ADJECTIVES AFTER CERTAIN VERBS

by English Grammar on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 5:21am Adjective After Certain Verbs An adjective can come after some verbs, such as: be, become, feel, get, look, seem, smell, sound Even when an adjective comes after the verb and not before a noun, it always refers to and qualifies the subject of the sentence, not the verb. Look at the examples below: subject verb adjective

Ram is English. Because she had to wait, she became impatient. Is it getting dark? The examination did not seem difficult. Your friend looks nice. This towel feels damp. That new film doesn't sound very interesting. Dinner smells good tonight. This milk tastes sour. It smells bad.

These verbs are "stative" verbs, which express a state or change of state, not "dynamic" verbs which express an action. Note that some verbs can be stative in one sense (she looks beautiful | it got hot), and dynamic in another (she looked at him | he got the money). The above examples do not include all stative verbs. Note also that in the above structure (subject verb adjective), the adjective can qualify a pronoun since the subject may be a pronoun.

ENGLISH PREPOSITION RULE.

by English Grammar on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 5:16am English Preposition Rule There is one very simple rule about prepositions. And, unlike most rules, this rule has no exceptions. RuleA preposition is followed by a "noun". It is never followed by a verb. By "noun" we include:

noun (dog, money, love) proper noun (name) (Bangkok, Mary) pronoun (you, him, us) noun group (my first job) gerund (swimming)

A preposition cannot be followed by a verb. If we want to follow a preposition by a verb, we must use the "-ing" form which is really a gerund or verb in noun form. Quick Quiz: In the following sentences, why is "to" followed by a verb? That should be impossible, according to the above rule:

I would like to go now. She used to smoke.

Here are some examples: Subject + verbpreposition"noun"The food isonthe table.She livesinJapan.Tara is lookingforyou.The letter isunderyour blue book.Pascal is usedtoEnglish people.She isn't usedtoworking.I atebeforecoming. Answer to Quick Quiz: In these sentences, "to" is not a preposition. It is part of the infinitive ("to go", "to smoke").

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE: AT, IN, ON.

by English Grammar on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 5:10am Prepositions of Place: at, in, on In general, we use:

at for a POINT in for an ENCLOSED SPACE on for a SURFACE

at in on POINT ENCLOSED SPACE SURFACE at the corner in the garden on the wall at the bus stop in London on the ceiling at the door in France on the door at the top of the page in a box on the cover at the end of the road in my pocket on the floor at the entrance in my wallet on the carpet at the crossroads in a building on the menu at the front desk in a car on a page Look at these examples:

Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop. The shop is at the end of the street. My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late. When will you arrive at the office? Do you work in an office? I have a meeting in New York. Do you live in Japan? Jupiter is in the Solar System. The author's name is on the cover of the book. There are no prices on this menu. You are standing on my foot. There was a "no smoking" sign on the wall. I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.

Notice the use of the prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions: at in on at home in a car on a bus at work in a taxi on a train at school in a helicopter on a plane at university in a boat on a ship at college in a lift (elevator) on a bicycle, on a motorbike at the top in the newspaper on a horse, on an elephant at the bottom in the sky on the radio, on television at the side in a row on the left, on the right at reception in Oxford Street on the way See also Prepositions of Time: at, in, on

QUANTIFIERS: A FEW AND FEW, A LITTLE AND LITTLE

by English Grammar on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 7:59pm THE QUANTIFIERS: A few and few, a little and little

These expressions referring to.

show the speaker's attitude towards the quantity he/she is

A few (for countable nouns) and a little (for uncountable nouns) quantity in a positive way:

describe the

"I've got a "I've got a

few friends" (= maybe not many, but enough) little money" (= I've got enough to live on) way:

Few

and little describe the quantity in a negative

Few people visited him in hospital (= he had almost no visitors) He had little money (= almost no money)

DON'T FEEL BADLY; INSTEAD.FEEL BAD.

by English Grammar on Sunday, October 9, 2011 at 3:01am Nuclear Power=Green Energy? Dont Feel Badly; Instead, Feel Bad Posted by languageandgrammar on July 8, 2008 Bad is an adjective that is used with linking verbs (verbs of being, such as be, become, seem, feel, taste, look, smell).

Dont feel bad about slamming my hand in the car door; it happens all the time. I feel bad about dropping you off in the middle of the highway, but Im running really late. He looks bad; it must be the flu. This soup tastes bad; it reminds me of my grandmothers cooking.

Badly is an adverb, and it describes how you do something (or, as some would say, it modifies a verbas long as it isnt a linking verb). She sings badly means that you cover your ears whenever she breaks into her operatic rendition of I Will Survive. He swings the bat badly could mean that he swings it so erratically that he has to yell heads up! every time he steps up to the plate. To feel badly means that your sense of touch is, as the phrase goes, out of wack. This tastes badly means that the food youre talking about is actually whats doing the tasting, and its somehow doing it in a bad way. Talk about bad taste!

WHAT IS AN IDIOM [2]

by English Grammar on Friday, October 7, 2011 at 3:16pm What is an idiom? An idiom is a combination of words that has a meaning that is different from the meanings of the individual words themselves. It can have a literal meaning in one situation and a different idiomatic meaning in another situation. It is a phrase which does not always follow the normal rules of meaning and grammar.To sit on the fence can literally mean that one is sitting on a fence. I sat on the fence and watched the game. However, the idiomatic meaning of to sit on the fence is that one is not making a clear choice regarding some issue. The politician sat on the fence and would not give his opinion about the tax issue. Many idioms are similar to expressions in other languages and can be easy for a learner to understand. Other idioms come from older phrases which have changed over time.To hold one's horses means to stop and wait patiently for someone or something. It comes from a time when people rode horses and would have to hold their horses while waiting for someone or something."Hold your horses," I said when my friend started to leave the store. Other idioms come from such things as sports that are common in the United Kingdom or the United States and may require some special cultural knowledge to easily understand them.To cover all of one's bases means to thoroughly prepare for or deal with a situation. It comes from the American game of baseball where you must cover or protect the bases. I tried to cover all of my bases when I went to the job interview. Structure of Idioms Most idioms are unique and fixed in their grammatical structure. The expression to sit on the fence cannot become to sit on a fence or to sit on the fences. However, there are many changes that can be made to an idiom. Some of these changes result in a change in the grammatical structure that would generally be considered to be wrong.To be broken literally means that something is broken. The lamp is broken so I cannot easily read my book.To be broke is grammatically incorrect but it has the idiomatic meaning of to have no money. I am broke and I cannot go to a movie tonight. There can also be changes in nouns, pronouns or in the verb tenses. I sat on the fence and did not give my opinion. Many people are sitting on the fence and do not want to give their opinion. Adjectives and adverbs can also be added to an idiomatic phrase. The politician has been sitting squarely in the middle of the fence since the election. It is for these reasons that it is sometimes difficult to isolate the actual idiomatic expression and then find it in a dictionary of idioms.

WHAT IS AN IDIOM
by English Grammar on Friday, October 7, 2011 at 3:15pm

What is an Idiom?

Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that cannot be taken literally. In other words, when used in everyday language, they have a meaning other than the basic one you would find in the dictionary. Every language has its own idioms. Learning them makes understanding and using a language a lot easier and more fun!

For example, break a leg is a common idiom.

Literal meaning: I command you to break a bone in your leg and you should probably go to the doctor afterwards to get it fixed.

Idiomatic meaning: Do your best and do well. Often, actors tell each other to break a leg before they go out on stage to perform.

WHAT ARE PHRASAL VERBS

by English Grammar on Friday, October 7, 2011 at 8:54am What are phrasal verbs? 1. A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning different from the original verb. Example: I ran intomy teacher at the movies last night. run + into = meet He ran away when he was 15. run + away = leave home 2. Some phrasal verbs are intransitive. An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an object. Example: He suddenly showed up. "show up" cannot take an object 3. Some phrasal verbs are transitive. A transitive verb can be followed by an object. Example: I made up the story. "story" is the object of "make up" 4. Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable. The object is placed between the verb and the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, separable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a * between the verb and the preposition / adverb. Example: I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car. She looked the phone number up. 5. Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable. The object is placed after the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, inseparable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a + after the preposition / adverb. Example: I ran into an old friend yesterday. They are looking into the problem. 6. Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, such phrasal verbs are marked with both * and + .

Example: I looked the number up in the phone book. I looked up the number in the phone book. 7. WARNING! Although many phrasal verbs can take an object in both places, you must put the object between the verb and the preposition if the object is a pronoun. Example: I looked the number up in the phone book. I looked up the number in the phone book. I looked it up in the phone book. correct I looked up it in the phone book. incorrect

USING POSSESSIVES WITH GERUNDS

by English Grammar on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 1:20pm Using Possessives with Gerunds

Do we say "I can't stand him singing in the shower," or do we say "I can't stand his singing in the shower"? Well, you have to decide what you find objectionable: is it him, the fact that he is singing in the shower, or is it the singing that is being done by him that you can't stand? Chances are, it's the latter, it's the singing that belongs to him that bugs you. So we would say, "I can't stand his singing in the shower."

On the other hand, do we say "I noticed your standing in the alley last night"? Probably not, because it's not the action that we noticed; it's the person. So we'd say and write, instead, "I noticed you standing in the alley last night." Usually, however, when a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund, that noun or pronoun takes a possessive form. This is especially true of formal, academic writing.

There are exceptions to this. (What would the study of language be without exceptions?)

When the noun preceding the gerund is modified by other words, use the common form of that noun, not the possessive. 1. Federico was pleased by Carlos's making the Dean's List for the first

time. but 2. Federico was pleased by Carlos, his oldest son, making the Dean's List for the first time. When the noun preceding the gerund is plural, collective, or abstract, use the common form of that noun, not the possessive.

3. Professor Villa was amazed by her students working as hard as they did. 4. The class working collaboratively was somebody else's idea. 5. It was a case of old age getting the better of them. There are certain situations in which the possessive and the gerund create an awkward combination. This seems to be particularly true when indefinite pronouns are involved.

6. I was shocked by somebody's making that remark. This would be greatly improved by saying, instead . . .

7. I was shocked that somebody would make that remark. This is also true when the "owner" of the gerund comes wrapped in a noun phrase:

I was thankful for the guy next door shoveling snow from my driveway

THE INFINITIVE
by English Grammar on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 11:57am The Infinitive Recognize an infinitive when you see one. To sneeze, to smash, to cry, to shriek, to jump, to dunk, to read, to eat, to slurpall of these are infinitives. An infinitive will almost always begin with to followed by the simple form of the verb, like this: to + verb = infinitive Important Note: Because an infinitive is not a verb, you cannot add s, es, ed, or ing to the end. Ever! Infinitives can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Look at these examples: To sleep is the only thing Eli wants after his double shift waiting tables at the neighborhood caf. To sleep functions as a noun because it is the subject of the sentence. No matter how fascinating the biology dissection is, Emanuel turns his head and refuses to look. To look functions as a noun because it is the direct object for the verb refuses. Wherever Melissa goes, she always brings a book to read in case conversation lags or she has a long wait. To read functions as an adjective because it modifies book. Richard braved the icy rain to throw the smelly squid eyeball stew into the apartment dumpster. To throw functions as an adverb because it explains why Richard braved the inclement weather. Recognize an infinitive even when it is missing the to. An infinitive will almost always begin with to. Exceptions do occur, however. An infinitive will lose its to when it follows certain verbs. These verbs are feel, hear, help, let, make, see, and watch. The pattern looks like this: special verb + direct object + infinitive - to

Here are some examples: As soon as Theodore felt the rain splatter on his hot, dusty skin, he knew that he had a good excuse to return the lawn mower to the garage. Felt = special verb; rain = direct object; splatter = infinitive minus the to. When Danny heard the alarm clock buzz, he slapped the snooze button and burrowed under the covers for ten more minutes of sleep. Heard = special verb; alarm clock = direct object; buzz = infinitive minus the to. Although Dr. Ribley spent an extra class period helping us understand logarithms, we still bombed the test. Helping = special verb; us = direct object; understand = infinitive minus the to. Because Freddie had never touched a snake, I removed the cover of the cage and let him pet Squeeze, my seven-foot python. Let = special verb; him = direct object; pet = infinitive minus the to. Since Jose had destroyed Sylvia's spotless kitchen while baking chocolate-broccoli muffins, she made him take her out for an expensive dinner. Made = special verb; him = direct object; take = infinitive minus the to. I said a prayer when I saw my friends mount the Kumba, a frightening roller coaster that twists and rolls like a giant sea serpent. Saw = special verb; my friends = direct object; mount = infinitive minus the to. Hoping to lose her fear of flying, Rachel went to the airport to watch passenger planes take off and land, but even this exercise did not convince her that jets were safe. Watch = special verb; passenger planes = direct object; take, land = infinitives minus the to. To split or not to split? The general rule is that no word should separate the to of an infinitive from the simple form of the verb that follows. If a word does come between these two components, a split infinitive results. Look at the example that follows: Wrong: Sara hopes to quickly finish her chemistry homework so that she can return to the more interesting Stephen King novel she had to abandon. Right: Sara hopes to finish her chemistry homework quickly so that she can return to the more interesting Stephen King novel she had to abandon. Some English teachers believe that thou shall not split infinitives was written on the stone tablets that Moses carried down from the mountain. Breaking the rule, in their eyes, is

equivalent to killing, stealing, coveting another man's wife, or dishonoring one's parents. If you have this type of English teacher, then don't split infinitives! Other folks, however, consider the split infinitive a construction, not an error. They believe that split infinitives are perfectly appropriate, especially in informal writing. In fact, an infinitive will occasionally require splitting, sometimes for meaning and sometimes for sentence cadence. One of the most celebrated split infinitives begins every episode of Star Trek: "To boldly go where no one has gone before ...." Boldly to go? To go boldly? Neither option is as effective as the original! When you are making the decision to split or not to split, consider your audience. If the piece of writing is very formal and you can maneuver the words to avoid splitting the infinitive, then do so. If you like the infinitive split and know that its presence will not hurt the effectiveness of your writing, leave it alone.

INTO/IN TO, ONTO/ON TO

by English Grammar on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 11:23pm Into/In To; Onto/On To

by Tina Blue

January 19, 2001

The pairs into/in

to

and onto/on

to

cause a lot of confusion for writers, but much of that confusion can be cleared up if you focus on exactly what you are trying to say.

A. IN TO vs. INTO:

I. Into is a preposition. In a sentence, the preposition into

will be part of a prepositional phrase consisting of into + its object + any modifiers of its objects . The entire phrase it is a part of will function adverbially to modify the verb

or verb phrase

that precedes the phrase.

1. When he walked into

the room, he found that the

meeting had already started.

2. Put the toys

into

the basket.

3. The pumpkin was turned into

a carriage.

II. In the phrase in to, in is an adverb,

directly modifying a verb , and to is a preposition

with its own object . When the word into is used in a sentence where in to is

meant, the resulting statement can be absurd.

1. She turned her paper

in

to the teacher.

vs.

2. She turned her paper

into

the teacher.

In the second sentence, the paper is transformed-poof!--into the teacher. We've all heard the old joke about the magician who was so talented that he could drive down the street and turn into a gas station. Of course, if he just wanted to get gas somewhere, he would turn in to a gas station.

1. Put the cookie back into

the jar.

2. I need to turn this book back in to

the library.

3. Would you hand this assignment in to

the

teacher for me?

4. Turn your badge in

to the officer at the desk.

5. Cinderella stepped into

the carriage.

6. At midnight, the carriage turned back into

pumpkin.

B. ONTO vs. ON TO:

I. This pair works pretty much the same way the into/in to

pair does, except that there are a number of sentences where either form would be correct, depending on the intended meaning. Take a look at some examples:

1. The responsibility fell onto

his shoulders.

2. She tossed the book onto

the desk.

3. We drove onto

the turnpike. (We got on

the

turnpike.)

4. We drove on

to the turnpike. (We drove until we to the turnpike. got

5. The restaurant adds the tip onto

the bill.

6. Please pass this information on to

your clients.

7. It would be more profitable to shift the cost onto your customers.

8. It would be more profitable to pass the cost on to your customers.

II. I actually believe that studying pairs #3 and #4 and #7 and #8 will tell you more about when to choose onto

and when to choose on to

than a lot of explanation involving grammatical terminology.

Just remember, the two expressions do not mean the same thing, so make sure you know exactly what you are trying to say, and then you will be likely to choose the right word or phrase.

GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

by English Grammar on Monday, October 17, 2011 at 10:18am Gerunds and Infinitives Gerunds and infinitives are forms of verbs that act like nouns. They adjectives and other verbs. Gerunds can also follow prepositions. can follow

A gerund (often known as an -ing word) is a noun formed from a verb by adding -ing. See also Nouns/Gerund. Not all words formed with -ing are gerunds. An infinitive is to + the verb. When a verb follows a verb it either takes the gerund or infinitive form. of meaning.

Some verbs can take either the gerund or the infinitive with no loss For example:

With the verb start - "It started to rain." or "It have the same meaning.

started raining." Both sentences

Sometimes the use of the gerund or infinitive changes the meaning of For example:

the sentence.

With the verb remember - "I remembered to do my homework". remembered doing my homework."

or "I

In the first sentence (I remembered to do my homework), the person speaking remembered they had some homework first and then carried out the action and did it. In the second sentence (I remembered doing my homework.), the person speaking carried out the action (their homework) first and then remembered doing it. Other verbs only take one or the other, unfortunately there is no rule as to which form the verb takes. The same is true when the verb follows an adjective. VERBS THAT ARE NORMALLY FOLLOWED BY GERU Verbs that are normally followed by the gerund form:acknowledge | admit | adore | anticipate | appreciate | avoid | celebrate | confess | contemplate delay | deny | describe | detest | discuss | dislike | dread | endure | enjoy fancy | finish | imagine | involve | keep | justify | mention | mind | miss | omit | postpone | practise

quit | | understand For example:

recall | recommend | regret | report | resent | resume | risk |

suggest | tolerate

I adore reading your books. They anticipated winning the election. I detest going to discos. We postponed making any decision in the meeting. I quit smoking. Do you recall seeing someone like that?

ND Verbs which are normally followed by the infinitive form:afford | agree | appear | arrange | ask | attempt | care | choose | claim | come | consent dare | decide | demand | deserve | determine | elect | endeavour | expect | fail | get | guarentee hate | help | hesitate | hope | hurry | incline | intend | learn | long | manage | mean | need offer | plan | prepare | pretend | promise | refuse | resolve | say | seem | tend | threaten | want | wish For example:

I can't afford to go to the pub. He agreed to practise more. You should learn to express yourself. They managed to fix the problem.

Verbs which can be followed by the gerund or infinitive form:Some verbs can be followed by the gerund or infintive. With no change in meaning begin | continue | hate | like | love | neglect | prefer | start | try For example:

He began to learn English when he was eight. He began learning English when he was eight. I hate to leave. I hate leaving.

!Note - We often use the gerund when we speak about things in general, and the infinitive for particular situations. With a change in meaning

forget | remember | stop For example:

I forgot to feed the cat. (The cat is hungry - he has not been fed) I forgot feeding the cat. (The cat is ok - I fed him and then forgot about it)

The gerund (-ing form) must be used when a verb comes after a preposition:against | at | after | by | on | instead of | talk about | tired of | without For example:

I am against smoking in public places. She is good at speaking English. I went home after leaving the party. You can improve your English by using the Internet. We need to keep on going. You should tell the truth instead of lying all the time. We can talk about going home. I'm tired of hearing excuses. You can't learn English without making mistakes

EXPRESSING THE FUTURE

by English Grammar on Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 9:48pm EXPRESSING THE FUTURE If you talk to a linguist, he or she may tell you that there is no such thing as the future as far as the English language is concerned! We only have two groups of tenses; those that refer to events in past time, and those that talk about the present or the future.

Very often, we use a present tense in English to talk about future events: look at this short dialogue:

Where are you going next summer? Were staying at home. Im working all summer!

Oh what a pity. Dont you even get a week off? Well perhaps; we may go to Wales for a couple of days.

Although this dialogue clearly refers to the future, the verbs are all in forms of the present. There is no will, no going to.

This does not mean that using a clear future tense would be wrong; it would be possible to add the words going to to stress the future nature of events (remembering that going to is actually the

present progressive tense of go .)

Where are you going to go this summer?

Were going to stay at home; Im going to work all summer. Oh what a pity. Arent you even going to get a week off?

Well perhaps; maybe we'll go to Wales .... But in most cases, this would sound heavy.

Present forms are the simplest way of expressing future time in many cases: the present progressive often expresses non-defined time in the future, the present simple refers to instant defined moments in time, or events that will occur regularly. The future with "will" or "going to" A future with will is used to imply a deliberate predetermined action .

Look at this dialogue:

Are you coming home tonight, darling? Yes; my plane gets in at 8.15. O.K. then, Ill meet you at the airport..

A future form with will is also needed whenever it is necessary to avoid confusion between present and future (for example when there is no adverb of time present) Compare:

I see / Ill see - Im there / Ill be there

Will and going to ARE NOT USED... a) With modal verbs can, must, should, could, would. If it is essential to mark the future aspect of a modal structure, it is necessary to use have to instead of must, and be able to instead of can, as in:

Youll have to do better next time (but you could also say: You must do better next time.)

b) in time clauses after if, when, as soon as, unless, after, before, while etc.

We ll have a picnic tomorrow if its dry.

Open the door as soon as you hear the bell. I ll tell you the rest of the story when we get home.

Generally speaking, will is not used in subordinate clauses of any type.

I ll sell it to the first person who makes a good offer. They ll mend it for you while you wait.

Youll do whatever youre told to do!

 The future with shall Shall and the negative form shan't are not often used in modern English; more than just expressing a future action, they express a future obligation or certainty (or in the negative, a forbidding) , and are normally only used in the first person singular (with I), as in.

I shall certainly visit the British Museum when I'm next in London. I shan't be able to come next week, as I'm away on business. But in both of these example, will / won't are quite acceptable alternatives. To avoid any risk of error, the simplest principle to adopt is "never say shall". Don't use these forms! They are slightly archaic, and there is no case in which they are the only option possible.

English humour..... (well, black humour). It's a windy day at Brighton, on the coast of England. Suddenly, a man falls into the water. A minute later, people on the sea-wall hear him shouting: "No one shall save me, I will drown"

"Oh well", says a man on the sea-wall, "Then there's no point trying to save him, if that's what he wants !"

SINCE.....often causes confusion. SINCE EXPLAINED

by English Grammar on Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 9:38pm "Since" often causes confusion, because it has two principal meanings: it can imply cause, or duration (time). Here are some examples:

A1 Since it was Sunday, I stayed in bed longer. A2 Since he arrived,

everything has been different. In A1, since implies cause: in A2 it implies duration.

The meaning of since is indicated by the structures and tenses with which it is used.

Since implying time: 1. If a "since"

clause implies time, it must contain a verb in a past tense.

B1 here.

We haven't eaten anything since we got

B2 here B3

We haven't eaten anything since we've been

I've

been feeling sick (ever) since I ate that cake.

2.

When the main verb in a sentence with

a since clause (since you arrived) or a since phrase (since Tuesday) refers to a period of time including the present, a present perfect tense is necessary.

C1

See

examples B1 - B3. C2 I have been there since six o'clock. C3 Since winning the prize, he's been really

happy.

3. If the whole sentence refers to past time, a past perfect tense is required in the main clause. The since clause generally contains a verb in the simple past tense.

D1

We hadn't eaten anything since we

arrived. D2 I'd been feeling sick

ever since I ate that cake.

D3

hadn't eaten anything since six o'clock.

4.

Since always

implies time if (a) it is a preposition (examples C2, D3) or (b) it is followed by a present participle (example C3).

5. ?

Since or for

Since can only be used with a moment in time - expressed either as an adverb (e.g. yesterday), an adverb phrase (e.g. the start of term) or a verb of action (e.g. I ate...). Since can never be used with a duration. We cannot say: since three hours Duration is expressed with for. E1. I've been here since last week. E2. I've been here for three hours.

Since implying cause: 1. If a

since clause contains a present tense, since must imply cause, not time.

F1

Since it is raining, we are staying

indoors. F2 We will stay indoors

since it is raining. F3 Since he

lives in Peru, he doesn't often visit us.

2.

If the verb

in the main clause and in the since clause are both in the preterite (simple past ) , since almost certainly implies cause, not time;

G1

I ate all the chocolates since you left them

behind. G2 Since he was poor, he

never took taxis. (To imply time, a present perfect is normally

used for the main verb

G11 I've eaten all the chocolates since I got home.)

3.

Since,

implying cause, is synonymous with as.

MUCH, MANY, A LITTLE, A FEW.....

by English Grammar on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 8:01pm much, many, a little, a few

a lot of/lots of Countable/uncountable nouns

much or many

much: uncountable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.) many: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)

Examples: How much money have you got? How many dollars have you got?

In informal English these questions are often answered with a lot of/lots of. There is no much difference between the two phrases.

a little or a few

a little: non countable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.) a few: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)

Examples: He has a little money left. He has a few dollars left.

THE ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

by English Grammar on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 11:45am The Adjective Clause Recognize an adjective clause when you see one. An adjective clausealso called an adjectival or relative clausewill meet three requirements:

First, it will contain a subject and verb. Next, it will begin with a relative pronoun [who, whom, whose, that, or which] or a relative adverb [when, where, or why]. Finally, it will function as an adjective, answering the questions What kind? How many? or Which one?

The adjective clause will follow one of these two patterns: relative pronoun or adverb + subject + verb relative pronoun as subject + verb Here are some examples: Whose big, brown eyes pleaded for another cookie Whose = relative pronoun; eyes = subject; pleaded = verb. Why Fred cannot stand sitting across from his sister Melanie Why = relative adverb; Fred = subject; can stand = verb [not, an adverb, is not officially part of the verb]. That bounced across the kitchen floor That = relative pronoun functioning as subject; bounced = verb. Who hiccupped for seven hours afterward Who = relative pronoun functioning as subject; hiccupped = verb. Avoid writing a sentence fragment. An adjective clause does not express a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone as a sentence. To avoid writing a fragment, you must connect each adjective clause to a main clause. Read the examples below. Notice that the adjective clause follows the word that it describes.

Diane felt manipulated by her beagle Santana, whose big, brown eyes pleaded for another cookie. Chewing with her mouth open is one reason why Fred cannot stand sitting across from his sister Melanie. Growling ferociously, Oreo and Skeeter, Madison's two dogs, competed for the hardboiled egg that bounced across the kitchen floor. Laughter erupted from Annamarie, who hiccupped for seven hours afterward. Punctuate an adjective clause correctly. Punctuating adjective clauses can be tricky. For each sentence, you will have to decide if the adjective clause is essential or nonessential and then use commas accordingly. Essential clauses do not require commas. An adjective clause is essential when you need the information it provides. Look at this example: The vegetables that people leave uneaten are often the most nutritious. Vegetables is nonspecific. To know which ones we are talking about, we must have the information in the adjective clause. Thus, the adjective clause is essential and requires no commas. If, however, we eliminate vegetables and choose a more specific noun instead, the adjective clause becomes nonessential and does require commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence. Read this revision: Broccoli, which people often leave uneaten, is very nutritious.

Printer Fabulous!

GERUND AND INFINITIVE [NO DIFFERENCE IN MEANING.]

by English Grammar on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 2:16am We use the Gerund or the Infinitive after the following verbs: begin He began talking. He began to talk. continue They continue smoking. They continue to smoke. hate Do you hate working on Saturdays? Do you hate to work on Saturdays? like I like swimming. I like to swim. love She loves painting. She loves to paint. prefer Pat prefers walking home. Pat prefers to walk home.

start They start singing. They start to sing.

We use the Gerund or the Infinitive after the following verbs. There are two possible structures after these verbs. Gerund: verb + -ing Infinitive: verb + person + to-infinitive advise They advise walking to town. They advise us to walk to town. allow They do not allow smoking here. They do not allow us to smoke here. encourage They encourage doing the test. They encourage us to do the test. permit They do not permit smoking here. They do not

permit us to smoke here. We use the following structures with the word recommend:

recommend They recommend walking to town. They recommend that we walk to town. Thanks to Bryan Gerund is in the form of present participle,which means first form of the verb +ing. Gerund is a verbal noun. It can be used as subject of a :sentence. a)Swimming is a good exercises( b)as complement of a verb.-Her pastime is reading.c)After prepositions-He is accused of smuggling.d) After CERTAIN verbs like ,admit,appreciate etc.,e) in noun compounds: Diving board, walking stick etc.,-- I have just added tail to the scholarly, authoritative exposition above.Pardon for the audacity.

PHRASAL VERBS
by English Grammar on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 2:14am A-H I-R S-Z

Phrase Example A agree to I wish she would agree to my proposal. agree with I agree with him on that point. ask after Mr. Smith asked after John. B back off* She was told to back off. be in Are your parents in? be off* I'm off now. bear with Please bear with him for a moment while he tries

to put this straight. bend over Bend over and pick it up yourself! black out And then she just blacked out. blame on Don't blame it on her. blow up The bomb might have blown up. bowl over Her reaction simply bowled me over. break away break free break loose At last, the hostage could break away from his captors. break down Finally her car broke down. break up Sue and Tim broke up last year. bring along This year has brought along some significant changes. bring down

The president was brought down by this scandal. bring in My job brings in 400 dollars per week. bring up (1) She was brought up in Wisconsin. (2) Why do you have to bring that up? build up He needs to do some exercises to build himself up. burst in with She burst in with the bad news. butt in* How can we talk when you keep butting in all the time? C call in He called Kelly in. call off I had to call off the barbecue because of the bad weather. calm down Please calm down. carry on

Please carry on with your homework. check out I will check it out. check up (on) There is no need to check up on me. close down The shop was closed down by the police. close in (on) + person She closed in on them quietly. close down The restaurant was closed down by the health department. come around* I knew he would come around in the end. come back Will the good old days ever come back? come by (1) My aunt came by yesterday. (2) I hope he came by this money honestly.* come in Can't you just come in for a few

minutes? come over Why don't you come over next weekend? cool down It began to cool down after the thunderstorm.

count (up) on Can we count on you? cut back (on) I have to cut back on the water usage. cut out* Cut it out! D decide (up) on I decided on the iced tea. The court has not yet decided on a ruling. die off/out That species died out million years ago. do again I probably wouldn't do it again. do in He tried to do his father in. do up

Please do your buttons up. do without I guess I will have to do without lunch today. draw near As the time drew near,... drink up* Drink up, and let's going. drive on We drove on till night. drive off I said good-bye and drove off. drop by* I hope you guys can drop by our house some time. drop in (on)* I can't believe who dropped in on us last night. drop off You can drop me off at the next red light. dry out The clothes finally dried out. E ease off

The storm eased off a little. eat up Eat up, and let's go. edge away The students laughed and edged away from him. end up How will this end up? even out The surface of the road was evened out. F face up (to) You have to face up to challenges. fall apart The whole thing falls apart. fall back on/ rely on

I had to fall back on my savings. fall behind get behind He's falling behind with his car payments. fall through

I hope the house signing doesn't fall through. feel for I really feel for you. fight back (at) It's hard for him to fight back. fight down I fought down the anger. figure out* I just can't figure her out. fill in (1) I'd better fill the cracks in with something. (2) Would you fill in the form, please? fill in (for) I will have to fill in for him till he gets back from his vacation. fill out Would you fill out the form, please? fill up (1) The hole filled up with water and had to be pumped. (2) We will fill up at the next gas station. finish off (1) Finish off your cup of coffee,

please. (2) I will finish my homework up in a few minutes. fit in(to) It just doesn't fit in. fix up Is my bike fixed up yet? fly in(to) I'm flying into Stansted. focuse (on) She focused on this issue. fool around* Stop fooling around. G gather up Let's gather up our things and leave. get across How can I get it across to you get along with He couldn't get along with his mother-in-law. get at* What exactly is he getting at? get back When will you get back? get back at

He will get back at him someday. get back to I will get back to you in a minute. get by (on) She can't get by on that much money. get into He managed to get himself into the class he wanted. get off on* He gets off on paying soccer. get on How are you getting on? get on with (1) I need to get on with my homework. (2) How do you get on with Sam?

get out of You've got to get out of there. get over (1) It took him a long time to get over the heart attack. get through I tried calling you, but I couldn't get through.

get up Today I got up at 10 am.

give away (to) (1) He gave his car away to his brother. (2) Don't give the answer away. give in (to) Why does she always give in to her brother? give up Are you sure you want to give up your career? glance over My teacher just glanced over my homework today. go after He went after the man who mugged him. go around There's not enough milk to go around. go away Please go away! go back I'll never go back. go in They went in after us.

go off (1) The bomb went off. (2) My party went off as planned. go off with I guess she went off with her new boyfriend. go out (with) Will she go out with Mike next Friday evening? go through (1) The truck wouldn't go through the tunnel. (2) He went through his pockets, looking for his wallet. (3) You won't believe what I've gone through. (4) I guess we need to go through the whole song a few more times. go under (1) I was afraid that our ship would go under. (2) The company went under. go without I just cannot go without some candy from time to

time. H hand down He will hand this down to his granddaughter. hand out The teacher handed out the test to the surprised students. hang around (with) I usually spend a lot of time hanging around with my friends. hang on (1) Hang on, please. (2) They couldn't hang on much longer. hang up Why did you hang up on me? heal up My injury healed up in around no time. hear out Hear me out, will you? I have more to tell. heat up How soon will lunch be heated up? help out Can you help me out? hide out (from)

Ben was hiding out from the police. hit back He hit me, but I didn't hit him back. hit on* Tom was hitting on Mike's fiance. hold back I held back the anger. hold on Hold on a minute! I have to check this first. hold out I don't know how long they can hold out. hurry up Hurry up, will you? I got some errands to run today. Thanks to Jennie, Josef and Kai.

MORE ON APOSTROPES
by English Grammar on Monday, October 3, 2011 at 6:13pm Apostrophes Table of Contents:Spacing With PunctuationPeriodsEllipsis MarksCommasSemicolonsColonsQuestion MarksExclamation PointsQuotation MarksParenthesesApostrophesHyphensDashesCapitalization

Rule 1. Use the apostrophe with contractions. The apostrophe is always placed at the spot where the letter(s) has been removed. Examples: don't, isn't You're right. She's a great teacher. Rule 2. Use the apostrophe to show possession. Place the apostrophe before the s to show singular possession. Examples: one boy's hat one woman's hat one actress's hat one child's hat Ms. Chang's house NOTE: Although names ending in s or an s sound are not required to have the second s added in possessive form, it is preferred. Mr. Jones's golf clubs Texas's weather Ms. Straus's daughter Jose Sanchez's artwork Dr. Hastings's appointment (name is Hastings) Mrs. Lees's books (name is Lees) Rule 3. Use the apostrophe where the noun that should follow is implied. Example: This was his father's, not his, jacket.

Rule 4. To show plural possession, make the noun plural first. Then immediately use the apostrophe. Examples: two boys' hats two women's hats two actresses' hats two children's hats the Changs' house the Joneses' golf clubs the Strauses' daughter the Sanchezes' artwork the Hastingses' appointment the Leeses' books Rule 5. Do not use an apostrophe for the plural of a name. Examples: We visited the Sanchezes in Los Angeles. The Changs have two cats and a dog. Rule 6. With a singular compound noun, show possession with 's at the end of the word. Example: my mother-in-law's hat Rule 7. If the compound noun is plural, form the plural first and then use the apostrophe. Example: my two brothers-in-law's hats Rule 8. Use the apostrophe and s after the second name only if two people possess the same item. Examples: Cesar and Maribel's home is constructed of redwood. Cesar's and Maribel's job contracts will be renewed next year.

Indicates separate ownership. Cesar and Maribel's job contracts will be renewed next year. Indicates joint ownership of more than one contract. Rule 9. Never use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns: his, hers, its, theirs, ours, yours, whose. They already show possession so they do not require an apostrophe. Examples: Correct:

This book is hers, not yours. Incorrect: Sincerely your's. Rule 10. The only time an apostrophe is used for it's is when it is a contraction for it is or it has. Examples: It's a nice day. It's your right to refuse the invitation. It's been great getting to know you. Rule 11. The plurals for capital letters and numbers used as nouns are not formed with apostrophes. Examples:

She consulted with three M.D.s. BUT She went to three M.D.s' offices. The apostrophe is needed here to show plural possessive. She learned her ABCs. the 1990s not the 1990's the '90s or the mid-'70s not the '90's or the mid-'70's She learned her times tables for 6s and 7s. Exception: Use apostrophes with capital letters and numbers when the meaning would be unclear otherwise. Examples: Please dot your i's. You don't mean is. Ted couldn't distinguish between his 6's and 0's. You need to use the apostrophe to indicate the plural of zero or it will look like the word Os. To be consistent within a sentence, you would also use the apostrophe to indicate the plural of 6's.

Rule 12. Use the possessive case in front of a gerund (-ing word). Examples: Alex's skating was a joy to behold. This does not stop Joan's inspecting of our facilities next Thursday. Rule 13. If the gerund has a pronoun in front of it, use the possessive form of that pronoun. Examples: I appreciate your inviting me to dinner. I appreciated his working with me to resolve the conflict

INAMINATE POSSESSIVES
by English Grammar on Monday, October 3, 2011 at 12:44am A WISE CLIENT QUESTION: There was always one grammatical mix up for me, and I would like your advice on it. Do we say: I will finish in a weeks time or in a weeks time? In two days time or in two days time?

This question addresses Inanimate Possessives. Before we look at Inanimate Possessives specifically, here is the main use for using an apostrophe to show possession in the English language: 1. Showing contractions i.e. where letters have been omitted from words to make them shorter (was not to wasnt). 2. Indicating possession i.e. that something belongs to someone or something.

The Gregg Reference Manual (which I highly recommend) explains:

As a rule, nouns referring to inanimate things should not be in the possessive. Use an of phrase instead. - the bottom of the barrel (NOT: the barrels bottom) - the wording of the agreement (NOT: the agreements wording - the lower level of the terminal (NOT: the terminals lower level)

However, in reference to time and measurement, and in phrases implying personification, possessive form has come to be accepted usage: - a days notice - an hours work - two years progress (plural possessive) - two weeks salary (plural possessive)

An easy way to remember this is to realize that possession does not belong only to people and places, but also to time. Here are logical examples:

- The end of the journey = the journeys end - In the time of 1 hour = in an hours time - In the time of 5 hours = in 5 hours time (both possessive

and plural) - In the time of a month = in a months time (it is only one month)

ANSWER:

In two days time, the answer posted will be grammatically correct. (not two days time)

Think this over for a weeks time, and it will make much sense. (not a weeks time)

ONE AND ONE'S [WITH APOSTROPHY]

by English Grammar on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 9:12pm Ones is also a possessive determiner like your and is used to talk about people in general. Ones is more formal than your. Compare the following:

'A home of ones own is what most people aspire to.' 'You always want the best for your children thats only natural.'

Note that one and you are similarly formal/informal:

'You cant learn a foreign language in four or six weeks. Its impossible.' 'If one wishes to perfect ones English, one has only to go to a country where it is spoken.

Finally note that one and ones (this time without the apostrophe) are sometimes used as substitute words, i.e. we use them rather than repeating countable nouns. In this aspect, ones is also possible when it is the contracted form of one is. Study the following:

'Could I try on those shoes?' 'Which ones?' 'The ones in the window at the front on the left.' 'There are so many children in this photo. Which one is your daughter?' 'The one in the blue dress.'

'I really like these sweaters, but do you have any other sizes? This ones too small and that ones too big.

APOSTROPHE S
by English Grammar on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 4:23am Apostrophe s The English apostrophe s and s apostrophe cause a lot of problems, even for native speakers. This lesson's task is to help you learn about possessives and contractions that need apostrophes and plurals that don't.

The apostrophe has two purposes in English: 1. To indicate that one or more letters was dropped in a contraction: it is > it's we are > we're does not > doesn't of the clock > o'clock 2. To indicate possession: a) singular with 's Tom's book Jeannie's idea the girl's toys (toys belong to one girl) b) plural with s' the books' covers my brothers' jobs the girls' toys (toys belong to several girls) The apostrophe should never be used when you are just talking about something that is plural, with no possession. The girl's walked by > The girls walked by My brother's are tall > My brothers are tall

Welcome traveler's > Welcome travelers

The Bottom Line Just remember that the apostrophe has a purpose: to indicate a contraction or possession. It does not indicate a plural - the letter s does a fine job of that all by itself.

EITHER AND NEITHER

by English Grammar on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 4:19am The English words either and neither can cause some problems for native and non-native speakers of English. Sometimes you can use either one and sometimes you have to choose either one or the other, but neither one is very difficult.

Either... Or Either... or is used to offer a choice between two possibilities: Either Mike or Lisa will be there. Either you leave me alone or I will call the police. We should bring either coffee or tea. You can either help us or go to your room. Either can also be followed by (one) of + group of two: Either of us could do it Either one of us could do it Either of you should know Either one of you should know Not... either... or denies both possibilities: I don't think either Mike or Lisa will be there. He doesn't speak either English or French. Not... either is used after a negative statement. I don't speak French. You don't either. He isn't ready to go. We aren't either.

Neither... nor Neither... nor is equivalent to not... either... or. Neither Mike nor Lisa will be there. He speaks neither English nor French. We brought neither coffee nor tea. I will neither help you nor go to my room. Neither can also be followed by (one) of + group of two: Neither of them is ready. Neither one of them is ready. Neither of us has any money. Neither one of us has any money. Neither is used like not... either. I don't speak French. Neither do I. (informal): Me neither. He isn't ready to go. Neither are we.

The Bottom Line Either means one, neither means none, and not either equals neither. Or goes with either and nor goes with neither.

USE OF SOME AND ANY

by English Grammar on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 1:50am Use of Any and Some Read the conversation below: Barbara: Is there any milk left? Katherine: Yes, there is some in the bottle on the table. Barbara: Would you like some milk? Katherine: No, thank you. I don't think I'll drink any tonight. Could I have some water, please? Barbara: Sure. There is some in the fridge. Barbara: Do you know anybody who comes from China? Katherine: Yes, I think there is someone who is Chinese in my English class. Barbara: Great, could you ask him some questions for me? Katherine: No problem. Is there anything special you want me to ask? Barbara: No, I don't have anything in particular in mind. Maybe you could ask him some questions about life in China. Is that OK? Katherine: I would be happy to do that for you. Look at the chart below:

SOMEWe use "some" in positive sentences. We use some for both countable and uncountable nouns.Example: I have some friends.ANYWe use "any" in negative sentences or questions. We use any for both countable and uncountable nouns.Example: Do you have any cheese? - He doesn't have any friends in Chicago.EXCEPTION!We use "some" in questions when offering or requesting something that is there.Example: Would you like some bread? (offer) - Could I have some water? (request)ANYWe use "any" in negative sentences or questions. We use any for both countable and uncountable nouns.Example: Do you have any cheese? - He doesn't have any friends in Chicago.SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE, SOMETHINGWe use "some" words - somebody, someone, somewhere and something - in positive sentences. Example: He lives somewhere near here.ANYBODY, ANYWHERE, ANYTHINGWe use "any" words - anybody, anyone, anywhere and anything - in negative sentences or questions. Example: Do you know anything about that boy? - She doesn't have anywhere to go.Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with some or any, or some or any words (somewhere, anybody)

Would you like -- something to eat? I have -- some money in my wallet. Is there -- any juice in the fridge? He can't think of -- anything to do. I'd like to go -- somewhere hot for my vacation. Is there -- anybody OR anyone who plays tennis in your class? I'm afraid I don't have -- any answers to life's problems. Could I have -- some Coke?

Write some positive and negative sentences, as well as some questions using "some" and "any" ! More beginner's Topics

DOUBLE NEGATIVE
by English Grammar on Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 4:35am (1) A nonstandard form using two negatives for emphasis where only one is necessary.(2) A standard form using two negatives to express a positive ("She is not unhappy"). See also:

Negation Negative Particle

Examples and Observations:

"I won't not use no double negatives."(Bart Simpson, The Simpsons, 1999) "Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous."(Geoffrey Chaucer, "The Friar's Tale" in The Canterbury Tales) "Nor never noneShall mistress of it be, save I alone."(William Shakespeare, Viola in Twelfth Night) "You aint heard nothin yet, folks!"(Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer) "I know a college president who can be described only as a jerk. He is not an unintelligent man, nor unlearned, nor even unschooled in the social amenities."(Sidney J. Harris, "A Jerk," 1961) "Syntactically, perhaps the chief characteristic of vulgar American is its sturdy fidelity to the double negative. So freely is it used, indeed, that the simple negative appears to be almost abandoned. Such phrases as 'I see nobody,' 'I could hardly walk,' 'I know nothing about it' are heard so seldom among the masses of the people that they appear to be affectations when encountered; the well-nigh universal forms are 'I dont see nobody,' 'I couldnt hardly walk,' and 'I dont know nothing about it.'"(H. L. Mencken, The American Language, 1921) "It is hoped that American teachers may not find this Manual inappropriate to their use."(J.M. Bonnell, A Manual of the Art of Prose Composition. Morton, 1867) "Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table."(Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1902) "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges!"(Alfonso Bedoya as Gold Hat in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948) June Cleaver: Wally, I wonder if you'd mind going to the supermarket for me.Wally Cleaver: Well, I guess I could. I'm not hardly doing anything.June Cleaver: Wally, you never use not and hardly together. Either you're not doing anything, or you're hardly doing anything.Wally Cleaver: Oh. I wasn't sure, so I stuck 'em both in.("Beaver Finds a Wallet." Leave It to Beaver, 1960) Triple Negatives"You better not never tell nobody but God."(Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982)"We try every way we can do to kill the game, but for some reason, nothing nobody does never hurts it."(Sparky Anderson, quoted by George Will in "Baseball Lit. 101," 1990)

Quadruple Negatives"Why, sir, I never knowed no manner o' luck on no ship nowhen and nowhere, wi' unmarried females aboard."(Lovepeace Farrance, quoted by George Choundas in The Pirate Primer: Mastering the Language of Swashbucklers and Rogues. Writer's Digest Books, 2007) Right down on the ground his stick he throwed. And he shivered and said, "Well, I am blowed."And he turned away, with a heart full sore, And he never was seen not none no more.(Robert J. Burdette, "Romance of the Carpet") "Most kinds of double negative are inappropriate in spoken and written Standard English except in jocular use . . .. This was not always so, however, and the double negative remains one of the best illustrations of what was once a perfectly acceptable locution being driven by the decisions of grammarians, not out of the language, but out of Standard use."(Kenneth G. Wilson, The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Columbia Univ. Press, 1993)

Also Known As: negative concordFigures of Emphasis

Commoratio Epimone Pleonasm

Figures of Repetition

Ploce Diacope Epizeuxis

Questioning Figures of Speech

Epiplexis Rhetorical Question Erotesis

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MUCH, MANY, A LITTLE, A FEW.....

by English Grammar on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 8:01pm much, many, a little, a few

a lot of/lots of Countable/uncountable nouns

much or many

much: uncountable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.) many: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)

Examples: How much money have you got? How many dollars have you got?

In informal English these questions are often answered with a lot of/lots of. There is no much difference between the two phrases.

a little or a few

a little: non countable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.) a few: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)

Examples: He has a little money left. He has a few dollars left.