Grammar

Unit 1: NOUNS, AGREEMENT AND ARTICLES

 Context
I. Listening
1. Nazim has applied to do a college course in Environmental Science. You are going to listen to part of
his interview for a place on the course.
a. Listen and write one word in each gap to complete the compound nouns.

1. climate change 2. decision -making 3. rain forest

4. river levels 5. energy - saving 6. lighting energy

7. recycling scheme 8. the arms trade 9. mountain environments

b. Which of the following forms do each of the compound nouns from (a) take?

1,3,4,8,9 6,7 2,5

noun + noun -ing form + noun noun + -ing form
c. Complete these pair of sentences from the interview with a, the or — (=no article).

1
a There’s been a drought there for a number of months, and river levels are low.
b The main problem has been the eect of the drought on food supplies.

2
a And what are your plans for the future?
b It’s hard to imagine a future without farming in an area like that.

3
_
a What do you want to do after you've left college?
b Have you got any questions about the course here at the college ?
 II.
Grammar
 1. Compound nouns and noun phrases

● The first noun in a compound usually has a singular form, even if it has a plural meaning:
decision-making (not decisions-making)
● Instead of a compound noun we can use:
Noun + ’s + noun when the first noun is the user of the second noun: a women's
clinic, a boys' school
Noun + preposition + noun: a book about energy conservation, a book about
grammar (a grammar book is also common)
 1. Compound nouns and noun phrases

● We can sometimes use noun + ’s + noun or noun + of + noun with a

similar meaning: the charity’s aim or the aim of the charity
● We are more likely to use noun + ’s + noun:
+ when the first noun refers to a particular person or group of people or
to talk about time: Mike's job, next year's field trip
● We more often use noun + of + noun:
+ when the second noun is a non-living thing: the title of the CD
+ when we talk about a process or change over time: the destruction of
the rainforest
+ with a long noun phrase: Mike is the brother of someone I went to
school with.

● Compounds often combine with other nouns or compounds to form

longer combinations: decision-making process, energy conservation
scheme
2. Subject-verb agreement
2. Subject-verb agreement
 3. Countable and uncountable nouns

● Some nouns are used uncountably when we are talking about the general idea, but
countably when we are talking about particular examples:
+ You'd be able to get by with a basic knowledge of some statistical techniques.
+ The desire for knowledge is a fundamental human instinct.
+ The charity’s project has been a success. (= a particular example of success)
+ Financial success isn’t everything. (= success in general)
+ His books were a great success. ~ Taking his book writing career (or other way of
defining a period or group) as a whole, they were a success.
+ His books were great successes.~ Each of the books was individually successful.
+ Success only came after many years of eort.
● Other nouns like this indude business, education, sound. Some of these (e.g.
education) are only used countably in the singular.
 3. Countable and uncountable nouns
● Some nouns (e.g. accommodation, speech, work) have a dierent meaning when they
are used countably and uncountably. Compare:
+ She gave a speech about global warming
+ Children usually develop speech in their second year
● We can use a good/great deal of and amount of before uncountable nouns:
+ There’s a great deal of interest in recycling in the country.
+ It’s saving an enormous amount of waste.
● Using these before a plural countable noun is incorrect and you should avoid it in
exams. However, they are sometimes used in this way in informal contexts.
● We use a number of before plural countable nouns:
+ There’s been a drought there for a number of months.
● and plenty of and a quantity of before either uncountable or plural countable nouns:
+ There was plenty of opportunity for me to travel around the country.
+ I saw a huge quantity of trees being cut down.
IV.
ARTICLES
 THE A/AN

- when we expect the listener or reader to be able to - when a singular countable noun is introduced for the
identify the thing or person referred to: first time into a spoken or wrien text:
+ It’s a project run by a European charity. The + He’s the head of a project run by a European
charity’s aim... charity.
- when a following phrase or clause identifies what - to talk about an unspecified person, thing or event:
particular thing we are talking about: + I didn’t have a shower for days.
+ The climate in this region, the impact of climate - to describe someone/something or say what type of
change, the ecology of mountain environments thing someone/something is:
- when we talk about things that are unique: + It’s a beautiful country. It’s an international
+ in one part of the world, the sky, the future the organisation.
first/next time; the only/main problem; the - to say what a person’s job is:
smallest improvement; the arms trade, the + You think that as a politician, you'd be able to do
environment this?
- Some 'unique' nouns can be used with a/an when we - But note that we use the or no article to give a
describe a type or aspect of the thing. Compare: person’s title or their unique position:
+ What are your plans for the future? + He’s the head of a project there. or He’s head of
+ It’s hard to imagine a future without farming in a project there.
an area like that. - in number and quantity expressions:
+ a month or so, a couple of weeks, half an hour,
three times a year, 50 cents a litre, a huge
number of, a bit
We use no article:
- with uncountable and plural nouns when we talk generally about people or things rather than about
specific people or things:
+ I’ve always been fascinated by plants and animals.
+ They haven’t had rain for months.
- with some singular nouns referring to institutions (e.g. school, college, hospital, prison, university,
work)
- when we talk about them generally. Compare: After you've left college and the course here at the
college.
- with most countries: Brazil, Switzerland, Norway but the Netherlands, the USA, the UK, the
Philippines, the Gambia
- with the names of months and days of the week: in June, on Monday; special times of the year:
during Ramadan, at Easter; (or the) with seasons: like to go skiing in winter or... in the winter. However,
we generally use the to talk about a particular month, day, etc..
+ I’m going to Nepal in the summer (= next summer)
- with meals when we talk about the next one: What’s for dinner?; a recent one: What did you have for
breakfast; or a meal in general: I usually have toast for breakfast. However, we generally use articles to
talk about a particular meal or particular meals: We had an early dinner, The breakfast in the hotel is
great.
- with by to talk about means of communication and transport: by post/email/phone; by car /taxi
/bus/plane/air/sea
 III.
GRAMMAR
EXERCISES
Ex 1: Choose the correct phrase
1. I don’t like tomatoes, so I left them at the side of the plate/ the plate’s side.
2. It was the decision of Adam / Adam’s decision to take out the loan, so he has to take
responsibility for repaying it.
3. I saw two great TV programmes last week. The first was an action film / a film about
action, and the second was a documentary about young entrepreneurs / a young
entrepreneurs documentary.
4. John is someone I worked with in Malaysia’s brother / the brother of someone worked
with in Malaysia.
5. My house is by a children playground / a children’s playground, so it can be quite noisy.
6. The construction of the new library / The new library’s construction took so long that
building costs were ten times higher than first expected.
7. When I got home I found that an envelope had been pushed through my leers box /
leer box.
Ex 1: Choose the correct phrase
1. I don’t like tomatoes, so I left them at the side of the plate/ the plate’s side.
2. It was the decision of Adam / Adam’s decision to take out the loan, so he has to take
responsibility for repaying it.
3. I saw two great TV programmes last week. The first was an action film / a film about
action, and the second was a documentary about young entrepreneurs / a young
entrepreneurs documentary.
4. John is someone I worked with in Malaysia’s brother / the brother of someone worked
with in Malaysia.
5. My house is by a children playground / a children’s playground, so it can be quite noisy.
6. The construction of the new library / The new library’s construction took so long that
building costs were ten times higher than first expected.
7. When I got home I found that an envelope had been pushed through my leers box /
leer box.
Ex 2:

1. Her job involves a good deal of foreign travel.

2. Make sure you eat plenty of both
advertisements
3. What I don’t like about the magazine is the huge number of in it.
4. I think you ought to cut down on the amount of salt you have. It’s not good for you.
5. The Students' Handbook includes a great deal of advice on study skills.
6. The police found a rifle and a large quantity of Both in his apartment.
7. I have a huge amount of work to do at the weekend.
8. I was shocked by the amount of rubbish left behind the party.
For questions 1 - 9, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only
one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
The origins of chess

A great (0) deal has been wrien about the origins of modern chess and there
(1) is still considerable debate about the subject. (2) The theory most widely
accepted is that its earliest ancestor was Shaturanga, a game played in India from around AD 600.
(3) As/Along with modern chess, Shaturanga was played on a board with 64 squares. Pieces such
as kings, queens and knights were able to move in dierent ways with (4) the aim of
capturing other pieces and, at the end of the game, the opponent’s king. Unlike chess, it was
played by four people. In the form in (5) which it is played today, chess appeared in southern
Europe around the end of the fifteenth century. Today, chess has become one of the world’s (6) most
popular games. It is played by millions of people both informally and in tournaments, and (7) the
number of people playing online (8) is increasing with access to the Internet.