thing

The noun "thing" is a great word to learn about because you can use it when you don’t know the word in English for something, or use "thing" when you are too lazy to think of the right word (I use "thing" often):

• I lost the plastic thing from my keychain.
• There’s some green thing in the refrigerator. What is it?
• The thing that you gave to me is on the table. ("that you gave to me" is an adjective clause.)
• Where did you get that thing?
• How much is that thing going to cost?
• They have a big thing in their garage. I don’t know what it is.
• This is a very interesting thing.

The word "thing" is often used in the plural form:

• Are these your things?
• We have too many things in our garage.
• I have a lot of things to do today.
• These are some things that you have to think about. (Notice the difference between "something" and "some things.")
• She said some very nice things about you.

A substitute for "things" is "stuff," but remember that "stuff" is a noncount noun:

• Is this your stuff?
• We have too much stuff in our garage.
• I have a lot of stuff to do today.

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

December 17, 2011