Do you know how to use counting words (josūshi 助数詞) in English?
Counting words (also called “counters”) are important! They make your English clearer. Using the correct counting word helps people understand you.
Please try this fun quiz.
Trousers have two legs so we say “a pair of trousers”. It’s strange to say “A spoonful of bread”. All the other options are correct: The correct sentence is “I’d like carton of eggs please”. We say “spoons of sugar” or “spoonfuls of sugar”. Saying “a stick of paper” sounds really strange!
Results
#1. Which sentence is correct?
#2. Which answer is strange? “A spoonful of …….”
“A spoonful of medicine”
“A spoonful of honey”
“A spoonful of sugar”
“A spoonful of bread crumbs”
“A spoonful of ice cream”#3. Complete this sentence “I’d like a __________ of eggs please”
#4. You are making a cup of coffee for a guest. Which question is correct?
#5. Which one of these is incorrect?