Shouldn't you be occupied with your pig?

good example.

Thank you all for the answers.
My tentative conclusion is as follows: fruit is uncountable when used as a food item (I had some fruit; fruit is healthy., etc.)

It is countable, when used as a species or a kind, i.e. a representative of a certain group (The Hebrew Bible (TANAKH) describes Israel as a land blessed with seven fruits and grains).

Can I ask you guys another question.

What's wrong with the word ain't and why ain't it right to use it?

Also, what's the difference between:
I like this song
I like that song

Thanks

Have you tried englishforum.com?

Monologue 1:

ThomasT: I’m listening to I May Be Used (But Baby I Ain’t Used Up). I like this song.

Dialogue 1:

Sagitta: What are you listening to?
ThomasT: I May Be Used (But Baby I Ain’t Used Up).
Sagitta: I like that song.

I do love Waylon Jennings :-) Thanks

"ain't"
this is just American slang..... it's not a real word, it's a colloquialism

---------------

I Like this song
I Like that song

hmmmmmmm..... good one


the difference between THIS and THAT

I just read both of these and still don't know.

As far as I know, they are completely interchangable.

You can use either in a sentance for a single use to identify something.

Using them both in a sentace is used to differentiate two objects in a multiple of options.

I do like Ain't no sunshine when she's gone - and
Ain't misbehavin.

I like this 'ere song and I like that there song too

It’s very hard to define a set of rules for this and that, but these pronouns are not interchangeable. I think their usage depends heavily on the context: it’s hard to discuss them in abstract terms without specific examples.
However, they always carry the notion of distance (that) and proximity (this), which I tried to show with the silly dialogue.
My God, I love this linguistic stuff. I might get carried away.
As I said before, English is not my native language, but I spend hours studying it.

You sure ain't too bad at it either. In fact you're quite exceptionally erudite.

Here's a question for which I can't seem to get a definitive answer online

If you write an abbreviation for which the first letter is a consonant, but sounds as if it starts with a vowel.....do you use "a" or "an"?

For example....is it A FMCG company or AN FMCG company? A MP or AN MP?

It would depend if the consonant (abbreviation or not, regardless) is pronounced like a vowel.

An MP (Emm)

Thats what I THINK, but is it fact, or just because it sounds right?

It's a phonetic 'rule' so, yes, if the first letter of the acronym sounds like a vowel, use 'an'. In both cases, though, I'd use 'a' instead of 'an', particularly with 'MP' as 'an MP' is a wordy mouthful.

An European??

a university ?
an MP ?
...... damn, now I'm going to think about this and will never find the right answer ever again !

No, because when spoken it sounds like it starts with a "Y". Edit: same for "a university".
But, for a member of the European parliament, I would write "an MEP".

Along similar lines... "a hotel" or "an hotel" ?

That's more clear.....that's just a fact which is often not followed

You'd say "a MP"? Really? If the "a" is hard, is sounds weird