Benefits of Learning Languages – Infographic

Source: http://kaplaninternational.com/blog/learning-languages/

Countable and Uncountable nouns

Countable nouns are nouns which can be counted.
one plate, two cars, six tables

Uncountable nouns cannot be counted. They aren't used with the indefinite article (a/an), they don't have a plural and they are used with a singular verb form.
Can you get some water?
A lot of damage was done to the monument.
The following nouns are usually uncountable: graffiti, weather, luggage, furniture, travel, knowledge, work, English, information, damage, research, homework, advice, progress, health, news.

Nouns which are both countable and uncountable.
- Many words for drink and food can be used both countably and uncountably.
I've made a cake. (C)
Can I have some more cake? (U)
- A word used countably may have a very different meaning from its countable version.
I would like a single room for two nights. (C) (=hotel room)
There's no more room on this bus. (U) (=space)

Making uncountable nouns countable.
- Some uncountable nouns have countable equivalents with similar meanings.
My job involves a lot of business travel. (U)
I have to make a lot of business trips. (C)
- Some other uncountable nouns can be made countable by using piece/s of or item/s of.
Let me give you a piece of advice.
- Certain other expressions are used with words for drink and food: a corton of milk, a spoonful of salt, a loaf of bread.

Others
- Words used with countable nouns: a/an, few, a few, many, a large number of, each, every, several.
- Words used with uncountable nouns: little, a little, much, a great deal of.
- Words used with countable and uncountable nouns: some, any, a lot of, lots of, no, all, plenty of, most.

Little and Few
These two words have more negative meanings. They mean "not much/many" or "not as much/many as desired/expected".
Sue has made little progess since the beginning of the week.
There were very few people at the stadium. 

A little and A few
These have more positive meanings. They mean "some" or "more than expected".
I have still got a few eggs. Enough to make an omelette.

Plenty of
This means "a lot of" or "more than enough".
Do not hurry. We have got plenty of time.

All and Whole

WHOLE

It's usually followed by singular nouns which can be counted, singular countable nouns. 

For instance: The whole car, the whole month, the whole world

!!! Before place names we usually use “THE whole OF”.

For instance: The whole of Barcelona, The whole of America

ALL 

It's usually followed by plural nouns and by nouns that cannot be counted, uncountable nouns. 

For instance: All the children, all the people, all the dialogue

!!! Be careful with the word order: "ALL the" "The/A WHOLE"

WHOLE and ALL 

They are sometimes possible in some common time expressions. Also with some words depending on the sense you want to give them.

Examples of time expressions: All the week / The whole week. All the morning / The whole morning. All the life / The whole life

Examples of some words and expressions. ALL THE it means the contents. THE WHOLE it means the continent: All the office (the people working within the office) / The whole office (it means the building)

!!! ALL almost never loses “the”. For instance ALL Europe.

More info:
http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=whole
http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=all

David Bowie - Where are we now?

Learning English with BBC

Here is a very interesting link to learning English. Easy to understanding, well explained and with words and expressions very useful. With Quizzes, Grammar lessons, Vocabulary lessons, Pronunciation lessons, and an interesting site about "Talking Sport" good to listen and later to make worksheets. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

Thanks a lot to Marie for this info! ^_^

Daily Video Vocab.

Here is a very interesting link for videos on youtube. Easy to understanding, well explained and with words and expressions very useful.
(I put this link, but looking within the page you will be able to find other links to other lessons.)

http://www.youtube.com/channel/SW3RtKQOy0lLE

Thanks a lot to Paulo for this info! ^_^

Direct and reported speech

When reporting what someone has said or written we can use either direct speech or reported speech.
When we use direct speech we report the exact words which someone has used.
"I'm staying here tomorrow" said John.
When we use reported speech, changes may have to be made to verb tenses, pronouns and certain words indicating place and time.
John said she was staying there the next day.

- Reporting statements.

The following changes are usually made to verbs. In each case the verb "moves back" one tense.

Direct speech	Reported speech
Present simple	Past Simple
I work in an office, he said	He said he worked in an office
Present Continuous	Past Continuous
We are going away on holiday, she said.	She said they were going away on holiday.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect
I've known her for a long time, he said.	He said he'd known her for a long time.
Present Perfect Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
He's been playing tennis, he said.	He said he had been playing tennis.
Past Simple	Past Perfect
I saw Nigel in town, he said.	He said that he'd seen Nigel in town.
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
We were trying to help him, she said.	She said they'd been trying to help him.
The modal verbs will, must, may and can change to would, had to, might and could.

No changes are made in the verb tense:
a) If the verb in the direct speech is in the past perfect.
He had never spoken about it before, he said.
b) If the direct speech contains one of the following modal verbs: would, might, could, should, ought to.
You should go to the doctor's, she said.
c) If the statement being reported is still true.
I like fish, she said.
d) If the reporting verb is in the present.
It's 40º in Athens at the moment. (Ron to his father on the phone)

Pronouns in direct speech may have to change when we use reported speech.
I'll see you soon, said Peter. - Peter said he would see me soon.

The following changes may also need to be made to words indicating place and time.

Direct speech	Reported speech
Now	Then
Today	That day
This morning	That morning
tomorrow	The next/Following day
Next week	The next/Following week
Yesterday	The day before, the previous day
Two days ago	two days before/earlier
Last week	The week before, the previous week
here	there
Come	Go

This, that, these and those may change to the.
That book you lent me is really boring, he said. - Ha said the book I had lent him was really boring.

- Reporting verbs for statements.

Tell is used with a direct object.
He told me he was getting married.

Say and explain are used without direct object.
He said he was ill. (not He told me)

Some reporting verbs can be used with an infinitive.
a) Verb + Object noun/pronoun + infinitive without to
advice, ask, encourage, invite, recommend, remind, urge, warn, ...
Don't forget to phone Jim. - He reminded her to phone Jim.
b) Verb + infinitive with to
offer, promise, refuse, threaten, ...
I'll help you mend the car if you like. - He offered to help me mend the car.

The following patterns can be used after both recommend and suggest:
He recommended/suggested (that) I (should) eat less sugar.
She recommended/suggested joining a youth club.
The infinitive with to can only be used after recommend.

- Reporting questions

When we report questions we make the same changes to verb tenses, pronouns and words indicating place and time as we do when we report statements. The following changes are also made:
Auxiliary verbs: auxiliary verbs do, does and did are ommited.
Word order: is the same as that of a statement.
Punctuation: question marks are not used.
Yes/No questions: if there is no question word (what, where, who, etc) in the direct question, we use if or whether. Does she smoke? He asked if/whether she smoke.

Ask and Tell
Each of these verbs can be used in two different ways in reported speech.
Ask:
a) Requests (ask + object + infinitive with to)
Can you help me, please? - She asked me to help her.
b) Questions
Can you ride a horse? - She asked me if I could ride a horse.
Tell:
a) Commands (tell + object + infinitive with to)
Put your coat on. - He told me to put my coat on.
b) Statement
I can't find my coat. - He told her he couldn't find his coat.