9/9/2014 OM GRAMMAR-Gramtica Inglesa Gratuita en Espanol

http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/omgrammar/nocontablesycontables.htm 1/2
CONVERTIR NO CONTABLES EN CONTABLES
Making uncountable nouns countable
L O S C U R S O S D E I N G L E S G R A T I S P R E F E R I D O S P O R L O S H I S P A N O H A B L A N T E S

Este interesante artculo gramatical te ayudar a utilizar como contables los
sustantivos no contables. Complejo? Aqu te explicamos cmo hacerlo...
A PIECE OF... A (LITTLE) BIT OF...
You can make many uncountable nouns singular by adding a piece of or a (little) bit
of. Similarly, you can make such nouns plural with pieces of or (less frequently) bits
of. Let see some examples:
Maria bought an attractive piece of furniture at an antique shop.
(Mara adquiri un interesante mueble en una tienda de antigedades.)
a furniture (un mueble) is NOT correct.
I'll need a little bit of information before making a decision.
(Necesitar un poco de informacin antes de tomar una decisin.)
an information (informacin) is NOT correct.
Frederick Chopin wrote some wonderful pieces of music in 1840.
(Federico Chopin escribi maravillosas obras musicales en 1840.)
some wonderful musics (obras maravillosas) is NOT correct.
Let me give you a bit of advice if you want to buy such an old house.
(Djame darte algunos consejos si piensas comprar una casa tan antigua.)
an advice / advices (un consejo/consejos) is NOT correct.
WEATHER: A SPELL OF... A FLASH OF... A GUST OF...
A number of weather-related words go with specific uncountable nouns:
In Argentina we are having a long spell of melting hot weather this summer.
(En Argentina estamos teniendo una temporada de excesivo calor este verano.)
a melting hot weather (una temporada de excesivo calor) is NOT correct.
The thunder came immediately after the flash of lightning.
(El trueno vino inmediatamente despus del relmpago.)
a lightning (un relmpago) is NOT correct.
A sudden gust of wind turned my umbrella inside out.
(Una repentina rfaga de viento dio vuelta mi paraguas.)
a wind (un viento) is NOT correct.
CONTAINERS: A LOAF OF... A SLICE OF... A BAR OF...
Many familiar groceries or container-related words are usually used with uncountable
nouns. Let's check them:
Could you get me a loaf of bread, please?
(Podras traerme un pan, por favor?)
a bread (un pan) is NOT correct.
Would you like another slice/piece of toast?
(Te gustara otra tostada?)
another toast (otra tostada) is NOT correct.
I'm going out to buy a bar of chocolate round the corner.
(Saldr a comprar un chocolate aqu a la vuelta.)
a chocolate (un chocolate) is NOT correct.
If you go to the supermarket, please buy three bars of soap.
(Si vas al supermercado compra tres jabones, por favor.)
three soaps (tres jabones) is NOT correct.
Did you remember to buy a tube of toothpaste?
(Te acordaste de comprar un dentfrico?)
a toothpaste (un dentfrico) is NOT correct.



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9/9/2014 OM GRAMMAR-Gramtica Inglesa Gratuita en Espanol
http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/omgrammar/nocontablesycontables.htm 2/2

NATURE AND OTHERS: CLOUD OF... BREATH OF... STROKE OF...
Some nature-related words and other expressions can also go with uncountable nouns.
Pay attention to these examples:
What happened? Look at that cloud of smoke over there!!
(Qu ocurri? Mira ese humo all !!)
a smoke (un humo) is NOT correct.
It's really hot in here!! Let's go out now and get a breath of fresh air.
( Hace mucho calor aqu adentro !! Salgamos ya por un poco de aire fresco.)
a fresh air (un aire fresco) is NOT correct.
I had an incredible stroke of luck this morning. I won the lottery!!
(Tuve una suerte increble esta maana. Gan la lotera !!)
a luck (una suerte) is NOT correct.
A USEFUL PHRASE: A STATE OF...
The phrase a state of (estado, circunstancia, situacin, etc.) can also be useful to
make uncountable nouns singular. But those nouns are usually abstract and include
affairs, emergency, uncertainty, chaos, disrepair, confusion, poverty, health, mind, and
flux.
We moved over a month ago, but we are still in a state of chaos.
(Nos mudamos hace ms de un mes pero todava es un caos.)
a chaos (un caos) is NOT correct.
Sandra seems to be in a state of confusion now, but she will be better soon.
(Sandra parece estar en una confusin ahora, pero pronto estar mejor.)
a confusion (una confusin) is NOT correct.
GLOSSARY: container-related: relativos a recipientes o contenedores; groceries: productos de
almacn; nature-related: relativos a la naturaleza; affairs: asuntos, casos, acontecimientos;
uncertainty: duda, incertidumbre; chaos: caos, desorden; disrepair: desarreglo, descompostura;
poverty: miseria, pobreza; health: sanidad, salud; flux: fusin.

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