Many nouns are sometimes countable and sometimes uncountable

Note: Algunas palabras pueden ser contables y no contables a la vez

 Animales

Fish (será contable cuando se refiere al animal tanto vivo o muerto)

Chicken (será contable cuando se refiere al animal tanto vivo o muerto)

A chicken

Two chickens

Sheep (será contable cuando se refiere al animal tanto vivo o muerto)

 Masa en general

Cheese (será contable cuando se refiere a la unidad, al todo, a un queso entero)

A cheese

Two cheeses

Examples: podemos indicar

Chicken (animal vivo o muerto)

1. A chicken
2. Two chickens
3. Some chickens
4. Many chickens
5. A lot of chickens
6. A few chickens

Cheese (masa entera)

Lic. J. Carlos López S.

 1. A cheese
2. Two cheeses
3. Some cheeses
4. Many cheeses
5. A lot of cheeses
6. A few cheeses

Pero:

Si la palabra hace referencia a la carne del animal, o a una parte del todo entonces esa palabra es
no contable

Example:

Carnes

1. some chicken
2. Much chicken
3. A lot of chicken
4. A Little chicken

Se utilizan estas frases para indicar que es algo de pollo/ mucho pollo/ poco pollo (para indicar
que de la totalidad se coge una parte, pasa esto con todo tipo de carnes)

Parte de la masa

Igual pasa con el queso (cheese), mantequilla (butter), torta/queque (cake)

 Como se esta hablando de comidas en general estas palabras se toman como no

contables, salvo q se hable de animales o de totalidad entonces pasaran a ser
contables como ya se ha explicado
 La palabra fruit, food y bread son no contable y la palabra vegetable es contable

Note: “some” es usado en preguntas sólo cuando se quiere ofrecer algo (offers)
Example:
Would you like some tea?
Do you like some apples?

We use With With In positive In questions In negative

countable uncountable sentences sentences
nouns nouns
Some X X x X (offers)
Any X x X x

Lic. J. Carlos López S.

Much x x x
Many x x x x
A lot of /lost x x x x x
of
A few x x
A little x x

Much: mucho de se usa para las palabras no contables en interrogación y en negación

Many: muchos, se usa para palabras contables en oraciones afirmativas, negativas e
interrogativas
A lot of / lots of: bastante / mucho se usa tanto para palabras contables como no contables en
oraciones afirmativas, negativas e interrogativas
A few: pocos se usa para palabras contables en oraciones afirmativas
A Little: poco de usa para las palabras no contables en oraciones afirmativas

Worksheet
I. Complete the sentences with much /many/ a lot of
1. How __________ is it?
2. How ___________ sugar do you need?
3. There are ______________ pots in the kitchen
4. There isn’t _____________ wine in the bottle
5. I need ________________ oil to fry
6. My sister buys ______________ apples at the weekends
II. Complete the sentences with a few / a little
1. There is ________________________ ice in the fridge
2. There is ____________________ coffee in the can
3. There are ______________ mushrooms in the box
4. There are _______________ onions in the box
5. I need ______________ milk.

Worksheet

I. Write C if the Word is countable and U if the Word is uncountable

1. Table ( ) 10. Cake ( )
2. Milk ( ) 11. Strawberry ( )
3. Tea ( ) 12. Plum ( )
4. Wine ( ) 13. Chair ( )
5. Cheese ( ) 14. Cooker ( )
6. Chicken ( ) 15. Sheep ( )
7. Chickens ( ) 16. Spoon ( )
8. Fish (U) 17. Fruit ( )
9. Cakes ( ) 18. Vegetable ( )

Lic. J. Carlos López S.

 19. Apple ( ) 21. Tomato ( )
20. Banana ( )

II. Complete the sentences with some or any

1. We need ______________ sugar
2. You don’t buy _______________ vinegar
3. We eat ________________ fish
4. Karla cuts _________________ cheese
5. Do you need _______________ milk to make the cake?
6. There isn’t ____________ coffee in my cup

Fractions
½ a half
One half 2/3 two thirds
1/3 a third ¾ three quarters
One third Three fourths
¼ a quarter 1 ½ one and a half
One quarter 2 ½ two and a half
A fourth 3 2/3 three and two thirds
One fourth

Dash: UN chorrito, un poquito Cooking Measurement Abbreviations

Measurement
Pinch: pizca (salt, etc)
Teaspoon (Cucharita de té)
Gram(s): gramo (s) Tables poon (cuchara de mesa o de sopa)
Kilo(s): kilo(s) Fluid (chorrito)
Ounce (onza)
Kilogram(s): kilogramo(s) Package (paquete)
Litre: litro Cup (taza)
Pint (una pinta)
 A kilo of chicken Quarter (un cuarto)
 A dash of.... Gallon (gallon)
Pound (libra)
 Etc. Small (pequeño)
Large (grande)
Millilitre (mililitro)

Lic. J. Carlos López S.