Nouns Grammar B1
Nouns Grammar B1
Nouns Grammar B1
B Grammar
B1 Plurals
Some things we wear or use are always plural. They are made of two parts which cannot be
separate: trousers, pyjamas, shorts, jeans, tights, pants, sunglasses, glasses, scissors. They have a
plural verb:
My trousers are new. (not My trouser is new.)
These shorts are dirty. (not This short is dirty.)
Other things we wear can be singular. They are made of two parts which can be separate:
shoe/shoes, sock/socks, earring/earrings.
! The word clothes is never singular: I bought some new clothes. (not I bought a new clothe.) ➡C1
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Nouns
! These nouns are usually uncountable in English (but are countable in some other languages):
advice, furniture, hair, homework, information, luck, luggage, money, news, traffic, travel (but trip
and journey are countable), weather, work.
! news ends in s but is uncountable.
When we want to count things which are uncountable nouns, we use words like a bag, a bottle,
a box, a cup, a glass, a packet, a piece:
I need a bottle of water. (not I need a water.)
Many drinks can be countable or uncountable:
Would you like a coffee? (= a cup of coffee)
I’d like two coffees and a tea, please. (= 2 cups of coffee + 1 cup of tea)
I bought some coffee in the market. (= a packet of coffee) ➡C2
B4 The or no article
Places
There is no article before
◆ continents, most countries, states, cities, towns, villages:
Europe, Italy, London, Florida but we say the Netherlands.
◆ buildings and places that use the name of their town:
Manchester Airport, Cardiff Station, Edinburgh Castle, Durham University
! We say at school, at work, at home and in bed.
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8
C Grammar exercises
C1 Which of the plural words in the box can we also use in the singular form?
boots bracelets clothes earrings gloves
jeans shorts socks shoes tights
C2 Look at this notice from a holiday cottage. For each of the underlined words, add s if it
is plural countable.
C3 Read these short newspaper articles. Add the, a or an or nothing to the gaps.
1
THAT WAS LUCKY!
Last weekend 1 a group of tourists had 2
lucky escape near 3 Mount Rushmore in
4 United States. Their car was hit by 5
small plane making an emergency landing. 6
pilot broke two toes. 7 tourists were not hurt,
but their car and 8 plane were damaged.
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Nouns
3
THE WRONG JOB ‘I didn’t really explain 8 job to
Janice at her interview,’ he added.
Janice Miller left her job at 1 ‘9 horror films we show aren’t
cinema near 2 Bristol in 3 very frightening. 10 young people
west of England yesterday after only one usually like them.’
day because she didn’t want to watch
4 horror film. ‘I didn’t know I’d see
any films,’ she explained. ‘I saw 5
horror film once, and I was very
frightened. I thought my job was just
selling tickets.’
Stanley Greenham, 6 manager of
7 cinema, said that he was sorry.
C4 There is one mistake in each of these sentences. Find them and correct them.
1 I want to buy some trouser s so I’ll meet you by the new clothes shop.
2 Tom Cruise was wearing a black jacket, black jean and black shoes.
3 I’m happy with a furniture in my room, but I want to change the curtains.
4 I’m sending this card to wish you a good luck for your driving test.
5 My cousin’s just been on a travel round France.
6 I listen to musics when I’m working so I feel more relaxed.
7 The weather was marvellous so we went to beach and swam in the sea.
8 I’ll go to the swimming-pool for some informations about diving lessons.
9 If I send you a money, will you buy me some earrings like yours?
10 We saw some lovely old towns in Czech Republic on our last holiday.
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8
D Exam practice
Listening Part 3
Before you listen, look at questions 1–6 in the notebook below. Which of the spaces need a noun?
! 8b You will hear a tour guide talking to some tourists about the town of Medbury.
For each question, fill in the missing information in the numbered space.
Tour of Medbury
The craft market has been in Medbury since (1) .
The guide recommends buying (2) for presents.
The shoe factory is now a (3) .
The nearest bank is next to the (4) .
The fastest way to travel from London to Medbury is by (5) .
(6) is available in the kiosk.
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