Here’s a student example of a determiner + uncountable noun: My teacher told me “enjoy the music and you will dance naturally.” PELIC Taiwanese female level 3 writing class A2 point 18 in the category of NOUNS is defined: form simple noun phrases by pre-modifying nouns with an increasing range of determiners. A2 point 24 in the category of NOUNS: form […]
determiner + noun phrase (increasing range) Read More »
Male raptors are about one-third the size of females. CSMonitor A search in iWeb for _MF _A _N 1 1/2 A CUP 770 2 1/2 THE PRICE 663 3 1/2 AN HOUR 655 4 1/2 AN INCH 593 5 1/3 THE PRICE 543 6 1/2 THE TIME 386 7 ONE-THIRD THE SIZE 377 8 1/3 THE SIZE 370 9
fractions as predeterminers Read More »
‘double, treble, quadruple’ can be multiplying predeterminers. They come before other determiners in a noun phrase. For example, ‘double the national average.’ Bloomberg.com New York City‘s unemployment rate was nearly double the national average in June. Other multiplying expressions: He earns three times more than me. She gets paid nearly three times as much as me. *In the English Vocabulary Profile, B1 if followed by a comparative structure. We can’t be
mutiplying predeterminer + noun phrase Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 44 in the category of DETERMINERS is defined as: ‘S after irregular plural nouns to indicate possession. Here’s an expert example: Women‘s organizations were active participants from the beginning. (Listen to this sentence) A search in iWeb for: _NN2 _GE _NN We removed those that are not irregular. 1 CHILDREN ‘S HOSPITAL 34865 2 MEN ‘S
irregular plural noun + ‘s + noun Read More »
Here are some examples of how quantifying determiners can be used in a non-literal and non-academic way:
I have TONS OF THINGS to do this weekend, but the party might be LOADS OF FUN.
I told you MILLIONS OF TIMES that housework and study are more important than your parties!
millions | loads | tons + of (hyperbole) Read More »
When a quantifying determiner and a possessive determiner are used together before a noun, they indicate the quantity of something that belongs to someone or something else. For instance, in the sentence “For most of my life, I was terrified of ghosts,” the phrase “most of my” signifies a large portion of the speaker’s life. Similarly, in “All of our fathers enter our doors feeling hopeless,” the phrase “all of our” refers to every father associated with a certain group. In “Many of his senior team thought he was crazy,” the phrase “many of his” denotes a large number of a specific group associated with a person.
quantifying determiner + OF + possessive determiner + noun phrase Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, A1 point 1 in the category of DETERMINERS/quantity is defined:
limited range of quantifying determiners with singular nouns (‘a’, ‘every’) determiners: articles
Here are two examples showing a limited range of determiners:
A man had A problem.
EVERY person wanted to play A game.
a | every + SINGULAR NOUN Read More »
In negative contexts, “much” and “many” denote a small amount or number of uncountable and countable nouns respectively. “Any” implies the absence of something, applicable to both countable and uncountable nouns. For instance, “Not many companies can build planes” implies a small number of such companies. “There’s not much difference between them” suggests a minimal difference. “I don’t have any apples” means zero apples are present.
not + any | many | much + NOUN Read More »
Here are examples of exclamatory sentences starting with “What”. They express strong emotions or feelings.
“What” is a predeterminer that precedes the indefinite article “a”.
The phrases following “What a” are noun phrases, often modified by adjectives for emphasis (e.g., “great”, “wonderful”).
Many sentences are followed by adverbial phrases (e.g., “to save time”, “to be alive”) that provide more information about the noun.
These sentences are common in spoken English to convey strong feelings. They’re less common in formal written English but might appear in dialogue or informal writing.
In the English Grammar Profile, such usage of ‘What’ falls under A2 level for expressing strong opinions.
The most common collocates in corpora are words like “great”, “waste”, “idea”, etc., often followed by infinitive phrases or prepositional phrases acting as adverbs.
This structure allows for a wide range of expressions, from surprise (“What a surprise!”) to disappointment (“What a waste of money!”) to admiration (“What a great idea for a party!”). It’s a versatile and expressive part of English grammar.
What a + NOUN PHRASE Read More »
Here are more advanced examples of premodified superlative phrases: It‘s the next best thing to having you beside me. listen It was the second-largest gold rush in American history. Rat Race Note, the phrase “the second largest” is a compound modifier, where “second” modifies “largest”. It usually takes a hyphen before its noun. US customs officials report that tomato smuggling is at its highest level since the Great Tomato War. listen its = B2 possessive determiner In the English Grammar Profile,
pre-modified superlative phrase Read More »
The indefinite pronoun “anything” can be used after a negative verb form to express a lack of something. For example, “I don’t have anything to do.” In this sentence, the word “anything” refers to any possible thing that the speaker could do.
The use of “anything” after a negative verb form is first introduced at the A2 level of the CEFR. However, the English Vocabulary Profile lists “anything” at the A1 level, so it is important to be aware of the different ways that this word can be used at different levels.
In my knowledge, you can see that the word “anything” is often used in negative sentences with the verbs “do”, “have”, “know”, “find”, “see”, and “say”. These verbs are all commonly used to express a lack of something.
The search results also show that the word “anything” can be used in other ways, such as in the phrases “it doesn’t mean anything” and “there isn’t anything”. In these cases, the word “anything” is used to refer to something that is not important or significant.
The use of the word “anything” can be a bit tricky, but it is an important part of the English language. By understanding the different ways that this word can be used, you can improve your English grammar and communication skills.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind about the use of the indefinite pronoun “anything”:
“Anything” can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences. For example, “I can do anything” and “I can’t do anything” are both grammatically correct sentences.
“Anything” can be used with a variety of verbs, not just the verbs listed above. For example, you could say “I don’t want anything” or “I didn’t see anything”.
“Anything” can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, it is more common in informal contexts.
indefinite pronouns (negative context) Read More »
The English Grammar Profile (EGP) claims that there are over 1000 grammar points in its inventory. However, there are numerous points that are overlapping. This post shows 3 posts that overlap and clash at other levels. B1 point 34 in the category of NOUNS is defined as: uncountable nouns with an increasing range of determiners/quantity
quantity phrase + uncountable noun Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 42 in the category of NOUNS is defined as: complex noun phrases with noun phrase + ‘of’ + noun phrase + possessive determiner ‘s + noun phrase. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: Our chairs are on the opposite side of the doctor’s chair, in front of the desk. Chinese female, Level 3 Writing Class. An iWeb search for: _NN of _NN _GE _NN
noun + OF + noun + ‘S + noun Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 40 in the category of PRONOUNS/substitution is defined as: determiners + premodifers + ‘ones’ EXPERT EXAMPLE: These are the more common ones around today. TED PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: (referring to outdoor activities) I think Bodrum has the best ones. Turkish, Male, Level 3, Writing Class. A search in iWeb for: _A _J ones 1 THE ONLY ONES 45418 A2 limiting
determiner + adjective + ONES Read More »
We use too before an adjective or adverb to mean ‘more than we need or want’. For example:
This shirt is too big for me.
You are driving too fast.
We use too much or too many before a noun to mean ‘more than we need or want’. For example:
There is too much sugar in this cake. (uncountable noun)
There are too many people in this room. (countable noun)
We use so much or so many before a noun to mean ‘a large amount of something’. For example:
I have so much work to do. (uncountable noun)
She has so many friends. (countable noun)
‘BIT’ related to quantity is countable = a bit of … bits of … For example: By inserting those genes into yeast, we could produce little bits of that smell and be able to, maybe, smell a little bit of something that‘s lost forever. TED A2 in the English Vocabulary Profile: bit = a small amount or piece of something B1 in the Oxford Learner Dictionary: [countable] bit of something (especially British English) a small
a little | bits of | a bit of | a bit of a | a little bit of Read More »
Here are a few examples of determiners premodified by intensifiers. There are hardly any phone booths left in this city. TLC male India B1 We have nearly all the big automobile companies. TLC male India, B1 It took me virtually no time at all. Listen to this expert example B1 point 48 in the category of DETERMINERS/quantity is defined as: modify determiners with adverbs. There is clashing information in the English Grammar Profile. The example
adverb + determiner Read More »
B1 ‘THE OTHER’ with a singular noun to refer to the second or the opposite of two things, and with a plural noun to refer to one of a set of things.
The English Grammar Profile, B1 point 47 in the category of DETERMINERS/articles.
Interrogative determiners like “many” are useful in gathering information, quantifying objects or concepts, and framing questions about the quantity of things.
many + PLURAL NOUN ? Read More »
B1 Point 43 in the category of DETERMINERS is defined as: increasing range of quantifying determiners with both plural nouns and uncountable nouns (‘most’, ‘enough’, ‘plenty of’, ‘loads of’). *This overlaps another B1 point. PELIC WRITING CLASS EXAMPLES: Most students eat lunch and dinner in a cafeteria. Korean, Female, Level 3 In addition, the people who lived in Korea 100 years ago didn’t have enough transportation. Korean, Male, Level 3 *Note that
most | enough | plenty of + NOUN Read More »
