B – Costa Rica

Costa Rica

(Lesson – count and non-count nouns)

Costa Rica is sandwiched between two oceans, the the Atlantic on the east and the Pacific on the west. It is boarded by Nicaragua on the north and Panama on the south.

The weather in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, is windy during the months of November and December.  It’s cool in the early morning, then in the late morning and afternoon it becomes warm and balmy .  In the late evenings it becomes cool again.  The city is located in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides boarded by the ocean.  So the wind from the mountains comes down the city bringing cool winds.  Early morning and late evening you need a light sweater or jacket.  As the day progresses the weather becomes very pleasant and maintains a steady temperature from 75 to 80 degrees all year long.  There is some humidity, but it is very mild, and the mild humidity doesn’t cause discomfort.

There are so many beautiful pristine beaches in Costa Rica for swimming, surfing, and other water sports.

Ticos or Costa Ricans enjoy a very comfortable and pleasant weather all year round.  This is why many tourists come here to have a vacation, enjoy the beaches and to be surrounded by the natural beauty of the countryVisitors from the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, and many other countries do not need a visa, and can enter and stay for 90 days as a tourist.  It is the most economically and politically stable country in Central America. There are over 50,000 American and Canadian expats and retirees living in Costa Rica. They come here not only because of the weather but also because of the good economy. They can live here comfortably as retirees, and if they wish, they can find work and make money. This is what the Costa Ricans call “Pura Vida” meaning “pure life.”  Ticos and expats live a calm and relaxing life here.  Why?  First the economy and the politics are stable in this country.  Second, Costa Rica has a modern and highly rated healthcare system, even more highly ranked than the United States. Costa Rican citizens enjoy universal health care insurance.  Last, the climate is so ideal and very comfortable. It’s like spring all year round with a spring and summer temperature of 75 – 85 degrees Fahrenheit.  The dry season is between December to April, and the wet season is from May to November, but the temperature is always constant. It never gets very humid in Costa Rica.  Many who come here love the beautiful weather, the greenery of Nature, and the beaches.

There are many exotic ginger plants of different colors in Costa Rica.

When you come here, you feel the nice balmy weather right away.  No matter where you look everything is so green, and the flowers are so beautiful.  Furthermore, nature and the ecosystem are well-balanced.  The reason is simple.  Mother Nature is so good to Costa Rica.

Warm cascades heated by nearby volcanoes are a welcome sight for thermal resorts all over Costa Rica.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Note – The words in highlighted red are count nouns. The words in highlighted in black are non-count nouns)

A.  Count and Non-count nouns

  • Count nouns are things we can count.  In this article the words “month, country, and mountain” are count nouns.  They can be counted because they have a singular and plural forms.

Thus:  one month –  two months / one country –  two countries / one mountain – two mountains.

  • Non-count nouns do not have a plural form.  In this article the words “weather, wind, and humidity” are non-count nouns.

Some common non-count nouns can be put into categories.

  1. (Food) – salad / salt / sugar / yogurt / butter / meat / rice
  2. (Liquids) – milk /oil / water / tea / soup / gasoline
  3. (Activities) – yoga / golf / hockey / tennis / soccer
  4. (Abstract nouns or things in the mind) – information / work / hate / love / fun / help / advice

Category nouns

The following are non-count nouns (category nouns) but examples of them are count nouns.

  • (clothing) – Examples that are count nouns – dresses / shirts / shoes
  • (furniture) – Examples that are count nouns – tables / desks / sofas
  • (fruit) – Examples that are count nouns – bananas / oranges / strawberries
  • (Homework) – Examples that are count nouns – assignments / exercises / projects
  • (luggage) – Examples that are count nouns – backpacks / bags / suitcases
  • (jewelry) – Examples that are count nouns – rings / necklaces / earrings
  • (money) – Examples that are count nouns – dollars / coins / pesos
  • (time) – Examples that are count nouns – seconds / minutes / hours
  • (traffic) – cars / intersection / signal
  • (weather) – showers / storms / hurricanes

A.  Exercise on count and non-count nouns.  Decide whether the word in parenthesis is a count noun or a non-count noun.

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