22 Countable and uncountable nouns

Countable and uncountable; a, some, any, no

1 Nouns with plural forms are countable nouns - I've got some exciting news!
because we can count them: Igot some books from the library yesterday.
a/one car two cars three cars
5 We can also use some in questions, when we're
We can use a/an, some and the with countable nouns making offers and requests:
SINGULAR PLURAL Would you like some tea?
a: a cat 6 We normally use any before uncountable and plural
some: some cats countable nouns in negative sentences and questions:
the: the cat the cats There aren't any yoghurts in the fridge.
Did your dad give you any advice?
2 Some nouns - uncountable nouns - normally have no
plural forms: We sometimes use no instead of not any:
moneys homeworks furnitures There are no hotels in this part of town.
Other common uncountable nouns are: We have no fish left, I'm afraid.

information news advice

travel petrol traffic
food bread rice pasta milk cheese cake meat Grammar in action
weather snow rain ice thunder lightning 1] We use a, some and any with nouns to talk or ask
We do not use a, or one, two, three before about the amount of something. We might talk about
uncountable nouns: food:
We need to buy e bread. Have you got any tomatoes or meat?Icouldmake a
Would you like some toast? pasta dish. ~ Good idea, I've got an onion and some
Look at the rain! We're going to get wet! cheese we could use too

4R s
3 With some uncountable nouns, we can use a piece of 3 We use a/an and some with nouns
or other words in front of them: when we make requests. We might
be in a restaurant:
a piece of + information, luggage, news, advice,
homework, furniture, chicken, cheese, toast
a slice of + bread, beef, pork, lamb
We'dlike some water, please, and
some bread.I'dalso like a glass of
cola, please. ~ Of course, and I'll
ш
a glass/bottle of + water, milk bring some menus for you.
a spoonful of + coffee, sugar a cup of + coffee, tea
a packet of + tea, coffee, rice, pasta, sugar § We use some with nouns when we offer something in
particular. Here, we're talking to some guests at home:
4 We normally use some before uncountable nouns Wouldyou like some sandwiches or some cake? ~ No,
and plural countable nouns (e.g. books, bikes, cities) thanks, we’re not hungry.
in positive sentences:

A corner shop

.. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . .
A
David works in his family's corner shop. Here are some of the things people ask for
A corner shop is a
local shop that is during the day. Choose the right words.
open late and sells
useful things.
0 Can I have a bottle (slice/bottle/packet) of milk, please?

................
1 Have you got a small (spoonful/glass/piece) of chicken, please?
2 Could I have a (packet/piece/bottle) of brown rice?
3 I'd like a (piece/cup/packet) of white coffee with two
(slices/spoonfuls/bottles) of sugar, please.
4 Can I have four (slices/glasses/packets) of beef?
86 | Articles, nouns, pronouns, and determiners
В Will's Weather and Travel Website
It's 8 a.m. Look at Will's Weather and Travel Website.There's one wrong plural form
in each part of the country. Cross out the wrong forms and write the correct words
at the end.

: I Will's Weather and Travel

i IK TODAY CONTACT US • HOME

NORTH OF SCOTLAND: I haven't got much informations for travellers in this part of Britain. It's going to be windy,
if you're on the of a mountain, but for most people it's a nice but cool day iÿforwÿ+icm о
top
: SOUTH OF SCOTLAND: There will be some very heavy rain here today There isn't much traffics right now
between Glasgow and Edinburgh, but there are two football matches tonight in Glasgow.
i NORTH OF ENGLAND: Take your umbrellas if you're going out today in Manchester, Liverpool and Preston.
! There aren't many clouds in the sky at the moment, but it there will be rains later today.
;
! WALES: Three cars have crashed outside Cardiff. The Police haven't given us much advices, but it's a good idea
3
I to listen to Radio Cardiff this morning, if you're driving in south Wales.

I. NORTHERN IRELAND: There will be some ices on the road in the early morning in Northern Ireland, but there
will be blue skies for most of the day. Drive to work carefully! 4

; EAST ANGLIA: Some petrol stations will be closed today in East Anglia, so if you didn't buy petrols yesterday,
5
I don't drive too far!
i SOUTH OF ENGLAND: There are problems on the underground in London. If you're travelling to Heathrow with
:
:
a lot of luggages, remember that you can check in your suitcases at Paddington station.

......
d
C In a cafe in the park
Marsha is ordering food for David and their kids, Zoe and baby Ryan. Circle the correct
options to complete the conversation.
MARSHA This is a nice cafe for a©* families, David. I'll order food. You can sit
down with the kids.
DAVID Let's find a/some 1 table, kids. Can you see some/any2 other men here? I think I'm
the only one!
WOMAN Hi! Can I help you?
MARSHA Sure. You can look after a/the3 children for the next ten years if you like! I'll ask
my husband. David! What would you like? Some/A 4 sandwich?
DAVID No, I've had too much breads/bread 5 this week. Have they got any/a6 rice?
ZOE I'd like some toasts/toast7, Daddy! I don't want a/-8 rice!
DAVID How many pieces/piece9 of toast would you like, Zoe?
MARSHA Two coffee/coffees'0 please, some fried rice and a/some" toast, please.
ZOE I've got one!some'2 homeworks/homework'3 to do, Daddy. Can you help me?
First, where do a/-14 tomatoes come from? And second, is it cold in Canada?
DAVID Yes, it is. There's a lot of snow!snows 1S there in winter, Zoe.
MARSHA Here's the food! David, a/the 16 bread looks lovely. Do you want to try my sandwich?

Articles, nouns, pronouns, and determiners | 87

 Countable and uncountable nouns
Much, many, and a lot of
7 Look at these examples: Grammar in action
We don't have much pasta left.
There aren’t many students in class today. Ф We can use a lot of in positive sentences, negative
I've got a lot ofproblems at the moment. sentences and questions. Here we're talking about a
day out in London:
8 Much, many and a lot of mean a large quantity of. If
you say She's got a lot ofmoney, you mean 'she's rich.' London has a lot of museums.
We didn't spend a lot of money at
9 We use many with plural countable nouns and Harrod's because it was so busy.
much with uncountable nouns: Did you buy a lot of gifts?
Ihaven't seen many tourists in London this year.
How much information do you need? § We normally only use many or much + a noun
in negative sentences and questions. (In positive
-ÿ Formore information on countable/uncountable
sentences, we prefer to use a lot of: I've got much a lot
nouns, see p. 86.
of work to do.) Here, we're talking about food and free
10 We can use a lot of with plural countable nouns and time activities:
uncountable nouns: How many onions and how much
He's taking a lot of exams at the moment. breadhave you got?
Ilisten to a lot of music at the weekend. Are there many golf courses in
Toby doesn't play a lot of golf these days. that part of Spain? ~ Yes, butIwas у
busy, soIdidn't play much golf in Ul
Exams are countable; music and golf are the end.
uncountable.
© But we sometimes use many in positive sentences
when we write. We might write about the UK:
The UK has many small fishing ports.
And we can also use much and many in positive
sentences after so and too. Here, we're talking about
school:
Our teacher was great. He gave us so much advice.
Ican't come tonight. I’ve got too muchhomework to do.

D Talking about school days

Read this article about a small school in Scotland. Add much or many to the spaces. A
'pupil' is a child at school.

WhenIwas a child there were the winter there was too 3

small schools in villages in Scotland. There snow, and we couldn’t come to school. My
were only fifteen pupils in my school, for teacher was called Mrs McCraig. She read so
example, and children 4
books and newspapers, and
lived nine or ten miles miles from our village. she gave us so 5
information
Our teacher didn’t give us 2
about America and China and Africa!Imet her
homework in the summer, because we had to 6
years after school, and she
work on our parents’ farms. And sometimes in still remembered me.

88 | Articles, nouns, pronouns, and determiners

E Talking about food and free time activities
Mike and his neighbour Debbie are in Mike's garden. They're going to have a dinner
1 A shed is a small
party. Add the correct words or phrases. wooden building
о in the garden.
MIKE Here's your orange juice. It's not very cold. There wasn't
2 Look up the
(much/many) ice, I'm afraid. word lettuce if
DEBBIE It's lovely here. Shall we eat outside when our guests come? I could bring some you need to.
garden chairs.
MIKE It's a nice idea, but how (much/many) garden chairs have
you got, Debbie?
DEBBIE I'll have a look in my shed. I bought 2 (a
lot of/much of) them
last summer for a wedding. What about a barbecue?
MIKE But we're going to have a Spanish omelette! You can't cook an omelette on a
barbecue.
DEBBIE I've got 3 (much/a
lot of) fish, and it's ready to eat. We can
have fish instead, with some salad.
4 (much/many) salad.
MIKE I haven't got
DEBBIE I'm sure we'll be OK. How 5
(many/much) lettuce have you
6 (many/much) tomatoes?
got, and how
7 (much/
MIKE I'll have a look, but I think it's going to rain.There are
a lot of) clouds in the sky.

F Buying food in a delicatessen

Megan is in a delicatessen (a shop where you can buy good quality cheese, bread,
Prawns are a type
meat, etc.) Add the correct words from the brackets. of seafood.
MEGAN Hello! I'd like to buy ... sowÿe ,
° (some/any) of the cold beef, please. It looks nice. JUM
How much is it?
MAN It's £4.50 for 1 (some/a) kilo.The cooked prawns are good, too. I don't
normally have 2 (a
lot of/much) prawns, but they're cheap at the
moment.
MEGAN I'll have (some/any) beef, please. Six slices will be fine. Have you got
3

(any/many) fresh pasta today?

4

.......... ......
MAN Oh dear. We haven't got 5 (no/much)
pasta today, I'm afraid. I've got
7
6
(some/any) delicious cheese from Wales, though, and О
(some/a) brown bread from a local farm.
MEGAN The bread looks nice, too. I'd like to buy 8
(any/some). Can I have
10 (much/some)
9 (a/some) loaf, please? And can I
try cheese?
MAN Of course you can. Is there anything else? I haven't got 11
(many/much)

..........
eggs today, I'm afraid - there are only two left.
MEGAN Don't worry. The cheese is fantastic. I'm sure you sell 12 (a
lot of/any) of
it. Could you give me half a kilo, please?
u_m
MAN Certainly. I'll give you 13
(a/any) bag to carry everything. Can I give you
14 (an/some)
advice too? Make sure the cheese is warm when you eat
it.It tastes much better!
ГМ
OVER TO YOU Now go to page 125. !ÿÿÿÿ

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