Can I say: "I want two meters"?

[emsr2d2]

That may be so, but "He drank a glass of water" doesn't mean exactly the same as "He drank water".

 

[Matthew Wai]

But I was told that: "The amount of water " means "water"

Nobody told you that at http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/the-amount-of.3239101/

I think 'the amount of water' refers to the quantity of water.

 

[MOYEEA LEE]

Where did you hear that "the glass of water" means "water"? That's nonsense. "The glass of water" means "The specific glass containing water".

But I can't understand why "a glass of water" refers to a container.

It should mean some water which is in a specific container, right?

 

[MOYEEA LEE]

Nobody told you that at http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/the-amount-of.3239101/

I think 'the amount of water' refers to the quantity of water.

No, not this one.

It's a former thread, "a bottle is 175ml".

They said they wouldn't say: The amount of a bottle is 175ml.

 

[Matthew Wai]

But I can't understand why "a glass of water" refers to a container.

I think 'a glass of water' refers to the quantity of water contained in a glass.

 

[MOYEEA LEE]

I think 'a glass of water' refers to the quantity of water contained in a glass.

But why we can say:

I drank a glass of water. ?

 

[SoothingDave]

No, not this one.

It's a former thread, "a bottle is 175ml".

They said they wouldn't say: The amount of a bottle is 175ml.

Not "amount." But you could say the size of a bottle is 175 ml. Or a bottle holds or contains 175 ml.

 

[Matthew Wai]

But why we can say:

I drank a glass of water. ?

What is your problem with this sentence?

 

[emsr2d2]

Wouldn't you say "I drank a cup of coffee"?

 

[Matthew Wai]

you could say the size of a bottle is 175 ml.

I think 'the volume of' is also OK.

 

[SoothingDave]

I think 'the volume of' is also OK.

You can, but it's a bit scientific-sounding. Like something from a math test rather than a natural conversation.

 

[MOYEEA LEE]

What is your problem with this sentence?

Thanks so much for your kind help!

I think I understand something wrongly.

If we say quantity, like "three people", "two meters", they still refers to the things in reality, right?

But in Oxford dictionary, "bottle" is defined as "the amount contained in a bottle"

So why can we say: The amount of water is 3l.

We can't say: A bottle of water is 3l.

Thanks so much!