Much or many: quantities with countable and uncountable nouns
Use many with plural countable nouns and much with uncountable nouns. Both are especially common in questions and negative statements.
Everyday listening
Start with short recordings, then work through longer phrases. Listen once for the situation and again for the words.
Sign in to save phrases and report a problem
Much or many: talk about quantities naturally
Use many before plural countable nouns. Use much before uncountable nouns. In ordinary positive statements, a lot of is often more natural than much or many.
Much, many, and a lot of
Use many with things you can count and much with an amount that English does not usually count as separate items. Use a lot of with either plural countable nouns or uncountable nouns. Much and many are common in questions and negatives; a lot of often sounds more natural in positive conversation.
Must or should: choose rules and advice
Use must when something is required or necessary. Use should when you are giving advice or saying what is a good idea.
My and mine: use possessive forms correctly
Use my before a noun. Use mine when you do not need to repeat the noun because the listener already knows what you mean.
Negative forms in English sentences
Use not with a helping verb: do not work, is not late, cannot come, and did not call. After do not, does not, and did not, use the base form of the main verb.
Nouns exercise: identify countable and uncountable nouns
Use a or an with one countable singular noun, use numbers and many with countable plurals, and use some or much with most uncountable nouns. Add a container phrase when you need to count an uncountable thing.
Numbers and quantities in English
Use how many with countable plural nouns and how much with uncountable nouns. Use numbers with countable items, and use measure words such as a bottle of or a cup of when you need to count an uncountable noun.
Object pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, and them
Use an object pronoun when a person receives the action or comes after a preposition. Say The coach called me and Please sit with us. Use subject forms such as I, he, she, we, and they before the verb when they do the action.
Ourselves, themselves, and yourselves: use reflexive pronouns
Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object are the same. Match the subject: I becomes myself, you becomes yourself or yourselves, and they becomes themselves.
Parts of speech: identify the job of each word
The main parts of speech at this level are nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, determiners, and interjections. Identify the word by the job it does in its sentence.
Past continuous tense exercise: describe actions in progress
Use was or were plus an -ing verb for an activity that was in progress at a particular time in the past. Use was with I, he, she, and it; use were with you, we, and they.