There is a group of expressions of quantity that can be singular or plural depending on the prepositional phrase that follows.  These words are: plenty, lots, a lot, all, some, most, a great deal, none, (fractions) and (percentages.)  If the noun in the prepositional phrase is a countable word that is plural, then the expression of quantity is plural and the verb is also plural.  If the noun in the prepositional phrase is an uncountable word, which cannot be made plural, then the expression of quantity is singular and the verb is also singular.  Look at these examples:

Plenty of   

Plenty of patience is required for this job..
(‘patience‘ is uncountable, which makes plenty singular, so the verb is singular.)

Plenty of spare parts are kept in the garage.
(‘spare parts‘ is countable, which makes plenty plural, so the verb is plural.)

Plenty of the food I have eaten was unhealthy.
(‘food’ is uncountable, which makes plenty singular, so the verb is singular.)

Plenty of my friends know it’s my birthday.
(‘friends’ is countable, which makes plenty plural, so the verb is plural.)

(WRONG:  Plenty food …)

Lots of / A lot of   

Lots (A lot) of money changes hands at a market.  (‘money’ is uncountable.)

Lots (A lot) of people change their minds.  (‘people’ is countable.)

Lots (A lot) of the information we received was too late.  (‘information is uncountable.)

Lots (A lot) of his jokes were not very funny.  (‘jokes’ is countable.)

(WRONG:  Lots food, A lot food …)

All

All mammals produce milk .  (‘mammals’ is countable.)

All of the work needs to be redone.  (‘work’ is uncountable.)

All of our answers were right.  (‘answers’ is countable)

(WRONG:  All of work …)

Some 

Some students have exams next week.  (‘students’ is countable.)

Some of the time passes quickly.  (‘time’ is uncountable.)

Some of the police cars were parked in the driveway.  (‘police cars’ is countable.)

(WRONG:  Some of vehicles …)

Most

Most people in Europe speak more than one language.  (‘people’ is countable.)

Most of his advice is very good.  (‘advice’ is uncountable.)

Most of the students I know have smart phones.  (‘students’ is countable.)

(WRONG:  Most of people …)

A great deal of 

A great deal of energy gets lost in exercise.  (‘energy’ is uncountable.)

A great deal of hikers get lost in the mountains.  (‘hikers’ is countable.)

A great deal of our time was spent fishing.  (‘time’ is uncountable.)

A great deal of the products we use come from Asia.  (‘products’ is countable.)

None of 

None of the advice is good.  (‘advice’ is uncountable.)

None of his solutions seem to work.  (‘solutions’ is countable.)

(NOTE: In British English, “none” is considered singular no matter what follows.)

(WRONG:  None advice …)  (but “No advice” is correct)

(WRONG:  None of advice …)

Fractions and percentages have the same grammar:

Two thirds of the test was based on the textbook.  (‘test’ is singular.)

Three quarters of the students were prepared for the test.  (‘students’ is plural.)

Sixty percent of the land is desert.  (‘land’ is singular.)

Eighty percent of the towns are located along the coast.  (‘towns’ is plural.)

A way to remember these words is to remember PLASMAN.  This is what the first letters of all these words spell.  P= plenty, L= lots/ a lot, A= all, S= some, M= most, A= a great deal, N= none

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

by Yael Naim

born in Paris, France, this singer-songwriter moved to Israel at age 4.  This song became popular in 2008 when Apple used it to advertise their MacBook Air.

I’m a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit ’bout how to give and take.
But since I came here
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…

I’m a young soul in this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit ’bout what is true and fake.
But why all this hate?
Try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make.

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…

This is a happy end
Cause you don’t understand
Everything you have done
Why’s everything so wrong?

This is a happy end
Come and give me your hand
I’ll take your far away.

I’m a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit ’bout how to give and take
But since I came here
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…

[Enjoy the rest of the song with no lyrics]

Vocabulary:

soul – spirit
strange – unusual
joy – great happiness
fear – the feeling of being afraid
mistake – wrong choice
fake – not real
trust – an understanding that someone is on your side.
cause – because

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only

author:  a person who writes books, articles, blogs, etc.
She is the author of several children’s novels.
I’ve seen this writing before.  I think I know who the author is.

couple:  two people with a close relationship, often married
Jeremy and Judy make a nice couple.
Do you remember that couple we met in Mexico last year?

distance:  the length between two places
In the distance he saw a small dot in the sky and knew it was his father’s plane.
The average distance between the earth and the moon is  384,403 kilometers.

forest:  an area with a lot of trees and other plants
The whole island was covered in forest.
There are many wild animals living in the forests of British Columbia.

grocer:  the owner of a grocery store where you buy food
There’s a green grocer down the street where you can get some salad makings.
The grocer recommended these Nicola apples.  He said they’re crispy and sweet.

hero:  a person who saves someone’s life or does other great things
Everyone says he’s a hero for saving that boy from the river.
He tried to be a hero and save her, but they both died.

mirror:  a flat glass in which you can see yourself
As she passed by, she saw herself in the hallway mirror.
The mirror was foggy after his shower, so he wiped it down.

pocket:  a place to carry things in your pants, shirt or coat
I know I have change for a dollar.  Let me check my pockets.
His camping knife dropped out through a hole in his pocket.

pronunciation:  the way you say words
Her pronunciation is quite good, and she’s easily understood.
There are two correct pronunciations of the word “either.”

salary:  the money you get for working in a job
She’s getting a base salary of $12 an hour plus a percentage of her sales.
Can I ask what the salary will be for this position?

shoulder:  the connection of your arm to your body
He was glad he could give her a shoulder to cry on.
She sprained her shoulder trying to lift her bike onto its rack.

traffic:  all the cars on the road
There’s not much traffic at this time of day, so let’s get going.
At rush hour the traffic downtown is bumper to bumper.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

by Mariah Carey

a superstar American singer-songwriter and actress.  This song is from her third album, Music Box, published in 1993.

There’s a hero if you look inside your heart
You don’t have to be afraid of what you are
There’s an answer if you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know will melt away

And then a hero comes along with the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside, and you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong
And you’ll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you

It’s a long road when you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold
You can find love if you search within yourself
And that emptiness you felt will disappear

And then a hero comes along with the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside, and you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong
And you’ll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you

Lord knows dreams are hard to follow
But don’t let anyone tear them away
Just hold on.  There will be tomorrow
And in time you’ll find the way

And then a hero comes along with the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside, and you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong
And you’ll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you
That a hero lies in you… that a hero lies in you

Vocabulary:

Conversation:

Jodie:  I saw my mother off at the airport yesterday, and now I’m stuck with taking care of her dog until next Thursday.

Sarah:  I can’t believe my ears.  You hate dogs.  I was hoping that you would come keep me company today while I go shopping at the mall.

Jodie:  I’d love to take some time off and go with you, but I don’t have anyone who could fill in for me.  What am I supposed to do with the dog?

Sarah:  How about leaving it with a neighbor?  On second thought, bring it along.  We can drop it off at the doggie daycare.

Jodie:  Well then, you can count me in.  I deserve a break today.

Sarah:  Great.  You know how I get carried away when I shop alone.

Jodie:  Who knows?  We might come across some bargains.

Sarah:  Thanks for coming with me.  We’ll start off with lunch, and I’ll pick up the tab.

Jodie:  Thanks.  I appreciate the invitation.  It’s nice having a friend who has deep pockets.

Vocabulary:

• doggie daycare:  a business that takes care of dogs for the day
• deserve:  have paid for with my time and effort
• bargains:  inexpensive items
• appreciate:  be thankful for

Idioms:

• see (someone) off                         accompany (someone) and say good-bye (at the airport, train station, etc.)
• be stuck with                                   have (something/someone) one cannot get rid of
• not believe one’s ears/eyes     unable to believe what one hears/sees
• keep (someone) company        be with someone so they are not alone
• take time off (from)                     take a break
• fill in (for)                                           do another person’s job
• on second thought                      after reconsidering
• count (someone) in                     include (someone) in an activity
• get carried away                           become so involved that everything else seems unimportant
• come across                                    find (something) unexpectedly
• pick up the tab                               pay the bill
• have deep pockets                       have a lot of money

Notes:

Not believe one’s ears/eyes can also be hardly believe one’s ears/eyes.

Take time off can also be take some time off / take a little time off.

On second thought is similar to have second thoughts, which means to reconsider.

Count (someone) in has an opposite:  Count (someone) out, which means exclude (someone) from an activity.
Example:  If you’re going dancing tonight, you can count me out because I don’t dance.

Come across and run across have the same meaning.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

The Past Continuous

The past continuous (or past progressive) is used for long actions that were already happening at a certain time or when another shorter action happened.  The shorter action or time happens in the middle (or at the end) of the longer action.  It is formed by using was or were and the present participle (-ing).  The shorter-action verb is in the simple past.

Examples:
At eight o’clock last night, she was studying in her bedroom.
(Studying is the long action; eight o’clock is a time in the middle of that action.)

They were swimming in the lake when it started to rain.
(Swimming is the long action; started is the short action in the middle.)

We were having dinner when someone knocked on the door.
(Having dinner is the long action; knocked is the short action in the middle.)

Were you sleeping when the earthquake happened?
(Sleeping is the long action; happened is the short action in the middle.)

When the verb go is used in the past continuous, it means that the action was planned but never happened.

Examples:
I was going to wash the car this weekend, but I was too busy
It was going to be a surprise birthday party, but she found out about it.
We were going to invite you, but you got sick and had to stay home.

When used with always, the past continuous means that the person did the action again and again.

Examples:
My mother was always reading a book.
The boys were always leaving their dirty clothes on the floor.
Her sister was always borrowing her clothes.
My best friend was always doing something crazy.

When making a request or an invitation with wondering, you can also use the past continuous.

Examples:
We were wondering if you’d help us with our applications.   (request)
I was wondering if you’d like to come to a party with me this Saturday night.  (invitation)

A good way to understand the past continuous and how it is different from the simple past is to look at one verb used in both tenses.  Notice that when the verb is used in the simple past, there is only one action.  The action can be long but nothing else happens in the middle or end of it

Examples:
We ate dinner at six o’clock last night.
We were eating dinner when the phone rang.
They lived in Abbottsford five years.
They were living in Abbottsford, when their car broke down.
I studied all night long.
I was studying when I fell asleep.
She had a big party at her parents’ house.
She was having a big party at her parents’ house when someone started a fire.

The use of: when, while, and as.

Use while and as before the past continuous, not the simple past.

Examples:
While his brother was trying to study, John started to play the piano.
As we were getting ready to leave, the police arrived at the door.
Peter washed the car while his wife was making dinner.
I saw a beautiful rainbow as I was walking to work this morning.

Use when before the past continuous or the simple past.

Examples:
When I saw the accident, I was walking home.
I saw the accident when I was walking home.
When she entered the classroom, the teacher was already teaching.
She entered the classroom when the teacher was already teaching.

Sometimes 2 long actions can happen at the same time.  When this happens, use the past continuous for both actions.

Examples:
Her husband was polishing the car while she was doing the dishes.
As his brother was driving the car, he was surfing the Internet on his laptop.

Notice in the above examples, there is a comma ( , ) after adverb clauses (starting with when, while, and as) if they are at the beginning of a sentence but no comma if they are at the end.

If actions are in sequence (1st action, then 2nd action, then 3rd action), then use the simple past only.

Examples:
I got up, made myself some breakfast and sat outside to eat it.
She finished the dishes, watered the plants, and vacuumed the living room carpet.

Because there is usually something else that happens during a long action (the past continuous), verbs that are used this way have to be verbs that take time to happen.  In other words, only long verbs can be used in the past continuous.  Therefore, verbs like drop, stop, begin, start, finish, and end are usually not in the past continuous because they take no time.  They are very fast and short.

Examples:
She began to read the letter from her grandmother.
They dropped me off early at the airport.
We stopped to have coffee on our way home.

There are also some verbs that are not used in the past continuous tense (or any other continuous tense) because they are non-action verbs.  In other words, because there’s no action, the following verbs cannot be used in the past continuous:

be                   believe              belong             exist                forget               hate

have*             hear                  know               like                   love                 need

own                possess            prefer              remember       see                understand       want

* when “have” means “possess,” not when “have” means “experience.”

Examples:
My parents had three children, two boys and a girl. (possessed)
(We were having a wonderful time at the party.) (were experiencing)
I didn’t understand her strong accent.
Do you believe he’ll graduate in three years?
He knows she is not coming over.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

Converstion:

Mrs. Bell:  Sally, I hate to break the news to you, but if your grades don’t improve, you’re not going to pass this course.

Sally:  There’s no doubt about it.  I know I’m falling behind, but there are so many things I don’t understand in this course that I need to clear up.

Mrs. Bell:  Well, I know you’re having trouble keeping up with the rest of the class.  Even though I have my hands full right now, I’m happy to tutor you and help you catch up.  Let’s see.  I’m all booked up from Monday to Thursday, but I can see you on Fridays at 3:30.

Sally:  That’s good for me.  Thank you so much, Mrs. Bell.  Sometimes I feel like this work is over my head, and I’m never going to catch on.

Mrs. Bell:  Don’t worry, Sally.  Just remember that above all, you must stay positive.  Slowly but surely your marks will improve.  Who knows?  You may turn out to be my best student.

Sally:  Thanks, Mrs. Bell.  If I work really hard, maybe I can even pass with flying colors.

Vocabulary:

• improve:  get better
• positive:  believing you can do it
• tutor you:  teach you alone

Idioms:

• break the news                                 give bad news
• no doubt about it                             it’s a fact, it’s the truth
• fall behind                                           not go as fast as required
• clear up                                                 explain, solve / become sunny
• keep up (with)                                   go as fast as
• have one’s hands full                     be too busy
• booked up                                            have no time left / have no room left (hotel/restaurant)
• over one’s head                                too difficult to understand
• above all                                               most importantly
• slowly but surely                             gradually
• turn out                                                result in the end / produce / come (to an activity)
• pass with flying colors                 get top marks on a test or in a course

Notes:

Fall behind is similar to be behind, but fall behind is an action, and be behind is a condition after the action has happened.  It means “have work that needs to be done.”
Example:  I fell behind in math when I was sick, and now I am so far behind, I can’t catch up.

Clear up has 2 meanings.  The other meaning is “become sunny.”
Example:  I hope the weather clears up so we can go on a picnic.

Booked up has 2 meanings.  The other meaning is “have no room left (hotel/restaurant).”
Example:  The hotels are all booked up over the winter holidays.

Turn out has 3 meanings.  Another is “produce.”
Example:  This factory turns out 300 pairs of boots a day.

The last meaning is “come (to an activity).”
Example:  How many people turned out for the meeting?

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Question tags are put at the end of a statement to turn it into a question.  They are mostly used in speaking and are informal.   Here is the rule:

Take the first verb of the sentence,  make it negative, invert it with the subject, and put it at the end of the sentence after a comma.  

Examples:
She is always on time, isn’t she?
They can all come to the party, can‘t they?
We‘ll be there soon, won’t we?
You have already eaten, haven’t you?

If the first verb is negative, make the question tag positive.  

Examples:
You haven’t had your morning coffee, have you?
He doesn’t know the answer, does he?
They shouldn’t be here, should they?
I wasn’t finished, was I?

If the verb is only one word, use do/does (present) or did (past) in the question tag.  

Examples:
She told you the answer, didn’t she?
We have a test tomorrow, don’t we?

If the one verb is BE, then use the same verb in the question tag.  

Examples:
He‘s your brother, isn’t he?
It wasn’t the right answer, was it?

With am use aren’t I as the question tag:  

Examples:
I‘m the winner, aren’t I?
I‘m going first, aren’t I?

However, with the modal have to/ has to/ had to, use do/does (present) or did (past): 

Examples:
She has to go see the doctor, doesn’t she? We don’t have to finish tonight, do we?
They had to correct their mistake, didn’t they?

With used to use did in the question tag.  

Examples:
They used to study all night, didn’t they?
We used to go out every Saturday night, didn’t we?

In formal English commands with let’s, use shall we as the question tag.

Examples:
Let’s get started, shall we?
Let’s go into the living room, shall we?

With the imperative use will you as the question tag.

Examples:
Open that window, will you?
Meet me here after lunch, will you?

Here’s an oral exercise.  Repeat the sentence and add a question tag.  Then repeat the correct answer.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Jason: Hey Sean.  Sandra and I broke up, and she kicked me out of her place.  I need somewhere to stay while I look for an apartment.  Can I sleep on your couch?

Sean: Of course you can stay over for a while.  You can always count on me.

Jason: I sure can.  You’re a good friend.  You know, I never felt at ease with her.  I was always a little on edge.

Sean: Yes, I know.  I don’t mean to interfere, but I could tell that you two didn’t really get along.  I think you’re better off without her.

Jason: I’m not so sure.  I wish she’d have a heart and let me come back, but I don’t think that’ll happen.

Sean: Cheer up.  Things will get better, and in no time you’ll meet somebody new.

Jason: I guess you’re right.  I knew I could bank on you.  Maybe one of these days I’ll catch on to relationships and keep a girlfriend longer than three months.

Sean: Go easy on yourself.  Nobody understands relationships very well, including me.

Vocabulary:

• broke up:  stopped being boyfriend/girlfriend
• couch:  sofa
• place:  home (when preceded by a possessive.)
• interfere:  give advice that wasn’t asked for
• better off:  better than before (idiom from unit 2)
• including:  also

Idioms:

• kick (someone) out         force (someone) to leave
• stay over                               live in someone else’s home
• count on                                depend on
• at ease                                    calm, relaxed, not nervous
• on edge                                  tense, nervous
• mean to                                 intend to, plan to
• get along                               have a good relationship
• have a heart                        be compassionate
• cheer up                                become happy
• in no time                              quickly
• catch on (to)                        begin to understand / become popular
• go easy on (someone)    punish (someone) mildly

Notes:

Count on and bank on mean the same thing.

Get along is followed by ‘with’ if there is an object.
Example:  He doesn’t get along with her.

Catch on has 2 meanings.  In the dialogue it means ‘begin to understand’ and is followed by ‘to’ if there is an object.
Example:  I never caught on to astronomy.

Catch on can also mean ‘become popular,’but is never followed by ‘to.’
Example:  Twitter has really caught on.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Maria:  Did you hear that my brother has decided to drop out of school?

Sam:  You’re pulling my leg.  Has he really?

Maria:   Yes.  I told him he was better off staying, but he doesn’t listen to me.

Sam:  Maybe he’s feeling burned out.  After all, he has a heavy load this term.

Maria:  He told me he was looking into joining the army.

Sam:  That doesn’t make sense.  Doesn’t he realize that once he joins the army, he can’t

back out?  I know he can’t do without his freedom.

Maria:  I agree.  I don’t think much of his idea either.  Maybe we should have a talk with him.

Sam:  That’s a good idea.  I think he just wants to be on his own, but he’s going about it the wrong way.

Maria:  Let’s see if we can talk him into finishing grade 12.

Click on the audio recording  below to hear the lesson.

Vocabulary:

• heavy load:  a large amount of work to do
• realize:  understand, know

Idioms:

• drop out (of)                                           stop attending (classes/meetings)
• pull one’s leg                                          joke with someone
• better off                                                 better than before
• burn out                                                   become completely exhausted
• look into                                                   investigate to find information
• make sense (of)                                    be logical / understand logically
• back out (of)                                          withdraw from, not do
• do without (something)                 be able to live without (something)
• not think much of (something)  think (something) is not very good
• on one’s own                                         by oneself, alone
• go about                                                   plan a way to do (something)
• talk (someone) into                           persuade, convince (someone to do something)

Notes:

Drop out is used with ‘of’ if there is an object after it.  If not, then there is no ‘of.’
Example:  I haven’t seen Bill at the chess club for weeks.  He must have dropped out.

Look into and find out have the same meaning.

Make sense is used 2 ways.  It means to be logical, as used in the dialogue.
It also means to understand logically and must be used with ‘of’.
Example:  I can’t make sense of this recipe.  Could you help?

Talk (someone) into has an opposite:  Talk (someone) out of, which means “convince (someone) not to (do something).
Example:  I wanted to go swimming, but she talked me out of it because she wanted to go shopping