Cucina - Grammatica - Trascrizione
Hello everybody! Welcome to the EnglishBlog. In this podcast, you’ll be learning some essential English on countable and uncountable nouns.
Before starting, let me first explain that the lesson is divided into two parts:
PART ONE: you’ll be learning the difference between singular and plural nouns.
PART TWO: you’ll be listening to 2 people making an apple pie.
So let’s start!
Woman: Countable nouns are things we can count, such as 1 apple, 2 apples, 3 apples etc. They are singular nouns. You can use "a" and "an" with singular countable nouns, for example "a tomato", "an egg", but you cannot use countable nouns alone (without a/the/my etc.)
Now listen to these examples:
Man: I want a peach.
Man: I need 3 tomatoes for this recipe.
Man: Can you pass me an egg please?
Woman: Uncountable nouns are things we cannot count, such as rice, flour, fruit etc.
They are plural nouns. You cannot use "a" and "an" with plural uncountable nouns, for example, we do not say “a rice” or “a fruit”, but you can use “some” in front of them, for example some water. And you can often use “a…of” such as “a bowl of rice,” “a slice of cake”.
For example:
Man: I’d like a plate of spaghetti please.
Man: Can you pass me some pasta?
Man: I need some flour.
Woman: Now let’s listen to these words in the dialogue: pay attention to how they are used.
Man: What are you doing?
Woman: I’m going to make an apple pie. First I need to make some pastry, can you pass me some flour please?
Man: Sure, here it is. Do you need anything else?
Woman: Just some butter please.
Man: I’ll help you. How much butter do you need?
Woman: Just 3 spoonfuls please, and put it in the bowl slowly so I can blend it in with the flour.
Man: Shall I peel and chop the apples?
Woman: Yes please, 4 apples should be enough.
Man: OK, the apples are ready, what shall I do with them now?
Woman: Pass them to me please, and I’ll boil them with a little sugar, they only take 5 minutes. You can watch them and keep on stirring them while I add some water the flour and butter to make the pastry.
Man: Mmm, what a nice smell, I love apple pie.
Woman: Well you’re only allowed 1 slice of it, you’re on a diet remember.
Man: If you say so.
Woman If you wish you can hear this lesson again. In the meantime we hope we have helped you to be more confident with your English. Watch out for the next topic. Thank you for using the EnglishBlog.
what a nice idea!
so we can practise our vafourite language!!!
have a good day!
bye…