How Much Do You Know about Quantifiers?

For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. Today we are going to talk about different ways of expressing quantity in English. A quantifier is a word or number that shows an amount or number. You probably already know how to use common quantifiers like much and many. For example: How many apples would you like? How much fruit would you like? The quantifier many is used before apples, which is a count noun. Much is used before fruit, a noncount noun. Make sure you understand the difference between count nouns and noncount nouns before you study quantifiers. You can learn about count and noncount nouns in last week’s episode of Everyday Grammar. Quantifiers are adjectives and adjective phrases that go before nouns. They give information about how much or how many of an item you are talking about. Some quantifiers, like many, go only before count nouns. Others, like much, go only before noncount nouns. And a few quantifiers can go before count or noncount nouns. Quantifiers only used with count nouns One, each and every are examples of count noun quantifiers. Here are some examples:        One movie that I enjoy is “The Godfather.”        Each child is special.        Every member of the country club is rich. With plural count nouns, just add of the between the quantifier and the noun it describes.        One of the boys is from China.        Each of the cars has air conditioning.        Every one of the students is smart. Notice that boys, cars and students are plural nouns. But the verbs that follow them are singular. In most situations, one, each and every make the subject singular, even if the subject contains a plural noun. This tricky rule confuses native speakers and English learners alike. There are a few quantifiers related to the number two. You can say I have two shoes, I have a couple of shoes, I have both shoes, and I have a pair of shoes. If you have more than two countable items, you can use several, a few, many and a number of. I have several assignments due this week. There are a few Thai restaurants in my town. There are many ways to practice English. A number of the cars are imported. Quantifiers only used with noncount nouns Now let’s move on to quantifiers that only work with noncount nouns: a little, much and a great deal of. Here are some examples: Could you loan me a little money? The old woman has much wisdom to share. There is a great deal of oil in Saudi Arabia. Little can go before a count noun if it is used as an adjective. For example, “The little boy is playing.” In this example, little does not refer to a number or quantity; it refers to the size of the boy. Quantifers used with both count and noncount nouns There are several “safe” quantifiers that can go with both count and noncount nouns. Some is the most popular. Most, plenty of, all and any are other options. Listen for the quantifiers in these examples:        He cut some wood. (noncount noun)        Most Americans speak English. (count noun)        I have plenty of money. (noncount noun)        All children are special. (count noun)        Do you have any coffee? (noncount noun) To refer to the absence or lack of something, simply use no before a count or noncount noun.        There was no rice left. (noncount noun)        There were no books in the library. (count noun)        She had no love for her ex-husband. (noncount noun) No, when used as a quantifier, has the same meaning as zero. Lots and a lot of are very popular quantifiers — maybe too popular. Some English teachers do not like them. They think that lots and a lot of are overused and unsophisticated. You should avoid lots and a lot of in formal writing. Native speakers usually shorten a lot of to “a lotta” in casual speech. Few/a few vs. little/a little Listen carefully to these two sentences: I have a few friends. I have few friends. What is the difference? The first sentence contains the article a. This little word makes a big difference in meaning. I have a few friends focuses on a positive idea. The speaker is satisfied with the number of friends he has. The second sentence, I have few friends, focuses on a negative idea, his lack of friends. The speaker wishes he had more friends. It might help to think of few as a half-empty glass of water. A few is like a half-filled glass of water. The amount of water is the same. But the speaker’s attitude about the amount of water is different. Few and a few are only used before count nouns. The same positive-negative distinction applies to a little and little. Use little and a little before noncount nouns. I have a little money means the speaker has some money. I have little money means the speaker does not have enough money. Speaking of little, we have little time left for today’s program. We hope you learned a few tips about how to use quantifiers. I’m Jill Robbins. And I’m John Russell.   [Aretha Franklin, “Respect”] "All I’m asking is for a little respect when you come home Just a little bit Hey baby Just a little bit Just a little bit..."   Adam Brock wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Jill Robbins and Kathleen Struck were the editors. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   quantifier – grammatical term. a determiner or pronoun indicative of quantity (e.g., all, both ) count noun - grammatical term. a noun (such as “sand” or “butter”) that refers to something that cannot be counted noncount noun - grammatical term. a noun that can form a plural and, in the singular, can be used with the indefinite article options – n. choices assignment  - n.  a job or duty that is given to someone : a task someone is required to do absence – n. a state or condition in which something expected, wanted, or looked for is not present or does not exist : a state or condition in which something is absent unsophisticated - adj. not complicated or highly developed; basic focus – v. to direct your attention or effort at something specific negative  - adj. harmful or bad : not wanted positive – adj. good or useful distinction – n. the quality that makes a person or thing special or different

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Mars Candy Bars Recalled in 55 Countries in Europe

A U.S.-based candy maker recalled some of its candy bars produced in Europe after plastic was found inside them. The Mars candy company started the recall voluntarily Tuesday of candy made in the Netherlands. A small piece of red-colored plastic was found inside a Snickers candy bar purchased in Germany, according to a Mars press release. The recall includes Snickers, Mars, Milky Way and Celebrations candies. The candy was made at the Netherlands facility from December 5, 2015 through January 18, 2016. In a press release, Mars called the manufacturing mistake “an isolated incident.” The company could not estimate how much candy were removed from store shelves. Mars said only candies made in “Mars Netherlands” are affected by the recall. Consumers should look at the label on the candy to be sure. The recall affects 55 countries, said a spokesman for the candy company to the Associated Press. Mars Netherlands exports to many countries in Europe. The AP confirmed that Germany is one of the countries where the candy was recalled. Mars is one of the largest candy makers in the world. It owns and produces the brands M&M and Dove chocolate. Mars also owns the world’s largest chewing gum maker, William Wrigley Jr. Company. The candy maker’s headquarters is in the Washington, D.C. area. I’m Jim Dresbach.   VOANews.com reported on this story. Jim Dresbach adapted the report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   candy – n. a sweet food made with sugar or chocolate recall – n. a request by a company for people to return a product that has a defect or problem press release – n. an official statement that gives information to newspapers, magazines, television news programs and radio stations brand – n. a category of products that are all made by a particular company and all have a particular name chewing gum – n. a type of soft candy that you chew on but do not swallow

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Scott Kelly: Astronaut and Space Ape

This is What’s Trending Today. On Thursday, American astronaut Scott Kelly held his last press conference from the International Space Station. His historic #yearinspace is coming to an end. But, in a new video, Kelly looks nothing like an astronaut. He was in disguise. The astronaut was wearing a gorilla costume that his brother sent him. His fellow crew members on the International Space Station did not expect Kelly’s “monkeying around.” In the video, a crew member opens a large box, and Kelly jumps out in a full-body gorilla costume. He then chases the crew members as they float around the International Space Station. Scott Kelly posted the video on his Facebook page. He wrote, “Needed a little humor to lighten up a #YearinSpace. Go big, or go home. I think I’ll do both! #SpaceApe.” More than 560,000 people have watched the Space Ape video. The popular and funny video made Scott Kelly a trending topic on Facebook. Over on Twitter, the brother responsible for the gorilla costume, astronaut Mark Kelly, had this to say: "I thought you said you had things under control up there....#ApeinSpace." And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   disguise - n. clothes or other things that you wear so that people will not recognize you gorilla - n. a type of very large ape that has black fur and that comes from Africa monkey around - idiom. to do random, unplanned work or activities ape - n. a type of animal (such as a chimpanzee or gorilla) that is closely related to monkeys and humans and that is covered in hair and has no tail or a very short tail​

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'Middies' No Longer Have to Wear Skirts

For the first time, men and women graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy will wear the same uniforms at graduation in May. The women of the Naval Academy’s Class of 2016 will wear trousers, not skirts, it was announced this week. Marine Colonel Stephen Liszewski, the commandant of midshipmen, announced the change Monday. At the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium at Annapolis, Maryland, 266 female seniors will graduate May 27. Women make up close to 25 percent of the 1,077 graduating class. The decision was made to improve gender equality at the academy. The USNA, also called “Annapolis,” is one of four that offers a university education followed by military service. Academy spokesman Commander John Schofield said the new policy on wardrobes is putting “shipmate before self.” Schofield also said: “The graduation and commissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy is not about individuals.” The rule change comes following Navy Secretary Ray Mabus' emphasis on the equal role women will have in the military. Mabus recently told a group of midshipmen, also called “middies,” “In the Navy and in the Marine Corps, we are trending toward uniforms that don’t divide us as male or female, but rather unite us as Sailors or Marines.” The Navy equality campaign will also examine job titles that include the word “man” in the description. Even the term “midshipman” will be under review and could be changed. I’m Jim Dresbach.   VOANews.com reported this story. Jim Dresbach adapted the story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   graduating – v. earning a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university uniforms – n. a special kind of clothing that is worn by all the members of a group or organization  trousers – n. a piece of clothing that covers your body from the waist to the ankle and has a separate part for each leg commandant – n. an officer who is in charge of a group of service members in the military wardrobe – n. a collection of clothes that a person owns or wears midshipman – n.  someone who is being trained to become an officer in the U.S. Navy senior – n.  a student in the final year of college

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US, China Agree on Sanctions Against North Korea

The United States and China have agreed to place tougher financial sanctions on North Korea. This cooperation between the U.S. and China against North Korea shows a shift in their relationship, said The New York Times. The sanctions are meant to punish North Korea for its recent nuclear and long-range missile tests. The United States and China reached an agreement on imposing new U.N. sanctions on North Korea Wednesday. Details have yet to be released on the proposal. The announcement came after China's foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to Washington. He met with Secretary of State John Kerry and with National Security Adviser Susan Rice earlier this week. U.S. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said Rice and Wang were in agreement on a "strong and united" response to the North Korean tests. Sanctions a compromise between U.S., China South Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesman called the draft resolution, “strong and comprehensive.” He said, “It contains many effective components which are stronger than anything in past.” The United States has supported tough economic sanctions to pressure North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons program. China has emphasized maintaining stability in the area and negotiations. However, China may be signaling that its approach to North Korea has not been working. It may be agreeing that stronger measures are needed. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006. It has claimed to have carried out four nuclear tests and a number of long-range rocket launches. In addition to a U.N. arms embargo, North Korea is banned from importing and exporting nuclear and missile technology. It also is banned from importing luxury goods. What sanctions might include South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports that the proposed resolution will target North Korea's atomic energy and aerospace agencies. Some experts doubt that targeting North Korean officials and agencies will have any impact. They question whether the final agreement will impose real economic pain that will be felt by leader Kim Jong Un and the leadership. The U.S. has supported banning North Korean coal and other mineral exports. It has also supported barring oil trade and restricting North Korean access to international ports. The U.S. also wanted to increase restrictions on North Korean banks' access to the international financial system. Chinese and South Korean media reported this week that China has ordered a halt to its coal trade with North Korea. They say some Chinese banks have frozen accounts belonging to North Koreans. China’s Foreign Ministry said it does not know of these developments. However, experts say there is increased popular support in China to cut off possible funding for North Korea’s nuclear program. “China has been intensively discussing how to internally block oil and cash from flowing into North Korea,” said Woo Su-keun, a professor of international relations at Donghua University in Shanghai. China, Russia oppose THAAD missiles There have been questions that China would be slow to reach agreement on U.N. sanctions. The U.S. and South Korea are considering the possible deployment of the controversial Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile defense system. China and Russia oppose THAAD deployment in Korea. They are concerned that it can possibly be used against their military forces in the area. This week, the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, Qiu Guohong, suggested China would cut ties with South Korea over THAAD deployment. South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kim Hong-kyun, criticized the Chinese ambassador for attempting to exert influence over a South Korean national security issue. The U.S. puts its own sanctions in place, Obama signs bill President Obama recently signed legislation placing new U.S. sanctions on North Korea. The bill requires sanctions on anyone assisting North Korea in its nuclear and missile programs, cyber-attacks or human rights abuses. The expanded sanctions are designed to deny North Korea the money to develop miniaturized nuclear warheads and missiles to carry them. The measure also authorizes $50 million over five years for radio broadcasts into North Korea and to support humanitarian assistance programs. I’m Mario Ritter. VOA's Brian Padden reported this story from Seoul. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   comprehensive - adj. including many or most things components – n. one part of a system, device or mixture emphasize – v. to place special attention on something Impact – n. a powerful influence, a strong effect miniaturize – v. to make something smaller

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February 25, 2016

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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English @ the Movies: 'Time Bomb'

The movie "The Big Short" is about the financial crisis that led to huge losses in banks and housing. Our English @ the Movies phrase we are talking about is "time bomb." It might have something to do with explosions. Listen and find out.

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February 24, 2016

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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US: 14 New Reports of Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus

  Health officials are investigating 14 new reports of Zika virus infections in the United States. The cases are suspected to have been sexually transmitted.    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made the announcement Tuesday. It said all of the 14 cases are women. Their only known risk was sexual contact with a male partner who had recently returned from an area where Zika is found. Some of the cases involve pregnant women. Scientists have found evidence of a link between the Zika virus and microcephaly. Babies with microcephaly are born with unusually small heads and can suffer developmental delays. But scientists have not proven a certain cause and effect. The CDC researchers said the new cases suggest that sexual transmission of Zika may be more common than they had thought. The first case of Zika virus transmission in the United States was reported in Texas in early February. Health officials confirmed that it was contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite. Although sexual transmission of Zika is possible, health officials said that the main cause of Zika is still from mosquito bites. They urged people to prevent mosquito bites by using mosquito repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts, and using window screens. CDC had an advisement for men who have recently traveled to areas with Zika. They advised using condoms or avoiding sexual contact with pregnant women or women who could become pregnant. At least 29 countries in the Americas have experienced Zika outbreaks. The World Health Organization has declared the spread of Zika a global health emergency. On Tuesday, the CDC added two more countries, Trinidad and Tobago and the Marshall Islands, to its Zika virus travel advisory.   I’m Ashley Thompson. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   transmission – n. the act or process by which something is spread or passed from one person or thing to another mosquito – n. a small flying insect that bites the skin of people and animals and sucks their blood repellent – n. a substance that is used to keep something out or away condom – n. a thin rubber covering that a man wears on his penis during sex in order to prevent a woman from becoming pregnant or to prevent the spread of diseases

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Hollywood Is 'Straight, White, Boys' Club,' Study Says

A new study finds that major media companies in the United States “whitewash” the films and movies they produce. The researchers say women and minorities are almost invisible on all levels of the industry. The Media, Diversity and Social Change Initiative at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism did the study. It offers one of the widest examinations of the film and television industries. It gives a failing rating on diversity to all major movie studios and most producers of television. 'Inclusion crisis' Hollywood is already under attack over the lack of diversity among Academy Award nominations. For the second straight year, all the acting nominees are white. The awards ceremony takes place Sunday night. The new study is called the “Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity.” It provides further evidence of a deep gender, racial and ethnic divide between Hollywood and the American population it entertains. USC professor Stacy L. Smith co-wrote the report. She said, “We don't have a diversity problem. We have an inclusion crisis.” The researchers examined the 109 films released by major studios in 2014. They also looked at 305 scripted, first-run TV and digital series from 31 networks and streaming services. All aired from September 2014 to August 2015. More than 11,000 speaking characters were studied for gender, racial ethnic and LGBT representation. Some 10,000 directors, writers and show creators were examined, as was the gender of more than 1,500 executives. 'Whitewashed' and lacking women The study found widespread underrepresentation in all media studied. The lack was spread from top positions in media companies to minor characters in production content. The study authors wrote, “Overall, the landscape of media content is still largely whitewashed.” In the 414 studied films and series, about a third of speaking characters were female. 28.3 percent were from minority groups. That is about 10 percent less than represented in the U.S. population. More than 74 percent of characters 40 years and older are male compared to 25.7 percent female. Just 2 percent of speaking characters across film and television were LGBT-identified. Among the 11,306 speaking characters studied, only seven were transgendered. Four of them were from the same series.   The study finds that the lack of diversity is even greater behind the camera: 87 percent of directors are white. Among broadcast television directors, the percentage is even higher at 90.4 percent. Just 15.2 percent of directors, 28.9 percent of writers and 22.6 percent of series creators were female. In film, the gender gap is greatest: Only 3.4 percent of the films studied were directed by women, and only two directors out of the 109 were black women: Ava DuVernay who made “Selma” and Amma Asante who directed the film, “Belle.” Inclusivity index USC has been publishing different forms of the study for the last 10 years. The researchers have added a new measurement in the latest study. The so-called “inclusivity index” rates the performances of 21st Century Fox, CBS, NBC Universal, Sony, the Walt Disney Co., Time Warner, Viacom, Amazon, Hulu and Netflix. Those companies involve all the broadcast networks, most major cable channels, all of the major movie studios and three of the leading streaming services.   Each was rated by their percentage of female, minority and LGBT characters; and of female writers and directors. None of the six major studios rated better than 20 percent overall. The report concludes that the film industry operates “as a straight, white, boy's club.” Hope in television Some of the same companies, however, scored better when their TV and digital offerings were evaluated. Disney, the CW, Amazon and Hulu all scored 65 percent and above. Stacy Smith said there is hope in television.  “Everyone in film is failing, all of the companies investigated. They're impervious to change. But,” she said, “there are pockets of promise in television. There is a focus that change is possible. The very companies that are inclusive — Disney, CW, Hulu, Amazon to some degree — those companies, if they're producing and distributing motion pictures, can do this. We now have evidence that they can, and they can thrive,” she said. USC researchers also, for the first time, added gender analysis of those 10 companies' leaders. They found that women represent about 20 percent of leadership positions. Katherine Pieper was a co-author of the study. She said as the number of women decrease as power or respect linked to job position increases Some of the study's most troubling finds are simply absences. Roughly 50 percent of the examined content did not feature a single Asian or Asian-American character. Twenty percent did not include one black character. Researchers said the industry should have target goals for change. And they say such targets should be made public. Stacy Smith said, “People are still erased. It's 2016 and it's time for a change. We've laid out concrete actionable steps because we don't want to do this again in 10 years.” I’m Caty Weaver. Caty Weaver adapted this story from an Associated Press report. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think Hollywood should include more women and people of color in movies and television? _____________________________________________________ Words in This Story   whitewash – v.  a white liquid mixture used for making surfaces (such as walls or fences) whiter; also, a planned effort to hide a dishonest, immoral, or illegal act or situation  diversity – n. the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization invisible – adj. impossible to see inclusion – n. the act of including something or someone straight – adj. heterosexual boys’ club – expression an informal system in which wealthy, white men work together to keep control of money and power thrive – v.  to grow or develop successfully: to succeed erase – v.  to remove any thought or memory of

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Photo Editing App Improves Your Shots

People take hundreds or even thousands of photographs with their smart phones. But when they take a special photo, they might want to make sure that the picture looks its best. Photos can preserve memories. They help people remember a special day or event. People also share photos on social media so others can enjoy them. Fotor is a free photo editing website and app. It comes with a lot of tools, but is easy to use. Use Fotor to improve and share images. It can also help you create collections of favorite photos.   Fotor App Using the Fotor application software program is simple. Just download the Fotor app and create an account. The app can help improve pictures in several ways. It can make changes to color, brightness and red/green/blue levels of a photo.   Fotor users can add many choices of filters to change the way images look. Filters can reduce or remove unwanted light from a photo. A slider tool can help change the intensity of each filter. Fotor users can also add colorful stickers, words and even picture frames to customize their photo. Focus is a photo editing tool that can reduce the sharpness, or clarity, of an image. This allows users to focus on a part of the image, and blur out the rest. This winter image was edited using the Fotor app. The blue filter was added, the app's Focus effect was used to blur the photo, other than a circle around the tree which remains focused.                        The Fotor app has a sharing button in the upper left corner of the screen. Click the button and the photo is saved so it can be shared using email, text message and social media websites. Most of the tools on Fotor are free, but some must be purchased. The app provides a demonstration of such tools, so they can be tried before they are purchased. The Fotor app only works in portrait view. With this panorama photo was edited by adding a filter using the Fotor app, then using Focus to blur the photo other than an oval around the ruins which stay in focus:   Community and Competition The Vision section of the Fotor app is a place where people can share their images. Fotor holds competitions for the best images. Users can enter their photos in several different categories. Availability You can get the app free for: Fotor for Android Fotor for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Website The Fotor website can also help design images for social media, with preset, fixed sizes for cover photos on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube and more. I’m Caty Weaver.   Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.   Your Thoughts Do you edit your photos?  Do you like editing tools that are powerful but easy to use? Which editing features do you like to use? Share your thoughts in the Comments section and on our Facebook page! ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story preserve - v. to protect or keep (something) in its original state or in good condition edit  - v. to prepare (a film, recording or photograph) to be seen or heard; to change, move, or remove parts of a film, recording or photo app – n. a computer program that performs a particular job access – n. permission or the right to enter, get near, or make use of something or to have contact with someone filter – n. a program that changes lighting levels in specific ways to create special effects (photography) slider – n. a knob or button that is used to control something, such as movement or audio levels intensity – n. the amount of strength or force that something has frame – n. an open structure that holds something (such as glass or a picture) portrait view – n. the orientation of a page such that the longer side runs from top to bottom category – n. the process of putting people or things into groups based on ways that they are alike

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