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Food Quantifiers

Referring to specific amounts or units

 

Food substances are not usually countable unless they have quantifiers!

 

 

Mass Noun vs. Quantifier + Noun
NONCOUNT FOOD NOUN QUANTIFIER / UNIT

      milk milk

a glass of milk  a glass, a bottle, a carton, a gallon, a pitcher 

 

 

 

Quantifiers or Units for Food

Any container, weight or measurement device can be used as a quantifier.  In addition, there are shape quantifiers that are specific to the item.

 

RICE
a bowl of rice
a grain, a bowl, a sack, a box

 

 

PASTA
a jar of pasta

a piece, a package, a bag

BREAD
a loaf of bread
a loaf,  a slice, a piece

CHOCOLATE
chocolate
a piece, a square, a bar

 

BEER
beer

a mug, a glass, a bottle, a keg    

 

HONEY
honey
a spoonful, a jar,

MEAT
meat
a slice, a steak, a chop, a roast, a fillet

BUTTER
butter
a piece, a slice, a pat, a stick, a pound, a cup

COFFEE
a cup of coffee
a cup, a pot

 

 

 

 

NON-COUNT NOUNS  (just a few!)

fluids

water, coffee, tea, milk, oil, wine, beer, soda, etc.

solids

ice, bread, butter, cheese, meat, etc.

particles

rice, corn, flour, sugar, popcorn, pepper, salt, cinnamon, oregano (spice names), tea, coffee, etc.

groups

food, fruit. meat,


list of noncount nouns

 

 

 

Quantifier Unit

Negative

 

 

NOT QUANTITY OF THE NOT A UNIT OF (THE)

Use a negative word before a quantity of expression to indicate little or none.

Use not a before a unit amount to indicate few or none.  Optionally, use the before the noun.

There's not much of the bread left. / Little of the bread is left.  (some)

There's not a lot of bread left.  (some)

Not any of the bread is left.  (no amount)

Not a slice of bread is left.  (0 pieces)

None of the bread is left.

Not a one/ a bit/ a piece is left.   one (pronoun) – refers to slice

Also see  Quantity Phrases – negative 

Solution - lightbulb – "Not a…one"

 

 

 

 

Practice

Animals and Meat   

 

 

 

The names for meat is often different from the animal from which it comes.
  1. Select the meat name for each animal source.
  2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right. 

 

# ANIMAL SOURCE FOOD NAME - YOUR RESPONSE CHECK ANSWER
1. calf
a calf (the baby)
 

 

2. a pig
a pig

 

3. a bull or steer
a bull or steer
 

 

4. a sheep
a sheep

 

5. rooster
a rooster
 

 

6. a deer
a deer
 

 

     

 

 

Select the cut of meat or quantifier for each kind of meat.
# ANIMAL SOURCE CUT OF MEAN - YOUR RESPONSE CHECK ANSWER
7. steak
beef / veal
 

 

8. a roast
beef / lamb/ pork / veal
turkey / chicken / any meat
 

 

9. lamb chop
lamb or pork

 

10. ham
 pork leg (ham)

 

11. a burger
turkey / chicken / beef
lamb / pork / any meat

 

12. sliced meat
turkey / chicken / beef
lamb / pork / any meat
bread / pizza / cheese
 
   
13. legs
chicken / turkey / lamb
 
*  
14. filet
fish / beef
**    
   

 

 

 

look rightIn a restaurant, people usually refer to a menu item or dish using the:

* Other parts of turkey and chicken: wing, breast, thigh, back, neck, feet
** Also, spelled fillet.