6/04/2012

Grammar basics - Collective nouns

Rules of Collective nouns

The committee is having its annual dinner (as a group)

The committee are going back to their homes (separately)

The following nouns indicating groups of animals are considered as singular

Flock of birds/sheep
School of fish
Pack of wolves
Herd of cattle
Swarm of bees
Colony of ants

The flock of birds is flying to its destination

When a collective noun indicates

A period of time
A sum of money
A measurement

They must take a singular verb

Two weeks is enough time to finish the contract

Ten dollars is all I have

Help with Grammar - Gerund and Infinitives

Gerunds

I admit having your book

I will not allow cheating in my class

I appreciate your helping me out

A busy person can’t stand waiting in line

I can’t help thinking that I could have done better

I will never consider leaving this job

He delayed visiting his friends

I deny having done anything wrong

I enjoy being with you

When I finish cooking, I’ll be there

Do you mind my asking you this? Do you mind moving your things? He minds having his in-laws for dinner

I miss having him around

You should practice writing with pen

I don’t remember calling you last night

I resent having him around.

He will risk getting caught to save her life

It stopped raining. They have to stop writing when the time is over

He avoids talking to strangers

He dislikes getting up so early

She put off visiting him in the hospital

Infinitives

I agreed to see him; I agree to see him; They agreed to leave it

She decided to invite him; She will decide to invite him for lunch

I did not expect to see you

Do not hesistate to do what is right; He hesitated to go there

Do you hope to get your degree by next year?

Do you wish to go there?

I need to do this

I plan to go there tomorrow

I must prepare to face it

Don’t pretend to be good at it

I refuse to tell you

You should learn to respect your elders

I don’t mean to interrupt

His attempt to go there

I demand to know the truth.

I happen to know your secret

I intend to do what is right

I want to know

Remember to bring your books

He offered to help me out

I promise to be your friend

He seems to be a nice person

I can manage to take care of my kids

Grammar Tips - Count and Non-Count Nouns

Determiner

Non-count Noun	Count Noun
This information	This pen, these pens
That news	That pen, those pens
Little salt, Little soap, Little Intelligence, Little music, Little Information	A lot of theories
Much happiness, Much information, Too Much soap, Too Much information, Much luck	A great number of theories
A lot of fun, a lot of soap, a lot of information, a lot of advice, a lot of sugar	Many pens
Some information, some milk, some water, Some advice,	A lot of theories, some theories
Any Luck, any advice	Any pen, any theory Any pen will do
A large amount of milk, a large amount of sugar	A great number of pens
Less money, less information, less significance, more money, more information, more significance	Fewer pens, more pens

Quantifier

The following can be used with both non-count nouns and plural count nouns

Plenty of
Some
A lot of
More
Any
Enough
All the

Non-count Noun	Count Noun
Plenty of water, Plenty of men, Some water, some men, A lot of water, a lot of men, more water, more men, any water, any men, enough water, enough men, all the water, all the men
A little water, a little milk, much happiness	X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X	Both men, many men, A few men, several men
	Another man, Each man, Every man