Dialogue

Ella: So I believe hats are a necessary accessory to every outfit.

Mason:  Uh, Blossom? What?

Ella:  No. Fedoras, knitted little…you know, just all types of hats. I love them. I try to get one in every city I visit.

Mason:  Interesting. I mean, I’m a hat guy, but I have the one hat. It’s funny, I’m pleased to hear that you like hats so much because they don’t really seem to be that in fashion these days.

Ella:  I have so many, I have almost 20 hats right now sitting in my closet. I have the big wide-brim ones that are perfect for the sun, and I have the sporty little ball cap. But fedoras are my favorite, I have almost 10 of those in every color.

Mason:  Really. You have kind of the whole range, like baseball cap, low-brow, fedora…

Ella:  And then you have beanies for snowboarding.

Mason:  Bowlers.

Ella:  Yep. I definitely wear hats just for looks. There’s not very much practical use for it, sometimes I’m wearing beanies and it’s 90 degrees outside, but hey, it works with my outfit, you know?

Mason:  I totally know. Oh my god, you have no idea how much I know.
Discussion

Ella loves hats and has a big hat collection. She has hats in every color to go with all her outfits. Her favorite kind of hat is a fedora. But when it comes to hats, Ella doesn’t have a strict type. She loves them all, from baseball caps to beanies.

Mason is more of a one-hat man. He’s faithful to his favorite beanie, which keeps him warm all winter long. Mason thinks hats are more functional than fashionable. But maybe Ella will change that.

Do you like to wear hats? Do you think hats are an essential fashion accessory? Describe your favorite hat.
Grammar Point

Count and Noncount Nouns

Ella says that she has 20 hats. Hat is a count noun. That is why Ella is able to count how many hats she has. Count nouns exist as individual units. You can pluralize them by adding an “s” to the end of them.

The opposite of a count noun is a noncount noun. Noncount nouns can’t be counted or pluralized. You also can’t cut them into parts. Liquids such as coffee or water, abstractions such as love or peace, and collective nouns such as furniture or luggage are all examples of noncount nouns.

Which is correct, “Ella wears hats in all kinds of weathers” or “Ella wears hats in all kinds of weather”?
Quiz

   1.

      What is Ella’s favorite type of hat?
          * bowlers
          * bonnets
          * beanies
          * fedoras
   2.

      When Ella goes snowboarding, she wears __.
          * a bowler
          * a bonnet
          * a beanie
          * a fedora
   3.

      About how many hats does Ella own?
          * 10
          * 20
          * 30
          * 40
   4.

      Could you pour me some more __, please?
          * wine
          * wines
          * of wine
   5.

      Which of these is a count noun?
          * respect
          * idea
          * water
          * time