Everyday Grammar: Some Advice on Using ‘Some’

From the creator

John: Dr. Jill, How was your vacation in Arizona? You said you were riding motorcycles in the desert. Jill: Oh, John, it was great until I got some sand in my eye! John: Ouch! That must have hurt, but it gives me an idea for what we can teach today. Jill (shaking head): Ok. I can’t even guess. John : You said you got “some sand” in your eye. You used “some” because “sand” is a noncount noun. Jill: That’s right. In this case, I could have said, “I got a grain of sand in my eye,” because even one little thing in your eye can hurt a lot. John: What happened then? Did you get it out ok? Jill (laughs): A biker riding with us gave me some water to wash out my eye. It was fine then. John: That was another good example – you said “a biker” because you can count people. Jill: And I said “some water” because you can’t really count water – unless it’s in something. John: Yes – water is a noncount noun and so we use “some.” We can only use “a” or “an” if we use a measure word or talk about the container it’s in. Jill: That reminds me – we had some strange weather in Arizona. John: Good – weather is a noncount noun, too. Jill: It wasn’t good, John – there was a sandstorm! We had to get off our motorcycles and hide in a cave. John: Wow, that’s a great story, Dr. Jill. And that’s Everyday Grammar! Originally published at - https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/6320440.html

Published 2021-11-28 · Watch on YouTube ↗
Availability and playback restrictions are controlled by the original channel.