LONGMAN ENGLISH GRAMMAR PRACTICE

2 Nouns

2.4 Countable and uncountable nouns (2)

2.4A Singular equivalents of uncountable nouns: 'bread/a loaf' [> LEG 2.16.6]

Write:

Study:

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1 A word like bread is uncountable. If we want 'one item', we use a different word:

I'd like some bread, please. -» I'd like a loaf (of bread), please.

2 Sometimes we have to say exactly what we want. We cannot say *a clothing*, so we ask

for a coai, a s/7/'rt, etc. In the same way, we cannot say *a luggage*, *an accommodation*. We

have to say what we want: e.g. a suitcase, a room.

Put in any suitable word which means 'one item'.

1 Are you giving away all this clothing/all these clothes? - No, I'm giving away a

2 There's a lot of laughter from next door. I just heard a very loud

3 My luggage is getting old and worn. I really need a new

4 There are a lot of people looking for work. I need a myself.

5 I'm looking for accommodation. I'd like a for the night.

2.4B Nouns not normally countable in English: 'information'

[> LEG 2.14.1-2, 2.17, 2.30, App 4]

Study:

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A number of nouns, like information, are countable in many languages, but they are

uncountable in English. This means we cannot:

• use a/an in front of them: I'd like some information, please. (Not an information)


• give them a plural: I'd like some information, please. (Not '(some) informations')

Other examples: advice, clothing, flu, furniture, hair, homework, housework, jewellery,

lightning, luggage, meat, money, news, permission, progress, rubbish,

scenery, shopping, soap, spaghetti, thunder, toast, traffic, weather.

News is plural in form, but takes a singular verb: The news is bad. (Not 'the news are")

Hair (that grows on the head) is singular: My hair is long. (Not *my hairs are*)

We use hairs only for individual strands of hair. There are three hairs on my nose.

Write 1 : Tick the words which normally have plurals in English.

1 advice 4 answer 7 penny

2 diamond j/ 5 jewellery 8 story

3 meat 6 carrot 9 scenery _

Write 2: Put in some, any, a, the, a lot of or '-'.

1 I'd like-i^T^information, please.

2 The tree was struck by lightning.

3 Is there toast, please?

4 There's slice of toast left.

5 What's weather like today?

6 Can I have potatoes, please?

7 I need new clothing.

8 I'm tired. I've just done shopping.

9 I've done housework.

10 I've just received letter from John.

10 money _

11 news

12 shirt

11 Can you give me description of it?

12 I'd like tomatoes, please.

13 Would you like spaghetti?

14 There was traffic this morning.

15 John's gone to bed with flu.

16 Have you made progress with Chinese?

17 I've got permission to park here.

18 Our teacher has given us homework.

19 There's rubbish in our garden.

20 I'm going to plant tree in the garden.