NOUNS (Revision)

COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

A.Which of these are WRONG? There is sometimos more than one which is WRONG
(Justify your choices)
1) Let me give you a) a piece of advice. b) some advice. c) some advices.
2) Do you want a) a piece of bread? b) some bread? c) breads?
3) I have a) homeworks b) some homeworks c) some homework for you.
4) Can I have a) some b) any chocolate?
5) He has a) not b) no experience of this kind of work.
6) You need a) much b) a lot of sugar to make this cake.
7) Would you like two lumps of a) sugars? b) sugar?
8) Theres a) any b) much c) no paper for the photocopier. Well have to get some more.
9) I got a) an b) some c) much information about France from the tourist office.
10 He doesnt have a) some b) much c) an experience of working in an office.
B) Fill in the blanks using is or are. (Justify your choice)
1. His hair ................. covered in dust.
6. Travel ............... cheaper and therefore more
2. The news ................ depressing.
Popular nowadays.
3. Afternoon teas ............... being served now.
7. Whose ................ the money on the table?
4. Your luggage .............. waiting for you in
8. Work ................. scarce in most areas of the
the arrival lounge.
country.
5. As far as we know, the information ...........
9. French wines .................. renowned all over
correct.
the world.
COMPOUND NOUNS
A- Look at the clues and write the names of the objects in the spaces given. Use a dictionary if
necessary. If youre right, the circled letters in each answer should be the same.
1. This saves you washing up after dinner.
2. This wakes you up in the morning.
3. Wear this in your hands in the car.
4. It gives you a sharp point for writing.
5. Its in a tube in the bathroom.
6. Look in this to see what you want to buy.
7. Juventus players wear these on their feet.
8. Wrap up your presents in this.
9. Wear this when its raining.
10 Drivers look in this to see behind them.
11. Use this to turn the light on and off.
12. They protect your eyes from the sun.
B) Complete the following sentences using the compund nouns given below. Fully analyse how the
underlined compunds are formed.
air conditioning bank account blood pressure book token brain drain
burglar alarm car park compact disc greenhouse effect high school hire purchase
inverted commas letter-box modern languages package holiday police station
post office telephone number travellers cheque value added tax X-ray
1. When you write, you use ...................................... for direct speech.

2. To open a ...................................., please, write your name, address and .................................

and answer all the questions below. Well send you a cheque book.
3. If someone breaks into the house, the .................................. will go off. Youd better call
the ..............................................
4. If you are feeling run down, ask your doctor to give you a check-up hell check
your ..........................................
5. Were going to Spain the travel agents booked a .......................................... for us and
weve already got our tickets and ............................................ Well leave our car in the long
stay ....................................... at the airport and the hotel sounds good its
got ..........................................., so the rooms will be cool.
6. Hes still at the .........................................., studying ............................................. He has to
read a lot, so hed probably appreciate a ......................................... for his birthday.
7. Buy the stamps at the ................................... and pop the letters in the ....................................
outside.
8. Scientists are very concerned about the results of deforestation, which has contributed to
the .........................................
9. The emigration of proffesionals to better paid jobs abroad is known as the .............................
10. We havent paid for the .................................... player yet weve got it
on .................................... it was $ 650 plus ...................................... but were paying it
over two years.
PLURAL FORMS OF NOUNS
A) Write the plural form of the words below in the appropriate column in the table
search worry tooth lock flash brick church thesis foot tomato city
hoof sheep loss root cross knife oasis box soul crash patio basis
trout self fish piano ferry
-s

-es

-ies

-ves

Other changes

Fully analyse the plural form you have included under the heading other changes
B) Fill in the blanks using is or are. In which cases is it possible to use either? Why?
1. Mathematics ................. a very useful subject to study.
2. Your gloves are over there
3. Manchester United .................. one of the best teams in England.
4. Chess .............. my favourite game.
5. ................... there a pair of boots here that you can lend me?
6. People ................. always attracted by her personality.
7. Bowls ............. the only sport ehe enjoys.
8. The police ................ called if a serious accident occurs.
9. My family ................ moving to Australia.

No change

10. The audience ................ delighted with the performance.

11. The government ............... planning a new defence scheme.
12. Where .............. my sunglasses?
13. $ 20 .............. not much for a pair of trousers like that.
14. Where ................ my new pair of thights?
15. The crowd ............ calling for the governments resignation
16. When ................... the army going to attack?
C) Put in the nouns and the correct form of the verbs (singular or plural) in the present simple to
complete the sentences.
Nouns: politics goods clothes news glasses scissors police
Verbs: arrive spend be (x2) have need not have to
1. All the ......................... on television ..................... bad again.
2. Just how many ......................... ....................... got?
3. These .......................... .............................. sharpening.
4. If ......................... ......................... damaged, they can be replaced.
5. ..................... ........................ be left to politicians.
6. The ........................ ............................... a lot of time trying to prevent crime.
7. My ........................ ............................. on the table in that red glasses case.
THE S-GENITIVE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF + POSSESSOR.
A) Match the words in the columns and make sentences using eithe s or an of-construction
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

theorem
edition
cooking
tie
the dress
the cause
toys
staffroom
the production

the woman over there

the accident
Mr Wilkins
nuclear weapons
my mother-in-law
Pythagoras
this month
the teacher
the children

delicious
ingenious
dirty
silk
dangerous
broken
sold out
a mystery
overcrowded

Example: Pythagoras theorem is ingenious.

Choose 5 sentences and justify the use of the genitive or the of-construction

B)
1234567-

Which words have been omitted after each genitive?

On Sunday mornings we usually attend a service at St Martins
Are you going past the bakers
You are coming to Peters too, arent you?
Lunches at Freddies are served until two p.m.
Are those your boots or are they Paulas?
Our house has been spared by the floods, but not the Johnsons.
Will you book a table at Maxims, please?

......................
......................
......................
......................
.....................
......................
.....................
......................

C) Rewrite the following sentences using the form of + genitive or of + possessive pronoun.
1. Lewis is one of Marys cousins
2. I was talking to some of my friends.
3. James is one of my colleagues.

(Louis is a cousin of Marys)

(I was talking to some friends of mine)

4. Some of Mrs Blakes neighbours complained about her dog.

5. Some of my books got lost.
6. This painting, by Chagall, is is extremely valuable.
7. One of Michaels teachers is in hospital.
8. Do you remember that symphony composed by Mozart?
9. She knew one of my close friends.
10. That record which belongs to Angela is scratched.
11. Some of Alans poetry was published in Poetry Review
D) Complete the following sentences by linking the words in brackets using the genitive, an ofconstruction or a noun used as an adjective. In some cases, more than one form is possible.
1. (The car / Donald ) is a Volvo.
2. (The walls / this town ) are very ancient.
3. Have you found (the newspaper / yesterday )?
4. ( Father / Miss Weaver ) is a doctor, too.
5. I think ( the results / the latest edition) are very interesting.
6. ( Some friends / my sister ) did particularly well in the exams.
7. ( The latest album / Paul Young ) is better than I expected.
8. ( The house / my parents ) isnt in ( the centre / the city ).
9. Shakespeare is ( the greatest playwright / the world).
10. ( The facade / that church ) dates back to the Middle Ages.
11. Do you know that ( the boyfriend / the girl next door ) has had a car accident?
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT - Underline the nouns in the extract below and classify them as fully
as possible.
Afterwards she had sat on the bed and watched while her mother packed
her case. Everything that she had brought with her from prison went in;
the suit in which she has travelled to London, her gloves, her
underclothes, her shoulder bag, even her toilet articles and pyjamas. It was
an extravagance thus to relinquish even the small necessities of living, all
of which would have to be replaced; but Philippa didnt cher her ...........
From Innocent Blood by P.D.James