Mastering Essential English Grammar: Was, Were, Much, Many, Some, Any
Units 11 & 12: Past Tense of ‘To Be’ (Was/Were)
Subject Pronoun Usage
- WAS: I, He, She, It
- WERE: You, We, They
Examples: WAS and WASN’T (Contractions)
- Was Jeff’s teacher strict?
- Yes, she was very strict.
- Was Rosa’s boss happy about her mistakes?
- No, she wasn’t too pleased.
Examples: WERE and WEREN’T (Contractions)
- Were Jeff and his classmates noisy?
- No, they weren’t noisy.
- Were Rosa’s customers nice?
- Yes, they were nice, because Rosa was new.
Exercise II: Complete the Sentences (Was, Wasn’t, Were, Weren’t)
a) Do you remember your first teacher?
- Yeah, Mr. Davis. He was a lot of fun. He was never strict. Were your teachers fun?
- No, they weren’t. They were always very strict.
b) Do you remember the first CD you bought?
- Yeah, it was the Backstreet Boys. They were my favorite group.
c) Tell me about your best friend. Were you in school together?
- No, we weren’t. She wasn’t in my class. She was my neighbor. Our parents were friends.
d) Did you have a pet when you were a kid?
- Yeah, my first pet was a little pony. It wasn’t very big.
e) Was the class easy? No, it wasn’t. It was hard!
f) Was your teacher strict? Yes, he was, but he was nice.
g) Were they nice to you? Yes, they were, they were very friendly.
h) Were the other students good? Yes, they were, they were all very smart.
Quantifiers: How Much and How Many
Rules for Countable and Uncountable Nouns
How Many (Countable Nouns)
Used for plural countable nouns. These nouns can use articles (a, an) and plural endings (-s). Use many or a lot of.
Examples: Eggs, potatoes, vegetables, carrots, cucumbers, apples, oranges, bananas, pears.
How Much (Uncountable Nouns)
Used for singular uncountable nouns. These nouns do not typically use articles (a, an) or plural endings (-s). Use much or a lot of.
Examples: Fruit, meat, fish, cheese, rice, bread, pasta, shellfish, beer, oil.
Examples Using How Much and How Many
a) How many times a week do you eat rice?
- About twice a week, but I eat potatoes every day.
b) How many eggs do you eat a week?
- I don’t eat many. I don’t really like eggs.
c) How much fruit do you eat a week?
- Well, I have an orange every day for breakfast, and I have a lot of fruit after dinner for dessert.
d) How often do you eat vegetables?
- I usually eat a lot of cucumbers.
e) Do you eat meat?
- Well, I don’t eat beef, but I eat a lot of chicken.
f) Do you eat a lot of seafood?
- Well, I eat a lot of fish, but I can’t eat shellfish.
Exercise III: Use Many or Much
- How many apples are there in the basket?
- How much fruit do you eat every day?
- How much butter do you need?
- How many oranges do you want?
- How much wine does he drink?
Quantifiers: Some and Any
Usage Examples
a) I’m sleepy. Would you like to get some coffee after class?
- I just had some before class, but I can go with you and get something else.
b) I’m hungry. Do you have any chocolate or candy with you?
- No, but I have some peanuts. Would you like some?
c) How many snacks do you eat a day?
- Actually, I don’t eat any. I don’t eat between meals.
d) I have some cookies in my backpack. Would you like some?
- No, thanks. I don’t want any right now. But can I have some later?
Making Offers and Suggestions: Would You Like?
Common Phrases
- What would you like to do tonight?
- Would you like to go out for dinner? (Translation: ¿Te gustaría salir a cenar?)
- Would you like to try a new place? (Translation: ¿Te gustaría conocer un lugar nuevo?)
- Where would you like to meet? (Translation: ¿Dónde te gustaría que nos juntáramos?)
- What would you like to do after dinner?