ملخص الدرس / الثانية متوسط/اللغة الإنجليزية/File 3/Expressing Quantities the Use of some - any - Articles a - an

Rule

Some and any are used to state the quantity or the amount of something. Someandanyare quantifiers. The general rule is that any is used for questions and negatives while some is used for positive.

Use:

Some and any can be used when:

  • The exact number is not known.
  • The exact number is not important.
  • They are used with countable and uncountable nouns.

 

Example 1:

Ahmed: Do we need anyrice?

Rayene: No, we don’tneed anyrice.

Ali: We have somerice in the fridge.

  • Example2:

Ahmed: Are there anytomatoes in the fridge?        

Rayene: Yes, there are some.

Or       

Rayene: No, there aren't any.

  • Example3:

Ahmed: Is there anyorange juice?   

Rayene: Yes, there is some.  

Or

Ryene: No, there isn't any.

Some

We use some for:

  • Questions, when we expect the answer to be “yes”, offers and requests,

Eg1: Would you like some tea?

Yes, please!

Eg2: May I have some more chocolate?

Of course! Here you are.

Eg3: Can I borrow some money?

Sure! you can.

  • Countable and uncountable nouns.
  • Countable Nouns:

Eg: Some pupilsin my school like basketball.

  • Uncountable Nouns:

Eg: We need some sugar.

  • Positive sentences.

Eg1: I have some friends.

Eg2: We bought some coffee.

Any

Any is used in

  • Negative sentences:

Eg 1: I don't have any candy.

Eg2: There isn't any bread left.

  • Interrogative sentences.

Eg1: Have you got any cheese? (Cheese is uncountable)

Eg2: Have you got anyapples? (Apples is countable)

Indefinite articles A and An

  1. A

The indefinite article Ais used before singular countable nouns which begin with consonant sounds.

Eg1: He is ateacher.

Eg2: She doesn’t have acat.

Eg3:I saw alion at the zoo.

 

  1. An

The indefinite article Anis used before singular countable nouns which begin with vowel sounds.

Eg1:He is anactor.

Eg2:She doesn’t have ananswer.

Eg3:I saw anelephant at the zoo.

 

Remember:

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 elephant.

Notes

Notes:

  • Aand Anmeans “one”. You cannot use them with plural nouns.

Eg1: I have a dogs. WRONG

         I have a dog.CORRECT

Eg2:  He is an engineers. WRONG

          He is an engineer. CORRECT

  • If there is an adjective or an adverb-adjective combination before the noun, aand anshould agree with the first sound in the adjective or the adverb-adjective combination.

Eg1: He is an excellent teacher.

Eg2: I saw a really beautiful eagle at the zoo.

  • If the word after a and an starts with “H”:

An+ nouns starting with silent “h”: an hour

A+ nouns starting with a pronounced “h”: a horse

  • We useAbefore words such as “European” or “university” which sound like they start with a consonant.

Eg1: She is aEuropean student. Sounds like “yu-ro”.

Eg2: He is auniversity teacher. Sounds like “You-Ni”.

***It is the sound not the spelling which is important. For example, “1” is spelled O-N-E; however, it is pronounced “won” like it starts with a “W”.