This

This refers to a singular noun that is near in time or space. We also use this for uncountable nouns that
we treat as singular. The noun that follows must be written as a singular noun.

Examples;

This cupcake is delicious. (singular noun)

I want this necklace for Christmas. (singular noun)

What is this music you’re listening to? (singular uncountable noun).

These

These also refers to nouns that are near in time or space, but it is used for plural nouns. The noun that
follows these must be plural.

Examples;

Where did these papers come from?

Let me hand you these boxes.

These musicians are talented.

That

We use that most commonly to point to a thing or person. We use it with singular nouns. The thing or
person is often distant from the speaker and sometimes closer to the listener, or not visible to either the
speaker or listener:

Examples;

Can you pass me that green bowl over there? (determiner)

[pointing to one of a selection of different paint colours]

I quite like that one.

That’s Harold in the white shirt, isn’t it?

Those

The word ‘those’ is used with plural nouns when referring to an object or person that is far from the
speaker.

• I really like those cats.

• Are those Jenna’s friends?

• Those are not Casey’s sisters.

Since

We use ‘since’ in front of a finished point in time in the past. For example:

since June

since 10:30

since last Tuesday

We normally use ‘since’ with the present perfect to describe an action or situation that began in the past
and continues in the present.

For example:

We’ve been married since 1995.

I’ve worked here since 2008.

She’s lived in New York since 2014.

They’ve been here since 4pm.

You’ve had that cold since last month!

For

We use ‘for’ with a period of time. For example:

for two years

for eight hours

for a long time

We can also use ‘for’ with the present perfect to describe an action that started in the past and
continues in the present.

For example:

We’ve been married for 22 years.

I’ve had this car for three months.

She’s worked there for ten years.

They’ve lived here for 40 years.

He’s played with that toy for hours.

It hasn’t snowed for years.

Anything

'Anything' is used in negative or interrogative sentences to refer to any possible thing or any choice
among a range of options. It implies that there are no limitations or restrictions on what can be chosen.
For example:

Do you know anything about dolphins?

Here, the speaker is not looking for a specific piece of information, but refers to any kind of information
about dolphins.

Do you have anything less expensive?

I don't have anything to eat.

Use

Nothing as an indefinite pronoun is used to replace a noun it refers to. It can act as a subject or an
object. Nothing as a pronoun is used to indicate 'not a thing.' It shows the absence of a thing and must
be used in positive sentences. For example:

I have nothing in my bag.

Nothing is working here.

Position in a Sentence

Nothing as an indefinite pronoun is used to act as a subject or an object. If it is the subject, the verb
must be singular. In addition. 'Nothing' is a negative indefinite pronoun that requires an affirmative
sentence. Look:

Nothing is working here.

The verb is singular and positive.

I have nothing in my bag.

'Nothing' is the object.

2. 'Nothing' as an Adverb

Use

Nothing as an adverb is used to describe the verb and add meaning to it. It either has a similar meaning
to 'not at all' or indicates 'an empty space.' Look:

Nothing as an adverb means 'not at all.'

I care nothing for him.

She is nothing like her brother.

She is not at all like her brother.

Nothing as an adverb can show 'an empty space.'

They disappeared into nothing.

Position in a Sentence

Nothing as an adverb is used after verbs to add more meanings to them. It can be used in two cases.
Look:

She is nothing like her brother.

'Nothing' modifies the verb.

I care nothing.

3. 'Nothing' as a Noun

Use

Nothing mainly as an uncountable noun is used to indicate an empty space, the number 0, or something
or someone with little worth, importance. Take a look:

in an empty space

In this nothing, people can do what they want.

the number 0, in the US English

This number is 2 to nothing.

someone/something with little or no worth or importance

I loved her when she was a nothing.

'Nothing' means 'nobody.'

Position in a Sentence

Nothing as a noun is used to act as a subject, object, subject complement, etc. Look:

He is a nothing.

In this nothing, people can do what they want.

4. 'Nothing' as an Adjective

Use

Nothing as an adjective usually heads a noun to describe it more and it means 'having no value,
unimportant.' For example:

I have nothing jobs.

She is a nothing girl.

Each

We use each to refer to individual things in a group or a list of two or more things. It is often similar in
meaning to every,

Examples;

Each of us has a bicycle.

Every one of us has a bicycle

We use every + singular noun to refer individually to all the members of a complete group of something:

There’s a photograph on the wall of every child in the school.

Try to answer every question.

When every refers to the subject of the clause, we use a singular verb:

Every player wants to be in a winning team.

Not: Every player want …

Every cook needs good knives and a chopping board.

The negative of every is normally not every:

Not every noun has a plural form.

We use singular pronouns and possessives to refer back to every + noun, especially in more formal
styles, and especially when what we refer to is not human:

Every store has a manager in charge of it.

Every area has its own park.

In less formal styles, the pronoun or possessive may be plural:

Every student gets a laptop. They have to give it back at the end of the course.

Every user has their own password.

See also:

All or every?

Each or every?

Every: regular situations

We use every with a singular noun to refer to something that happens regularly:

The festival is held every August in Budapest.

I leave the house every morning at 6 am.

Not: I leave the house every mornings at 6 am.

We use every with a number and a plural noun to refer to regular intervals of time or numbers:

There are buses into town every ten minutes.

He now works from home, travelling to Amsterdam every two weeks.

Every day or everyday?

We write two words when every day means each day. The adjective everyday is one word. It means
‘normal’ or ‘usual’:

The boys meet up every day in the park.

Not: The boys meet up everyday in the park.

In the Soviet Union, poetry was at the centre of everyday life

When to use who

In a sentence, who is used as a subject. Let’s look at a couple of examples:

Who would like to go on vacation?

Who made these awesome quesadillas?

What

You use what when you are asking for information about something. You can use what as a pronoun or a
determiner.

When you use what as a pronoun, it can be the subject, object, or complement of a verb. It can also be
the object of a preposition.

What happened to the crew?

What is your name?

When what is the object of a verb, it is followed by an auxiliary verb, the subject, and then the main
verb. When what is the object of a preposition, the preposition usually goes at the end of the question.

What did she say then?

What did he die of?

Which

Which is a wh-word. We use which to ask questions and to introduce relative clauses.

Which as a question word

We use which in questions as a determiner and interrogative pronoun to ask for specific information:

‘Which car are we going in?’ he asked Alexander.

Which museums did you visit?

Which do you prefer? Lemon cake or carrot cake?

We use which in indirect questions and statements:

In the Young Cook of Britain competition, the finalists were asked which famous person they would like
to cook for.

Find out which way they’re going and we’ll follow.

Why

Why

Grammar > Nouns, pronouns and determiners > Question words > Why

from English Grammar Today

Why is a wh-word. We use why to talk about reasons and explanations.

Why as a question word

We can use why to ask about reasons and explanations:

Why did he leave home when he was 16?

Why didn’t you tell Gemma?

Why is the Earth round?

We can use why in indirect questions:

He asked me why I wanted to leave the job.

I wonder why he told nobody he was getting married.

We can use why on its own as a response:

A:

I’m going home now.

B:

Why?

When we reply to a negative statement, we usually say why not?:

A:

I don’t like it here.

B:

Why not?

Why: asking for reasons

When we ask for reasons in speaking, we can use the phrase why is that? In informal conversations we
often say why’s that?:

A:

Look, the moth is attracted to the light.

B:

Why is that?

A:

I’m not sure.

A:

She’s not going to college this year.

B:

Why’s that?

A:

She says she wants to travel for a while

Where

Use where when you’re trying to indicate the location or position of a subject. Where can also be used
as an interrogative adverb when you’re trying to ask someone where a subject is located.

If you’re using it as an interrogative adverb, make sure the sentence’s verb comes before the subject.

We went back to the restaurant where we had our first date.

Where is the nearest gas station?

Where can also be used to refer to the status of a situation or circumstance.

Where do you see this relationship going?

He took a plane to Morocco, where he met his cousin for the first time

When

When is a wh-word. We use when to ask questions, as a conjunction and to introduce relative clauses.

When as a question word

We can use when to ask for information about what time something happens:

When did you leave?

When are you going on holiday?

When will you know the result of the exam?

We can use when in indirect questions:

She asked me when I would be ready to start the job.

I wonder when the new computers will arrive.

When as a conjunction

We use when as a conjunction meaning ‘at the time that’. The clause with when is a subordinate clause
(sc) and needs a main clause (mc) to complete its meaning. If the when-clause comes before the main
clause, we use a comma.

Talking about the past

When I was young, there were no houses here.

Nobody spoke, when she came into the room.

Talking about the present

When you start the engine, there’s a strange noise.

Talking about the future

In references to the future with when, we use the present simple or the present perfect in the when-
clause, not the future with shall and will:

When the new park opens, I’ll go there every day.

We use 'how many' to show the quantity of a countable noun. These nouns have plural forms. Look at
the following examples:

How many books have you read so far?

How many plates do we need for tonight?

How much
We mainly use 'how much' with uncountable nouns. These nouns are words that are always singular and
they do not have a plural form. Look at the examples below:

How much money is left?

How much sugar do you need for your tea?

Some

We use some before nouns to refer to indefinite quantities. Although the quantity is not important or
not defined, using some implies a limited quantity:

Can you get me some milk? (The quantity isn’t specified. Some suggests a normal amount, not an
unlimited amount. Compare: Can you get me five litres of milk?)

I’ve got some questions for you.

There are elephants in Africa and Asia. (The number is not limited.)

Any

We use any before nouns to refer to indefinite or unknown quantities or an unlimited entity:

Did you bring any bread?

Mr Jacobson refused to answer any questions.

If I were able to travel back to any place and time in history, I would go to ancient China.

Any as a determiner has two forms: a strong form and a weak form. The forms have different meanings.
Weak form any: indefinite quantities

We use any for indefinite quantities in questions and negative sentences. We use some in affirmative
sentences:

Have you got any eggs?

I haven’t got any eggs.

I’ve got some eggs.

A few

We use a few with plural nouns and a bit of or a little with uncountable nouns.

I have a few ideas.

I've brought a few friends.

I have a few friends, so I'm not lonely.

She has few friends, so she's quite lonely.

A litlle

We use a little with singular uncountable nouns.

Mary said nothing, but she drank some tea and ate a little bread.

How to use a lot in a sentence

A lot can be used as a pronoun meaning “many” or “a large amount.” It can also be used as an adverb
meaning “often” or “very much.” When used as a pronoun, a lot is often followed by the preposition
“of” and a noun indicating what there is a lot of.
Examples: A lot in a sentence

I enjoyed the book even though it had a lot of verbiage.

Joanne did well on her exams because she studied a lot.

Of is a preposition.

Of commonly introduces prepositional phrases which are complements of nouns, creating the pattern:
noun + of + noun. This pattern is very common, especially to indicate different parts, pieces, amounts
and groups:

Lima is the capital of Peru.

Twenty-four-hour TV news makes sure we all know the main events of the day.

Would you like some more pieces of toast?

Many

We use many to refer to a large number of something countable. We most commonly use it in questions
and in negative sentences:

Were there many children at the party?

I don’t have many relatives. We’re a small family.

Use

Much as a determiner is used before uncountable nouns, in questions and negative sentences.

Much is used before uncountable nouns to show something is large in amount or extent. For example:
It required much time and effort.

We spent so much money than we wanted.

Much is used in questions and negations, before uncountable nouns. Like:

How much money do you want?

I don't need much time.

He doesn't know much German.

The

We use the definite article in front of a noun when we believe the listener/reader knows exactly what
we are referring to:

The Pope is visiting Russia.

The moon is very bright tonight.

Who is the president of France

Use “a” or “an” with a singular-count noun when you mean “one of many,” “any,” or “in general.”

Bob is a student (one of many students).

I like a good movie (one of many movies).

A and an are different forms of the same word, the indefinite article that often precedes a noun.

A is used before a noun that starts with a consonant sound (e.g., “s,” “t,” “v”).

An is used before a noun that starts with a vowel sound (e.g., “a,” “o,” “i”).
Examples: A in a sentence Examples: An in a sentence

He had a dog when he was a child.

Oranges are a good source of Vitamin C.

She had an aneurysm when she was a child.

Many employees of the company owned an iPhone.

Definite articles

An article is considered definite when used to introduce specific noun phrases or nouns. It may be used
in front of uncountable, countable, singular, and plural nouns. In the English language, ‘the’ is the only
article under this category.

The box, the cat, the bag, the house

Noncountable Nouns; The music, the gas, the information, the research

Singular Nouns; The man, the apple, the tree, the portrait

Plural Nouns The foxes, the ships, the babies, the beaches

Indefinite articles

An indefinite article is used with general, non-specific nouns or noun phrases. An indefinite article can
also be applied when referring to a noun or noun phrase for the first time or when describing someone’s
profession. The English language has two indefinite article types; ‘a’ and ‘an.’

Examples

A A letter, a truck, a stamp, a town, a woman

An An egg, an airplane, an umbrella, an accountant.