[ti:Bob Dylan Teaches You about Questions, Count Nouns]
[al:Everyday Grammar]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2024-09-06]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]Nobel prize winner Bob Dylan is considered to be one of the best American songwriters.
[00:08.78]The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
[00:14.35]The answer is blowin' in the wind
[00:19.29]In today's Everyday Grammar, we will explore how Blowin' in the Wind, a famous Bob Dylan song, can teach you about English grammar.
[00:31.54]You will learn about question words, nouns and more.
[00:37.63]Let's begin by listening to part of the song:
[00:42.31]Yes, and how many years must a mountain exist
[00:48.45]Before it is washed to the sea?
[00:53.88]And how many years can some people exist
[00:59.48]Before they're allowed to be free?
[01:04.80]Dylan's song has a group of questions, one after the other, followed by an answer:
[01:12.74]The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
[01:18.39]The answer is blowin' in the wind
[01:22.99]Let's explore the grammar of the words in greater detail. 
[01:28.26]In English, we use question words - what, where, how - to ask for information.
[01:37.13]The word "how" generally asks about manner - the way in which something is done.
[01:44.98]For example, imagine you saw a circus performer swallow fire.
[01:51.56]You might ask them:
[01:53.67]How did you do that?
[01:55.37]But when used with words such as "much" and "many," how asks about quantities.
[02:04.47]For example, you might hear an American ask the following about a price:
[02:12.03]How much money does it cost?
[02:14.42]Or
[02:16.29]How much [money] does it cost?
[02:19.02]Here is another example of a quantity question:
[02:23.79]How many people came to the Bob Dylan concert?
[02:28.22]But, how do we know when to use "much" and when to use "many?
[02:34.36]The answer is about nouns.
[02:37.98]We describe nouns as either common or proper. Common nouns include words such as music, song or guitar.
[02:49.63]The words themselves do not point to an exact, specific thing.
[02:56.61]Proper nouns include words with an exact, single meaning - Bob Dylan, the United States of America, Blowin' in the Wind and so on.
[03:09.38]There are two kinds of common nouns - count and noncount nouns.
[03:16.70]Count nouns include words like guitar or song.
[03:22.94]You can count guitars and songs. Consider the following statements:
[03:30.58]I own five guitars.
[03:32.91]I wrote 3 songs.
[03:35.52]The question form "how many..." is used with plural count nouns. For example:
[03:43.40]How many guitars do you own?
[03:46.81]I own five guitars.
[03:49.39]Noncount nouns include words like money or music.
[03:54.73]I need to make money.
[03:57.47]I love music.
[04:00.32]In general, the question form "how much..." is used with noncount nouns.
[04:07.26]How much money did you spend on that new guitar?
[04:10.11]I spent all of the money that I earned last week!
[04:14.17]How does this discussion connect with the Bob Dylan song?
[04:19.24]If you listen carefully to the Bob Dylan song, you will notice that the structure "how many..." plays an important part.
[04:29.97]Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head
[04:35.24]And pretend that he just doesn't see?
[04:41.10]And consider these lines:
[04:44.17]Yes, and how many ears must one man have
[04:50.21]Before he can hear people cry?
[04:55.07]Yes, and how many deaths will it take till he knows
[05:00.84]That too many people have died?
[05:06.62]Questions about count nouns make the base of Dylan's song. He does not sing about noncount nouns. He does not ask "how much..."?
[05:19.51]And the answer to his questions is always the same:
[05:24.00]The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
[05:30.51]The answer is blowin' in the wind
[05:35.32]The next time you listen to any song in English, try to look for some kind of pattern.
[05:43.12]One way to think about Dylan's song is that it is about questions, answers and count nouns. 
[05:52.46]But other songs have different structures, ideas and grammar points. 
[05:59.13]By carefully studying songs, you can learn a lot about English grammar.
[06:05.74]I'm John Russell.