Lingua Inglese

UNCOUNTABLE TRANSLATION COUNTABLE

advice consiglio a piece of advice

furniture mobilio an article of furniture

hair capelli

information informazioni a piece of information

work lavoro a job

luggage bagagli(o) a case/trunk/bag

money denaro a sum/a note/a coin

travel viaggio a trip

news notizia a piece of news

accommodation alloggio a place to live

With uncountable nouns, we usually use some/any to suggest the idea of an indefinite

quantity or number. When we want to specify a particular quantity, we use a word for

a piece or unit, together with of, before an uncountable noun. The most general words

of this kind are piece and bit. Bit is informal, and usually suggests a small quantity.

a piece/bit of cake/bread

some pieces/bits of paper

a piece/bit of news/information

Other words are less general and used before particulars nouns:

a bar of chocolate a drop of water a grain of sand/salt/rice a slice of bread

• Many nouns have both countable and uncountable uses, with some difference of

meaning. Words for materials are uncountable, but we can often use the same word as

a countable noun to refer to something made of the material. Compare:

1) The window is made of unbreakable glass.

Would you like a glass of water?

2) Have you got any coffee?

Could I have two coffees? (=cups of coffee)

• Even many abstract nouns can have both uncountable and countable uses,

corresponding to more general and more particular meaning. Compare:

a) Don’t hurry – there’s plenty of time

Have a good time!

b) I don’t like wine.

The 1961 wines were among the best of that century.

In order to improve and to consolidate what you have just studied; you can do now the

exercises in units 68 and 69.

In addition, an extra audio lesson is provided in order to help you revise the topic

VOCABULARY CHECK

a bar of chocolate _______________________

a drop of water _______________________

a grain of sand/salt/rice _______________________

a piece/bit of cake/bread _______________________

a piece/bit of news/information _______________________

a slice of bread _______________________

accommodation _______________________

furniture _______________________

hair _______________________

information _________________________

luggage _______________________

money _______________________

news _______________________

some pieces/bits of paper _______________________

travel _______________________

water _______________________

weather _______________________

wool _______________________

work _______________________

LESSON 12. PRONOMI E DETERMINANTI

Read the article and enter orally the following questions. a) Do you often have to pack

your suitcase?

b) Doyoulikepackingit?Why?

c) Did you find these tips useful?

AFTER READING

The underlined words are quantifiers. How would you translate them into Italian?

HOW TO PACK YOUR SUITCASE.

Packing your suitcase can be a nightmare – especially when you arrive at

your destination with your clothes in a total mess. But it isn’t really difficult

to do. Here’s how.

Step One: first of all, don’t take a lots of stuff you aren’t going to need – this is a

common mistake. Remember to put all the heavy stuff at the bottom of the case, and

the lightest stuff on top, where the handle usually is. Put trainers or shoes in plastic

bags and place them along the hinge side of your suitcase, heel-to-toe. If you have got

large, heavy items like anoraks, bathrobes or heavy sweaters, put these along the

bottom of the case, too.

Step Two: if you have got any handbags, take anything hard out of them with socks or

tights – this helps them keep their shape. These go in next, along the bottom of the

case.

Step Three: the next step is to put in heavy trousers or jeans. Lay these in the

suitcase, with the waistband towards one of the case and the back of the trousers

towards the hinge. Now lay your jumpers or T-shirts out flat face-down on the jeans.

Then fold the end of the trousers back over them, and then fold the jumpers and T-

shirts back over the jeans. This helps keep any wrinkles or creases out of your clothes.

Step Four: underwear and socks can be rolled up and put in along the top of the case.

If you have any belt, toll them up and keep them closed with elastic bands. If you have

anything hard, like chain belts or costume jewellery, put it in the pockets or suitcase

divider.

Remember: - don’t take too much or too little. If you put too much in your suitcase, it’s

going to be difficult to close and you aren’t going to have any space for things you buy

when you are away, and if you put too little in, your clothes are going to jump around

in transit. Make sure your suitcase isn’t too big or too small.

Hand luggage: there are probably lots of things you want to put in your hand luggage,

but remember that airports and airlines are very security-conscious these days! Check

where you have put things like scissors, tweezers, or razor blades – some airlines don’t

allow you to take them on board. They won’t let you take bags that are too big on

board, either, so buy a bag that is just the right size. Put all your valuables and

documents in your hand luggage, of course, and anything fragile, like CD or mp3

players or cameras. Have a nice trip!

Adapted from the Internet

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

In this lesson we are going to learn how to use reflexive pronouns.

A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that refers to the subject of the sentence.

I enjoyed myself at the party.

→ I is the subject; myself is the object. They refer to the same person.

Look at the diagram below: HE IS LOOKING AT HER.

He is the subject: her is the object; they are

two different people, so we do not need the

reflexive pronoun in this sentence.

Look at the diagram below and imagine the man is looking in a mirror:

How to use reflexive pronouns:

SINGULAR PLURAL

I enjoy myself We enjoy ourselves

You enjoy yourself You enjoy yourselves

He enjoys himself They enjoy themselves

She enjoys herself

It enjoys itself yourselves

When ‘you’ refers to a group of at least two people is plural, thus we use .

There are normally three situations on which we use reflexive pronouns.

1. Subject and object are referring to the same person or thing.

ex: I hurt myself. He cut himself. She blamed herself. They introduced

themselves to each other..

2. Object of a preposition.

ex: I bought a book for myself.

Sometimes when I am alone, I talk to myself.

Take care of yourself.

3. To emphasize something.

ex: That’s ok, I don’t need any help, I’ll care it myself.

I did it myself!

Both some and any can refer to an indefinite quantity or number. They are used with

plural countable nouns and with countable nouns. We use them when it is not easy, or

important, to say exactly how much / many we are thinking of.

I need some new clothes. (Ho bisogno di qualche abito nuovo)

Is there any milk left? (C’è rimasto del latte?)

•the difference: some is most common in affirmative clauses, while any is a ‘non-

assertive’ word, and is common in questions and negatives. Compare:

There is some milk in the fridge. (C’è del latte nel frigorifero) +

There isn’t any milk in the fridge. (Non c’è latte nel frigorifero) –

•some in questions: we use some in questions if we expect people to answer ‘Yes’,

or want to encourage them to say ‘Yes’ – for example in offers and requests.

Would you like some more meat? (Vorresti un po’ di carne?)

Could I have some rice, please? (Potrei avere un po’ di riso, per favore?)

•any in affirmative clauses: we use any in affirmative clauses to emphasise the

idea of free choice, with the meaning of ‘it doesn’t matter who/which/what’. Whit this

meaning any is common in affirmative clauses.

You can ask me any question(s) you like. (Mi puoi fare qualunque domanda)

no

•no: we use instead of not any when we want to emphasise a negative idea and it

can be used before a singular or plural noun in affirmative sentences.

We have no plans for the summer. (Non abbiamo nessun programma per

l’estate)

No aeroplane is 100%safe. (Nessun areoplano è sicuro al 100%)

Do exercises n.1-2 pag.148; n.3 pag.149.

See pag.150 par.9.2 and look at the chart. Many of the rules given above also apply to

the compounds of some/any/no/every. Compare:

There is somebody at the door. (C’è qualcuno alla porta)

There isn’t anybody at the door. (Non c’è nessuno alla porta)

There is nobody at the door. (Non c’è nessuno alla porta)

Is there anybody at the door? (C’è qualcuno alla porta?)

The suffix –body is used to talk about people; –thing to talk about objects; –where to

talk about places; –times to talk about time.

- When these words are subjects, they are used with singular verbs.

Everybody likes her. (Tutti la amano)

Is everything ready? (È tutto pronto?)

- Complementation: these compounds of some/any/no/every can be followed by

adjectives or adverbial expressions without any preposition.

I hope she marries somebody nice. (Spero che sposi qualcuno gradevole)

I feel like eating something hot. (Vorrei mangiare qualcosa di caldo)

SOME / ANY SOME ANY

☐ Affirmative or Positive sentences ☐ Negative sentences

I have some money. I don’t have any money.

☐ Questions when we expect ‘Yes’ as an ☐ Questions

answer. Or a positive response Do you have any money?

Would you like some soup? Do you have any salt?

Could I have some cake? Do you have any children?

Do you speak any other languages?

☐ With never, hardly, or without

He never has any time.

He hardly has any time.

He passed the exam without making any

mistakes.

Choose the correct alternative and then check your answers in the audio file.

1. I don’t want some / any pizza.

2. He has some / any issues.

3. Do you have some / any tacos?

4. Would you like some / any burekas?

5. She never has some / any time for me.

INDEFINITE QUANTITIES

See pag.152 par.9.3. A lot of, lots, much, many have similar meanings, but the

grammar is not quite the same.

•A lot of/lots of are both used before singular uncountable and plural nouns. It is the

subject, and not the form lot/lots, that makes a following verb singular or plural. So

when a lot of is used before a plural subject, the verb is plural; when lots of is used

before singular subject, the verb is singular.

A lot of time is needed to learn a language. (Ci vuole molto tempo per

imparare una lingua)

Lots of patience is needed to learn a language.

A lot of my friends want to emigrate.

Lots of us think it’s time for an election.

•Mu