshine electricity fire gravity etc
Nama penyakit (disease)
mumps (gondok) measles (gondok)	flu cold (flu)	cancer appendicitis (radang usus buntu)

2. Penggunaan uncountable nouns

1. The teacher gave us a lot of homeworks.
2. My mom has put too much salts on the soup. It’s so salty.

1. Homework has to be done regularly. (PR harus dikerjakan secara reguler).
2. Blood is important for transporting oxygen into each cell in our body. (Darah penting untuk mentransport O₂ ke dalam tiap sel di dalam tubuh kita).
3. News from Jakarta about the increased gasoline price has increased people dislike to the government. (Berita dari Jakarta tentang harga bensin yang dinaikkan telah meningkatkan ketidaksukaan masyarakat kepada pemerintah).
4. Physics is studied by all high school students. (Fisika dipelajari oleh semua murid sekolah lanjutan).

1. Much more money is needed to reduce poverty in Indonesia. (Jauh lebih banyak uang dibutuhkan untuk mengurangi kemiskinan di Indonesia).
2. Some new evidence has been discovered. (Beberapa bukti baru telah ditemukan).
3. Heavy traffic during rush hours always makes me stressful. (Lalu lintas yang padat selama jam-jam sibuk selalu membuat saya stress).

1. I am so thirsty. I need three big glassesofwater. (Saya begitu haus. Saya butuh 3 gelas besar air).
2. Because Didit is so small, he needs to eat ten plates of rice every day. (Karena Didit begitu kecil (badannya), dia perlu makan 10 piring nasi tiap hari).
3. Milk is very important for our health. We must drink at least three glasses ofmilk every day. (Susu adalah sangat penting bagi kesehatan kita. Kita mesti minum paling sedikit 3 gelas susu setiap hari).

1. Three big glasses of water are needed to reduce my thirst. (Tiga gelas besar air dibutuhkan untuk mengurangi rasa haus saya).
2. Four glasses of milk were drunk by my brother this morning. (Empat gelas susu diminum oleh kakak saya pagi ini).
3. Two plates of rice are not enough for me. (Dua piring nasi tidak cukup buat saya).
4. Two trucks of paper have been stolen from the warehouse. (Dua truk kertas telah dicuri dari gudang).
5. Two portions of meal always make my breath short. (Dua porsi makanan selalu membuat nafas saya sesak).

3. Perkecualian

1. Fried rice is one of my favorite foods. (Nasi goreng adalah salah satu makanan favorit saya).
2. For his thesis, he studied meats such as beef, pork, and chicken. (beef = daging sapi, pork = daging babi, chicken = daging ayam).
3. Indonesia produces many different fruits, including apples, durians, mangoes, mangosteens, jackfruits, rambutans, and so on. (mangosteen = manggis, jackfruit = nangka).

1. Advertising is what he does for living. (Periklanan adalah apa yang dia lakukan untuk hidup/periklanan adalah pekerjaannya).
2. Cigarette advertisements are almost everywhere. (Iklan-iklan rokok hampir ada di setiap tempat).
3. Clothing is one of the basic needs of human being. (Pakaian adalah salah satu kebutuhan dasar manusia).
4. Mr. Warjo, a homeless, doesn’t have enough clothes to wear. (Pak Warjo, seorang tuna wisma, tidak punya cukup pakaian untuk dipakai).

1. Although we have spent so much time on this homework, we’re still unable to finish it. (Walaupun kita telah habiskan begitu banyak waktu pada (untuk mengerjakan) PR ini, kita masih belum bisa menyelesaikannya).
2. We have already gone to Bali five times. (Kami telah pergi ke Bali 5 kali).

Adjective or Adverb?

Rule #1: Adjectives modify nouns; adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

You can recognize adverbs easily because many of them are formed by adding -ly to an adjective.
Here are some sentences that demonstrate some of the differences between an adjective and an adverb.
Here careless is an adjective that modifies the proper noun Richard.
Here carelessly is an adverb that modifies the verb talks.
Here happy is an adjective that modifies the proper noun Priya and extremely is an adverb that modifies the adjective happy.
Adverbs can't modify nouns, as you can see from the following incorrect sentences.
The correct sentence above should say, "He is a quiet man."
The correct sentence above should say, "I have a happy dog."

Rule #2: An adjective always follows a form of the verb to be when it modifies the noun before the verb. Here are some examples that show this rule.

Rule #3: Likewise an adjective always follows a sense verb or a verb of appearance — feel, taste, smell, sound, look, appear, and seem — when it modifies the noun before the verb.

Here bad is an adjective that modifies the noun cough. Using the adverb badly here would not make sense, because it would mean her cough isn't very good at sounding.
Here awful is an adjective that modifies the noun oil. Using the adverb awfully here would not make sense, because it would mean that castor oil isn't very good at tasting.
Here fresh is an adjective that modifies the noun air. Using the adverb freshly here would not make sense, because it would mean that the air has a sense of smell that it uses in a fresh manner.
Here unhappy is an adjective that modifies the pronoun she. Using the adverb unhappily here would not make sense, because it would mean that she isn't very good at seeming.
Be careful to notice whether the word modifies the subject or the verb in the sentence. If the word modifies the subject, you should use an adjective. If the word modifies the verb, you should use an adverb. The difference is shown in the following pair of sentences.
Here sweet is an adjective that modifies the noun apple. Using the adverb sweetly here would not make sense, because it would mean that the apple can smell things in a sweet manner.
Here carefully is an adverb that modifies the verb smells. Using the adjective careful here would not make sense, because it would mean that the dog gives off an odor of carefulness.

Avoiding Common Errors

Bad or Badly?
When you want to describe how you feel, you should use an adjective (Why? Feel is a sense verb;see rule #3 above). So you'd say, "I feel bad." Saying you feel badly would be like saying you play football badly. It would mean that you are unable to feel, as though your hands were partially numb.
Good or Well?
Good is an adjective, so you do not do good or live good, but you do well and live well. Remember, though, that an adjective follows sense-verbs and be-verbs, so you also feel good, look good, smell good, are good, have been good, etc. (Refer to rule #3 above for more information about sense verbs and verbs of appearance.)
Confusion can occur because well can function either as an adverb or an adjective. When well is used as an adjective, it means "not sick" or "in good health." For this specific sense of well, it's OK to say you feel well or are well — for example, after recovering from an illness. When not used in this health-related sense, however, well functions as an adverb; for example, "I did well on my exam."
Double-negatives
Scarcely and hardly are already negative adverbs. To add another negative term is redundant, because in English only one negative is ever used at a time
Sure or Surely?
Sure is an adjective, and surely is an adverb. Sure is also used in the idiomatic expression sure to be. Surely can be used as a sentence-adverb. Here are some examples that show different uses of sure and surely. Adjectives are in blue and adverbs are in red.
Here sure is an adjective that modifies the pronoun I.
Here surely is an adverb that modifies the adjective ready.
Here sure to be is an idiomatic phrase that functions as an adjective that modifies the pronoun she.
Here surely is an adverb that modifies the verb has been.
Real or Really?
Real is an adjective, and really is an adverb. Here are some examples that demonstrate the difference between real and really.
Here really is an adverb that modifies the adverb well.
Here really is an adverb that modifies the verb phrase going out.
Here real is an adjective that modifies the noun problems.
Near or Nearly?
Near can function as a verb, adverb, adjective, or preposition. Nearly is used as an adverb to mean "in a close manner" or "almost but not quite." Here are some examples that demonstrate the differences between various uses of near and nearly.
Here neared is a verb in the past tense.
Here nearly is an adverb that modifies the verb finished.
Here near is an adverb of place that modifies the verb crept.
Here nearly is an adverb that modifies the verb related.

Adjectives with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Summary: This resource provides basic guidelines of adjective and adverb use.
Contributors:Paul Lynch, Chris Berry
Last Edited: 2010-04-17 05:54:23

The Basic Rules: Adjectives

A countable noun is one that can be expressed in plural form, usually with an "s." For example, "cat--cats," "season--seasons," "student--students."
An uncountable noun is one that usually cannot be expressed in a plural form. For example, "milk," "water," "air," "money," "food." Usually, you can't say, "He had many moneys."
Most of the time, this doesn't matter with adjectives. For example, you can say, "The cat was gray" or "The air was gray." However, the difference between a countable and uncountable noun does matter with certain adjectives, such as the following:

• some/any
• much/many
• little/few
• a lot of/lots of
• a little bit of
• plenty of
• enough
• no

Some/Any:

Both "some" and "any" can modify countable and uncountable nouns.

• "There is some water on the floor."
• "There are some Mexicans here."
• "Do you have any food?"
• "Do you have any apples?"

Much/Many:

"Much" modifies only uncountable nouns.

• "They have so much money in the bank."
• "The horse drinks so much water."

"Many" modifies only countable nouns.

• "Many Americans travel to Europe."
• "I collected many sources for my paper."

Little/Few:

"Little" modifies only uncountable nouns.

• "He had little food in the house."
• "When I was in college, there was little money to spare."

"Few" modifies only countable nouns.

• "There are a few doctors in town."
• "He had few reasons for his opinion."

A lot of/lots of:

"A lot of" and "lots of" are informal substitutes for much and many. They are used with uncountable nouns when they mean "much" and with countable nouns when they mean "many."

• "They have lots of (much) money in the bank."
• "A lot of (many) Americans travel to Europe."
• "We got lots of (many) mosquitoes last summer."
• "We got lots of (much) rain last summer."

A little bit of:

"A little bit of" is informal and always precedes an uncountable noun.

• "There is a little bit of pepper in the soup."
• "There is a little bit of snow on the ground."

Plenty of:

"Plenty of" modifies both countable and uncountable nouns.

• "They have plenty of money in the bank."
• "There are plenty of millionaires in Switzerland."

Enough:

Enough modifies both countable and uncountable nouns.

• "There is enough money to buy a

Using Articles

Summary: This handout discusses the differences between indefinite articles (a/an) and definite articles (the).
Contributors:Paul Lynch, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth Angeli
Last Edited: 2011-03-03 10:04:28
What is an article? Basically, an article is an adjective. Like adjectives, articles modify nouns.
English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns; a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. We call the the definite article and a/an the indefinite article.
the = definite article
a/an = indefinite article
For example, if I say, "Let's read the book," I mean a specific book. If I say, "Let's read a book," I mean any book rather than a specific book.
Here's another way to explain it: The is used to refer to a specific or particular member of a group. For example, "I just saw the most popular movie of the year." There are many movies, but only one particular movie is the most popular. Therefore, we use the.
"A/an" is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular member of the group. For example, "I would like to go see a movie." Here, we're not talking about a specific movie. We're talking about any movie. There are many movies, and I want to see any movie. I don't have a specific one in mind.
Let's look at each kind of article a little more closely.

Indefinite Articles: a and an

"A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. For example:

• "My daughter really wants a dog for Christmas." This refers to any dog. We don't know which dog because we haven't found the dog yet.
• "Somebody call a policeman!" This refers to any policeman. We don't need a specific policeman; we need any policeman who is available.
• "When I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!" Here, we're talking about a single, non-specific thing, in this case an elephant. There are probably several elephants at the zoo, but there's only one we're talking about here.

Remember, using a or an depends on the sound that begins the next word. So...

• a + singular noun beginning with a consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a dog
• an + singular noun beginning with a vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an idiot; an orphan
• a + singular noun beginning with a consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound, so 'a' is used); a university; a unicycle
• an + nouns starting with silent "h": an hour
• a + nouns starting with a pronounced "h": a horse
• In some cases where "h" is pronounced, such as "historical," you can use an. However, a is more commonly used and preferred.

Remember that these rules also apply when you use acronyms:
Another case where this rule applies is when acronyms start with consonant letters but have vowel sounds:
If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the initial sound of the adjective that immediately follows the article:

• a broken egg
• an unusual problem
• a European country (sounds like 'yer-o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y' sound)

Remember, too, that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate membership in a group:

• I am a teacher. (I am a member of a large group known as teachers.)
• Brian is an Irishman. (Brian is a member of the people known as Irish.)
• Seiko is a practicing Buddhist. (Seiko is a member of the group of people known as Buddhists.)

Definite Article: the

The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group. For example:
"The dog that bit me ran away." Here, we're talking about a specific dog, the dog that bit me.
"I was happy to see the policeman who saved my cat!" Here, we're talking about a particular policeman. Even if we don't know the policeman's name, it's still a particular policeman because it is the one who saved the cat.
"I saw the elephant at the zoo." Here, we're talking about a specific noun. Probably there is only one elephant at the zoo.

Count and Noncount Nouns

The can be used with noncount nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.

• "I love to sail over the water" (some specific body of water) or "I love to sail over water" (any water).
• "He spilled the milk all over the floor" (some specific milk, perhaps the milk you bought earlier that day) or "He spilled milk all over the floor" (any milk).

"A/an" can be used only with count nouns.

• "I need a bottle of water."
• "I need a new glass of milk."

Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a water," unless you're implying, say, a bottle of water.

Geographical use of the

There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns.
Do not use the before:

• names of most countries/territories: Italy, Mexico, Bolivia; however, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, the United States
• names of cities, towns, or states: Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
• names of streets: Washington Blvd., Main St.
• names of lakes and bays: Lake Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of lakes like the Great Lakes
• names of mountains: Mount Everest, Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like the Matterhorn
• names of continents (Asia, Europe)
• names of islands (Easter Island, Maui, Key West) except with island chains like the Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary Islands

Do use the before:

• names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific
• points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole
• geographical areas: the Middle East, the West
• deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

Omission of Articles

Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:

• Names of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish, Russian (unless you are referring to the population of the nation: "The Spanish are known for their warm hospitality.")
• Names of sports: volleyball, hockey, baseball
• Names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer science

Prepositions for Time, Place, and Introducing Objects

One point in time

On is used with days:

• I will see you on Monday.
• The week begins on Sunday.

At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day:

• My plane leaves at noon.
• The movie starts at 6 p.m.

In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years, with seasons:

• He likes to read in the afternoon.
• The days are long in August.
• The book was published in 1999.
• The flowers will bloom in spring.

Extended time

To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since, for, by, from—to, from-until, during,(with)in

• She has been gone since yesterday. (She left yesterday and has not returned.)
• I'm going to Paris for two weeks. (I will spend two weeks there.)
• The movie showed from August to October. (Beginning in August and ending in October.)
• The decorations were up from spring until fall. (Beginning in spring and ending in fall.)
• I watch TV during the evening. (For some period of time in the evening.)
• We must finish the project within a year. (No longer than a year.)

Place

To express notions of place, English uses the following prepositions: to talk about the point itself: in, to express something contained: inside, to talk about the surface: on, to talk about a general vicinity, at.

• There is a wasp in the room.
• Put the present inside the box.
• I left your keys on the table.
• She was waiting at the corner.

Higher than a point

To express notions of an object being higher than a point, English uses the following prepositions: over, above.

• He threw the ball over the roof.
• Hang that picture above the couch.

Lower than a point

To express notions of an object being lower than a point, English uses the following prepositions: under, underneath, beneath, below.

• The rabbit burrowed under the ground.
• The child hid underneath the blanket.
• We relaxed in the shade beneath the branches.
• The valley is below sea-level.

Close to a point

To express notions of an object being close to a point, English uses the following prepositions: near, by, next to, between, among, opposite.

• She lives near the school.
• There is an ice cream shop by the store.
• An oak tree grows next to my house
• The house is between Elm Street and Maple Street.
• I found my pen lying among the books.
• The bathroom is opposite that room.

To introduce objects of verbs

English uses the following prepositions to introduce objects of the following verbs.

At: glance, laugh, look, rejoice, smile, stare

• She glanced at her reflection.
  (exception with mir

Sequence of Tenses

Summary: This handout explains and describes the sequence of verb tenses in English.
Contributors:Chris Berry, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth Angeli
Last Edited: 2012-07-20 09:28:14
Strictly speaking, in English, only two tenses are marked in the verb alone, present (as in "he sings") and past (as in "he sang"). Other English language tenses, as many as thirty of them, are marked by other words called auxiliaries. Understanding the six basic tenses allows one to re-create much of the reality of time in his writing.
Simple Present: They walk
Present Perfect: They have walked
Simple Past: They walked
Past Perfect: They had walked
Future: They will walk
Future Perfect: They will have walked
Problems in sequencing tenses usually occur with the perfect tenses, all of which are formed by adding an auxiliary or auxiliaries to the past participle, the third principal part.
The most common auxiliaries are forms of "be," "can," "do," "may," "must," "ought," "shall," "will," "has," "have," "had," and they are the forms we shall use in this most basic discussion.

Present Perfect

The present perfect consists of a past participle (the third principal part) with "has" or "have." It designates action which began in the past but which continues into the present or the effect of which still continues.
1. Betty taught for ten years. (simple past)
2. Betty has taught for ten years. (present perfect)
The implication in (1) is that Betty has retired; in (2), that she is still teaching.
1. John did his homework. He can go to the movies.
2. If John has done his homework, he can go to the movies.
Infinitives, too, have perfect tense forms when combined with "have," and sometimes problems arise when infinitives are used with verbs such as "hope," "plan," "expect," and "intend," all of which usually point to the future (I wanted to go to the movie. Janet meant to see the doctor.) The perfect tense sets up a sequence by marking the action which began and usually was completed before the action in the main verb.
1. I am happy to have participated in this campaign!
2. John had hoped to have won the trophy.
Thus the action of the main verb points back in time; the action of the perfect infinitive has been completed.

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense designates action in the past just as simple past does, but the action of the past perfect is action completed in the past before another action.
1. John raised vegetables and later sold them. (past)
2. John sold vegetables that he had raised. (past perfect)
The vegetables were raised before they were sold.
1. Renee washed the car when George arrived (simple past)
2. Renee had washed the car when George arrived. (past perfect)
In (1), she waited until George arrived and then washed the car. In (2), she had already finished washing the car by the time he arrived.
In sentences expressing condition and result, the past perfect tense is used in the part that states the condition.
1. If I had done my exercises, I would have passed the test.
2. I think George would have been elected if he hadn't sounded so pompous.

Future Perfect

The future perfect tense designates action that will have been completed at a specified time in the future.
1. Saturday I will finish my housework. (simple future)
2. By Saturday noon, I will have finished my housework. (future perfect)

Review

1. Judy saved thirty dollars. (past)
2. Judy will save thirty dollars. (future)
3. Judy has saved thirty dollars. (present perfect)
4. Judy had saved thirty dollars by the end of last month. (past perfect)
5. Judy will have saved thirty dollars by the end of this month. (future perfect)
Notice: There can be only one "would have" action group in a sentence.