Welcome to ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.
 


 
 

 

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

 

ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Help    

Help



ladzoya
Belarus

Help
 
Hello! Can you help me again? Which variant is right: There was or were about 30 kg of rubbish in whale�s stomach?

21 Mar 2021      





iabelmoua
Portugal

Helllo! Rubish is uncountable; however Kg(s) is countable, so "were" is the right option.

21 Mar 2021     



ladzoya
Belarus

But can�t we speak as a unit, and make it singular? We do not Need to emphasize the amount. In this case can we put was?

21 Mar 2021     



englishwithatea
Spain

I don�t think so as kilograms are countable, I think the correct answer is "were".

21 Mar 2021     



cesarfilologia
Spain

"were" is the right answer if you refer to the number of kilograms.

21 Mar 2021     



ladzoya
Belarus

But If I refer to the rubbish, can I put was?

21 Mar 2021     



ladzoya
Belarus

Here are two examples from the Student�s book: Every Day 20,000 tons of waste is dumped into the river. Eight million tons of plastic are dumped into rivers, seas and oceans every year. I have copied all words like in the book. May be it depends on where it is. In one place, like in stomach and river and many places?

21 Mar 2021     



ladzoya
Belarus

Like If we say There was 2 litres of milk in the fridge and there were 2 litres of milk in two bottles?

21 Mar 2021     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

I did a straw poll of six English speakers and everyone said was. We are thinking of rubbish as an item, a unit. 

21 Mar 2021     



kwsp
United States

My students� book says:
 
 Subject verb agreement: Using Expressions of Quantity
 With most expressions of quantity, the verb is determined by the noun (or pronoun) that follows OF.
Two-thirds of the money belongs to me.
Two-thirds of the coins belong to me.
 Twenty percent of my income goes for rent.
Twenty percent of my earnings go for rent.

Also, in another section of the book it says: 
Expressions of time, distance and money usually require a singular verb.
Five thousand miles is too far to travel.
 
So I am inclined to agree with cunliffe that the answer is was.

21 Mar 2021     



ladzoya
Belarus

Thank you sooo much, Cunliffe, for straw poll and finding time! Thank you very much, kwsp, for research work too! 🤗

21 Mar 2021     

1    2    Next >