(a) few si (a) little


Ce inseamna “few” si “little”.

Few = putini, putine

Little = putin, putina (desigur mai inseamna si “mic”, insa nu de acest sens ne ocupam noi acum)

Daca esti atent, poti observa ca in limba romana “putini”/”putine” poate fi folosit DOAR cu substantive numarabile.

Ex.:

  • putini baieti; putine fete
  • putin curaj; putina speranta

In engleza lucrurile stau exact la fel.

“few”se foloseste pentru substantive NUMARABILE

“little” – se foloseste pentru substantive NENUMARABILE

Exemple:

  • few oranges = putine portocale
  • few books = putine carti
  • few computers = putine calculatoare
  • few flowes = putine flori

etc.

  • little sugar = putin zahar
  • little coffee = putina cafea
  • little gold = putin aur
  • little time = putin timp

etc.

Singurul lucru care ar putea sa-ti puna probleme in a folosi corect “few” si “little” este acela ca in limba engleza exista unele substantive NEnumarabile care in limba romana sunt numarabile. De pilda, in engleza nu se numara: money (bani), advice (sfat), information (informatie) etc. Voi discuta despre substantivele NEnumarabile intr-o postare viitoare.

Am stabilit cand folosim “few” si “little”, sa vedem acum care e treaba cu “a few” si “a little”. In esenta regula este aceeasi:

“a few” se foloseste pentru substantive NUMARABILE,

“a little” pentru substantive NENUMARABILE.

Articolul nehotarat din fata lor, adica “a”, le adauga un plus de cantitate.

Astfel:

Few = putini, putine; a few = cativa, cateva

Little = putin, putina; a little = ceva, catva

Exemple:

We still have a few oranges.

Inca mai avem cateva portocale.

Yes, but there is little coffee left.

Da, dar a mai ramas putina cafea.

We have eaten few apples so far.

Am mancat putine mere pana acum.

Have you caught a cold? I think you should drink a little tea.

Ai racit? Cred ca ar trebui sa bei ceva ceai. (niste ceai).

 

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Cand punem THE si cand nu


  1. Ca regula generala, punem “the” atunci cand stim ceva despre substantiv sau cand substantivul a fost mentionat anterior in conversatie. Ideea este ca eu stiu despre care anume substantiv (de fapt ceea ce denumeste acel substantiv) este vorba.

I bought an apple and an orange. The orange was sour.

Am cumparat un mar si o portocala. Portocala a fost acra. (portocala de care tocmai ti-am spus).

The book that I am giving to you is borrowed from the library.

Cartea pe care ti-o dau e imprumutata de la biblioteca. (stiu anume care carte – cea pe care ti-o aduc tie)

2NU punem “the” atunci cand vorbim despre lucruri in general sau cand sunt implicate notiuni   abstracte.

_Life is tough sometimes.

Viata e dura uneori.

_Football is boring, but _reading is interesting.

Fotbalul e plictisitor, dar cititul (sa citesti) este interesant.

3. Punem “the” in fata unui substantiv la singular care defineste de fapt o colectivitate.

The dog can be very loyal.

Cainele poate fi foarte loial. (e vorba de fapt de toti cainii)

ATENTIE! Daca am vorbi despre caini in general, la plural, NU am pune “the” deoarece nu avem o referire la un substantiv anume (vezi regula 2).

_Dogs can be very loyal.

Cainii poat fi foarte loiali.

Daca am vorbi despre un caine anume, am pune din nou “the” (vezi regula 1).

This is the dog that barked all night.

Acesta este cainele care a latrat toata noaptea.

De remarcat faptul ca exemplul si rationamentul expus anterior despre caine si caini se poate aplica la orice substantiv. Totul este sa ne dam seama cand vorbim de anumite lucruri (punem “the”) si cand vorbim in general (NU punem).

Pe langa aceste reguli generale enuntate mai sus, avem cateva reguli stricte pe care le voi arata in continuare.

4. NU se pune “the” in fata numelor de persoane, cu exceptia numelor proprii la plural (care desemneaza o familie) si a numelor precedate de un adjectiv.

I love _Jenny. ( O iubesc pe Jenny).

We are having lunch with the Kiyosakis. (Luam pranzul cu familia Kiyosaki.)

The famous Nietzsche died insane.

Vestitul Nietzsche a murit nebun.

5. Se pune “the” in fata numelor de ape, cu exceptia lacurilor.

I don’t like spending my holidays at the Black Sea, but I like the Atlantic.

Nu-mi place sa-mi petrec vacantele la Marea Neagra, dar imi place Atlanticul.

The Olt river flows into the Danube.

Raul Olt se varsa in Dunare.

A well known holiday destination is _Lake Balaton.

O destinatie bine cunoscuta de vacanta este lacul Balaton.

6. Se pune “the” in fata numelor de lanturi muntoase si a numelor de munti la plural (cu  cateva exceptii irelevante); NU se pune in fata denumirilor de munti la singular, sau varfuri.

He usually goes skiing in the Alps.

De obicei merge sa schieze in Alpi.

The world’s highest mountain above the sea level is _Mount Everest.

Cel mai inalt munte deasupra nivelului marii este Muntele Everest.

7. NU se pune “the” in fata numelor de orase, tari, continente, cu exceptia tarilor cu denumire la plural sau a celor ce contin “republic”, “state”, “union”.

I’d like to visit any city in _Europe, especially _London.

Mi-ar placea sa vizitez orice metropola din Europa, in special Londra.

Avem o exceptie cunoscuta de oras in fata caruia punem articol: the Hague.

ATENTIE la denumirile intregi ale Americii ( the United States of America) si Marii Britanii (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland).

Alte tari cu articol: the Philippines, the Netherlands

8. NU se pune “the” in fata numelor de zile, luni, anotimpuri.

We never go to work on _Sunday.

Niciodata nu mergem la lucru duminica.

My favourite month is _July and my favourite season is _summer.

Luna mea preferata este iulie, iar anotimpul preferat este vara.

ATENTIE: in fata anotimpurilor putem avea “the” atunci cand acesta inlocuieste pronumele demonstrativ (this, that)

In the summer we had our house painted.

Vara (asta) am zugravit casa.

9. Se pune “the” in fata substantivelor precedate de prepozitie: on the table; under the bed, near the supermarket, between the houses, to the dentist etc.

ATENTIE!

Exista anumite substantive (bed, school, church, prison, hospital etc) care, desi sunt precedate de “the”, nu au in fata articol atunci cand sunt mentionate ca avand scopul pentru care au fost concepute.

I go to _bed at about 11 p.m. (Ma duc la culare la ora 11. – patul e facut pentru somn)

Your socks are under the bed. (Sosetele tale sunt sub pat. – patul NU este un dulap )

She goes to _church every Sunday. (Ea merge la biserica in fiecare duminica –  biserica este pentru a asculta slujba)

She visited the church turned into a historical monument in Venice. (Ea a vizitat biserica transformata in monument istoric din Venetia – scopul bisericii este serviciul religios, nu  pentru a fi monument).

The children and teachers go to _school in the morning. (Copiii si profesorii merg la scoala dimineata – scoala este pentru invatare)

He is going to the school to meet somebody. (El merge la scoala sa se intalneasca cu cineva – scoala nu se foloseste pentru invatare)

10.Se pune “the” in fata punctelor cardinale. 

Timisoara lies in the west.

Timisoara este asezata in vest.

 11. Se pune “the” in fata grupurilor de insule de regula, nu in fata insulelor singure. 

the West Indies; the Bahamas

_Sardinia

12. Se pune “the” in fata celor mai multe nume de hoteluri.

the Grand Hotel; the Hilton

13. Se pune “the” in fata numelor de deserturi.

the Sahara

14. Se pune “the” in fata majoritatii numelor de muzee, galerii de arta, cinematografe, teatre.

the Odeon; the British Museum

15. In general, nu se pune “the” in fata numelor de strazi.

New Street; Willow Road

Present Perfect Simple & Continuous/ Past Simple

  1. It (rain) a lot this spring.
  2. It (rain) yesterday and last week, too.
  3. The weather (be) very bad so far.
  4. In fact it’s raining this moment. It (rain) for half an hour.
  5. It seems we (not see) a sunny day for ages.
  6. I (be) happy when I (see) a few sunrays two days ago.
  7. But my happiness (be) short lived because it immediately (start) raining.
  8. I (be) very bored and tired lately because of the weather.
  9. My friends (call) me for a few days in order to go to a club.
  10. My mother also (tell) me for a while to go out.

Present Perfect Simple&Continuous/ Past Simple

  1. I (know) him for a long time.
  2. In fact, I (know) him since we (come) to the same school.
  3. I (meet) him in the first school day.
  4. We (talk) to each other for many years.
  5. I even (talk) to him an hour ago.
  6. He (call) to invite me to tea.
  7. We often (have) tea together.
  8. He (invite) people to tea for a few months.
  9. His parents (ask) him to do so when they (come back) from their holiday.
  10. I always (appreciate) his parents.

Must/ Have to

Must/ Have to

 

1. Oh, I like this magazine! I must read it.

2. I’m sorry, I can’t stay any longer. I have to write a report for tomorrow.

Intre cele doua situatii exista o diferenta foarte mica. Ambele exprima obligatia, insa “must” este o obligatie venita de la cel care vorbeste, iar “have to” este o obligatie venita din exterior.

  1. O, imi place revista aceasta! Trebuie s-o citesc.
  2. Imi pare rau, nu mai pot sta. Trebuie sa scriu un raport pentru maine.

Astfel, vorbitorul din primul exemplu abia asteapta sa citeasca o revista care-i place => trebuie s-o citeasca pentru ca el doreste asta.

Vorbitorul din al doilea exemplu este obligat de sef sau de altcineva sa scrie un raport; nu e un lucru pe care si-l doreste neaparat.

 

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Past Perfect Simple & Continuous/ Past Simple

  1. When I (phone) him, he already (buy) the tickets for the show.
  2. By the time Maddie (notice), her two little children (paint) the cat.
  3. She hardly (close) her bag when her mobile phone (ring) again.
  4. No sooner the doctor (leave) than the old lady (call) him again.
  5. Her grandfather (work) in the army for forty years before he (retire).
  6. When I (talk) to him he (be) exhausted because he (train) for three hours.
  7. Before the teacher (come in) the pupils (copy) the homework from one another for half an hour.
  8. Hardly the manager (sit down) when somebody (knock) at the door.
  9. No sooner Jenny (turn on) the TV than the lights (go off).
  10. When the man (see) the fire in the forest he (call) the firefighters.
  11. When the firefighters (arrive), the people (try) to put out the fire for a long time.
  12. She hardly (order) the drink when the waiter (bring) it.
  13. She (tell) me that her brother already (go) out.
  14. By the time Marianne (think) about his proposal he already (marry) somebody else.
  15. No sooner she (open) her mouth than the dentist (pull) out her tooth.
  16. Jennifer (explain) for five minutes when she (realize) everybody (leave).
  17. The manager (tell) his staff that he (invite) some specialists from abroad.
  18. By the time Jenny’s mother (come) back in the kitchen she (spread) the entire bag of flour on the floor.
  19. They (be) friends for five years before the (get married).
  20. He (stop) the car the moment he (hear) that strange noise.