NOT

We use NOT every time we want to form a negative sentence by changing the verb:

1. We are not busy today. (verb: are)
2. Can you not accept this? (verb: can)
3. My sisters do not have a good reason to be upset. (verb: have)
4. Do not run! (verb: run)

As you can see in the examples above, the particle NOT is usually placed right after the verb (or auxiliary verb “do”) unless we have a question, in which case NOT is placed immediately after the Subject (example 2. subject: you).

NOT is also used to replace a whole negative sentence in order to avoid repetition:

Do you want this or not? (Do you want this or don’t you want this?)

Why not? (Why aren’t they green?)

NO

NO is used to answer a question negatively:

Is your apartment small?

No, my apartment is not small.

It is also used to mean “zero” next to a noun:

I have no patience for this. (I have zero patience for this)

DON’T

DON’T is a combination between the auxiliary verb DO and the negative particle NOT. We use it every time we need to make a sentence negative except when the verb is “to be” or “can”:

1. His parents don’t let him go out at night.
2. Don’t you know where the pharmacy is?
3. Don’t go!

DON’T is placed in front of the verb unless we have a question (example 2.), in which case it is placed in front of the Subject.

DON’T is an abbreviation, however the long form DO NOT is also correct and used.

The form of the auxiliary verb DO for the 3rd person singular (he/she/it) is DOESN’T.

When the verb is “to be” or “can”, we don’t use the auxiliary verb DON’T, we simply place NOT after the verb:   She is not interesting. /Cheryl can not walk.

QUIZ

Choose DON’T, NOT, NO in the following sentences:

1. ___________ leave me!
2. Can you __________ bring this to her?
3. _________ person is innocent.
4. _________, I will not run all the way there.
5. My friend does ________ agree with her family.
6. _________ you have something better to do?
7. They ___________ want to see this movie.

ANSWERS

1. DON’T, 2. NOT, 3. NO, 4. NO, 5. NOT, 6. DON’T, 7. DON’T

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SOME/ANY

SOME is used in a positive statement in order to show either:

1. The plural of something (for countable nouns) – I need some fresh towels.

or

2. A small quantity of something (for non-countable nouns) – Cathy has some toothpaste today.

ANY is used in a negative statement to show that something is nonexistent:

1. I don’t have any. (fresh towels)        In other words, I have zero fresh towels.

2. Yesterday she didn’t have any. (toothpaste)        Yesterday, she had zero toothpaste.

Notice how ANY is not followed by a noun, for the simple reason that the noun was already mentioned before and there is no need to repeat it.

A(AN)/ONE

A(AN) are used in a positive statement  to show that the speaker is referring to just one item:

1. He will buy an umbrella.

2. My friend is getting a teapot.

Remember that we use an when the next word starts with a vowal and a when the next word starts with a consonant for singular nouns.

ONE is used in a negative statement to show that the speaker is referring to just one item:

1. He doesn’t have one. (an umbrella)

2. She didn’t own one. (a teapot)

ONE replaces the noun here since it was already mentioned before.

English QUIZ

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word SOME/ANY/A/AN/ONE:

1. I need to buy some plates. I don’t have _________.
2. Can I borrow a cup? I don’t have ____________.
3. You need some shampoo. You don’t have _________.
4. They can take an egg. They don’t have __________.
5. We need _________ sugar. We don’t have any.
6. Her mom would like to borrow ___ platter. She doesn’t have one.
7. Please give your brother ___ apple. He doesn’t have one.

ANSWERS

1. 1. any, 2. one, 3. any, 4. one, 5. some, 6. a, 7. an

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A LOT

A lot can pretty much be used with any noun (and most verbs, too, for that matter), to express a large quantity:

You have a lot of patience.

We don’t have a lot of apples.

My friend talks a lot.

Note that when followed by a noun, the preposition of is necessary as well.

MANY/MUCH

Many and much, however, although they also express a large quantity, are used with different types of nouns. Many is used for countable nouns and much for uncountable nouns. If you don’t remember the difference between these two noun categories, please check the blog entry for Countable and Uncountable nouns in English.

My grandmother has many chickens.

Maria didn’t put much sugar in the cake.

IMPORTANT NOTE

You can choose between using much/many or a lot as you like, the only difference being that much/many are slightly more formal than a lot.

(A) FEW/(A) LITTLE

(A) few and (A) little are the opposites of many/much expressing a small quantity, and they are also used with different types of nouns. (A) few is used for countable nouns and (A) little for uncountable nouns. If you don’t remember the difference between these two noun categories, please check the blog entry for Countable and Uncountable nouns in English.

The school has (a) few students.

There is (a) little money left.

SO, what is the difference between a few and few, and a little and little?

Basically, when you say “He ate a few cookies”, you are focusing on the positive, meaning He did eat a small number of cookies.

When you say “He ate few cookies”, you are focusing on the negative, meaning He didn’t eat so many cookies at all, not as many as expected, etc.

The same goes for “I have a little respect for him”, which focuses on the positive and means I have some respect for him.

And “I have little respect for him”, which focuses on the negative and means I don’t have much respect for him at all.

QUIZ

Choose between much, many, a lot, few, little, a few, a little:

1. The teacher gives _______ of homework.
2. Your car has __________ miles on it. (large quantity)
3. I can give you _________ apples. (small quantity, positive)
4. My boss doesn’t have _________ time to waste. (large quantity)
5. She has _________ interest in outdoor activities. (small quantity, negative)
6. His mom will borrow __________ flour from us. (small quantity, positive)
7. This widow had ________ friends and many enemies. (small quantity, negative)

ANSWERS

1. a lot
2. many
3. a few
4. much
5. little
6. a little
7. few

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Bring

You ask people to bring things to you and your location. Bring is used in relation to a destination:

“Bring some drinks to the party, please.”

“Bring your toothbrush to me.”

“Could she bring her shoes here?”

Take

You take things to other people and locations. Take is used in relation to a starting point:

“I’m going to take some balloons to John’s house for his birthday party.” (I am thinking about the balloons being at my house – the starting point)

“Take your dog away from me.”

“Please take your bag there.” (the focus is on the implied starting point – here)

In the first and third examples, the starting point is not clearly expressed in the sentence, but understood from context.

IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS

The similarity between Bring and Take is that they both describe the movement of something from one location to another.

The difference is that Bring describes the movement of something toward a specified location, whereas Take describes the movement of something away from a location. Another way to look at it is, you bring things here and take things there.

Many times both of these verbs can be used correctly in the same sentence, and the only thing that changes is your perspective:

Paul is bringing his cousin to the picnic.

Paul is taking his cousin to the picnic.

Both sentences are correct. In the first one, the focus is on the destination (the picnic), whereas in the second one it is on the implied starting point (Paul’s house or location).

QUIZ

1. He has ___ his car here.

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TAKE generally means to CARRY/ MOVE from one place to another.

• Can you take the kids to school today? 
• Take an umbrella. It’s raining.
• Can you take my shirt to the dry-cleaner?
• Don’t forget to take your driving license with you.

GET usually means to RECEIVE/ OBTAIN.

• I got some flowers. (I received some flowers. Someone gave me some flowers)
• How much do you get for looking after Jane’s children?
• Did you get the tickets?
• I think you should get a new job.

Another difference is that TAKE implies that you may take something from another person who may give the object willingly or not so willingly. GET means that something was voluntarily given to you. For example:

My mom takes my phone when I don’t do my homework. (She takes my phone although I don’t want her to)

I always take some food from my friend’s lunch bag. (I take it because I want to, whether my friend lets me or not)

I get my phone after I do my homework. (My mom willingly gives me my phone after I do my homework)

I always get some food from my friend’s lunch bag. (My friend willingly lets me have some food from his/her lunch bag)

A third difference is that when you TAKE an object from someone, you choose or pick the object.  If you GET something from somebody, the choice is up to the giver. For example:

Do you have more of those scarves?  I will take the pink one.  (I choose the pink one)

I usually get nice presents for Christmas. (Someone else chooses my present, not me)

TAKE and GET also have an active and passive meaning, respectively:

I plan to take my girlfriend to the movie theatre on Friday.

You always get a ride from your mother.

The difference lies in the action taken by the speaker of the sentence and what is done to him/her. In the first sentence, the subject is involved in doing the action of taking someone somewhere. In the second sentence, the subject is not involved in the action as it is the other person, the mother, who is doing the actual action of driving the subject to a place.

QUIZ

Fill in the blanks with TAKE or GET:

1. They normally ______ good grades in school.
2. You _________ your medicine from the pharmacy close to your house.
3. Don’t just ____________ the candy, you need to ask if you can first.
4. I will ___________ the red car, this is my choice.
5. When she _______ a new job, she will be happier.
6. My sister ________ my clothes whenever she wants without my permission.

ANSWERS

1. get, 2. get, 3. take, 4. take, 5. gets, 6. takes

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Write the report until 5 pm.
Write the report by 5 pm. 

Write the report until 5 pm means “Start writing the report now, continue writing it until 5 pm, then stop writing it regardless of whether it is finished or not.”

Write the report by 5 pm means “Make sure that at 5 pm the report is written and finished”. This example makes more sense than the first one.

As a preposition of time by means on or before.
E.g. We will send you the documents by tomorrow.

• Use “by” when you refer to a deadline.

Until means up to a particular time.
E.g. We have until tomorrow to send out the documents.

• Use “until” when you refer to the period of time before a deadline.

By is used to describe an action or event that happens on or before a particular moment.
E.g. We expect to know the judgment by the end of June.

Until is used to describe a state or situation in the period of time up to a particular moment.
E.g. The court proceedings are expected to last until June.

You may think of until as referring to the moment a state or situation changes.
E.g. Comments on the draft may be submitted until March 2nd.

Here are some more examples:

1. I can do it by 3 pm.
             Now   → do it and finish it →  3 pm (it will be finished)
2. I can do it until 3 pm.
             Now   →       do it       →  3 pm (I’ll stop even if I haven’t finished)
3. I can’t do it by 3 pm.
             Now   → do it / not do it →  3 pm (either way it won’t be finished)
4. I can’t do it until 3 pm.
             Now   →  can’t do it  →  3 pm (I’ll start)

QUIZ

Fill in the sentences with by or until:

1. I need to do the laundry ______ 7pm.
2. They have ______ March 3rd to move out of their apartment.
3. We can play ________ he comes home.
4. My friends are supposed to come _______ next week.

ANSWERS

1. by
2. until
3. until
4. by

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First, let’s look at them separately:

Through

In North America, through means up to and including (a particular point in an ordered sequence), (from …) to … inclusive.

“They will be in town from March 1st through April 8th”

“The exhibition is open Friday through Sunday”

To/Until

These two sentences mean the same thing:

“We lived in Haiti from 2000 to 2009.”

“We lived in Haiti from 2000 until 2009.”

They both refer to a period of time that began at some point in the year 2000 (we don’t know exactly what point) and ended in the year 2009 (again, we don’t know at exactly what point in that year).

Some native speakers of English report that “from 2000 to 2009” sounds slightly more natural to them than “from 2000 until 2009,” so it might be a better choice if you are trying to choose between the two forms. However, both forms are correct and acceptable – there is no wrong choice.

Now, let’s look at the differences between them:

Through vs. To/Until

If you say “We lived in Haiti from 2000 through 2009,” this is different. “Through 2009” means until the end of that year. Therefore, “from 2000 through 2009” refers to a time period that began sometime in the year 2000 and lasted until the very end of 2009.

Take a look at these sentences:

I work here from 9 to 5.
I work here from 9 until/till 5.
I work here from 9 through 5.

The last one is not common because it’s a little ambiguous. Through generally means until the end of, which is not the intended meaning here. For example, if you were to say, “I’ll be working at this company through May,” it would mean until the end of May.

How about these sentences:

I work here from Monday to Friday.
I work here Monday through Friday. (note that “from” is absent here)
I work here from Monday until/till Friday.

“Monday to Friday” is very common. Until/till may signify you’re leaving work for some reason on Friday. For example, if you say, “I’ll be in Paris till Friday,” you’d be marking a departure date.

Sometimes through and until can be used together as in the following example:

“I struggle through until payday.” Through here means continuing in time toward completion of (a process or period).

Until marks a time limit that is not included in the activity we are talking about. In other words, “I struggle the whole time before payday, on payday I don’t struggle any longer”.

QUIZ

Fill in with the correct preposition:

1. The museum can be visited Tuesday __________ Sunday.
2. The Post Office is open from 8am __________ 5pm.
3. I ate ____________ my lunch break.
4. I am free from 3pm ___________ 5pm.

ANSWERS

1. through; 2. to or until/till; 3. through; 4. to or until/till

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POR is used to show the initial stage of something:

• Cause or reason – Me casé por amor, no por dinero.

PARA, on the other hand, is used to show the end point of something:

• Objective or result – Ha comprado una sopa para cenar.
• Recipient of an action – Este regalo es para ella.

When it comes to Time, POR is used to show:

• A part of the day – Vas a la escuela por las mañanas.
• An approximate time – Voy a verlos por Navidad.
• Frequency (when followed by a time unit) – Corre tres vezes por semana. (the time unit being semana here)

And PARA is used to show:

• A time limit or deadline – Tengo que hacer mi tarea para mañana.

When we talk about a Place, POR is used to show:

• A place that you need to pass through in order to get somewhere – El tren de Sevilla pasa por Madrid.
• Movement through a space or place – Me gusta pasear por el bosque.
• An approximate place – Mi hermana vive por aqui.

And PARA is used to show:

• The direction of a movement – Se va para su casa.

The following graphic may be helpful in understanding the difference between the two:

We also use POR to show:

• The means/way or instrument – Hablamos por Skype.
• The price paid for something – Le compré la gorra por 10 euros.
• The passive voice – Los piramides fueron construidos por los egipcios.
• An exchange or substitution – Mi colega fue a la reunión por mí.
• The inducer of a feeling, attitude or mental state – Tengo un gran respecto por él.

And PARA to show:

• The contrast between two clauses – Hay mucha nieve para estar en marzo.
• Personal opinion (when followed by a noun or pronoun) – Para mi maestra, hay que escuchar en clase para aprender.

QUIZ

Fill in the blanks with POR or PARA:

1. No tienes el dinero       viajar.

2. El velocímetro indica un máximo de ciento cincuenta millas         hora.

3. ¿Quiere cambiarlo  ___otra talla?

4. Y  ___la boda van a invitar a todo el mundo.

5. ¿   ___cuántos días?

6. La terminal norte es             los vuelos internacionales.

7. Un pick-up es una buena elección             el trabajo.

8. Está arrestado             manejar borracho.

9. Ellos estudian las palabras             la clase de español.

10. Voy a mandar esta carta                  avión.

11. Los regalos son                    él.

12. El practicar deporte es bueno                     la salud.

13. ¿Si voy a la fiesta? ¡____supuesto!

14. No puedes usar la calculadora _________el examen.

15. Ella y Pepe están muy contentos porque   __fin van a casarse.

ANSWERS

1 = para , 2 = por , 3 = por , 4 = para , 5 = Por , 6 = para , 7 = para , 8 = por , 9 = para , 10 = por , 11 = para , 12 = para , 13 = por , 14 = para , 15 = por

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