UNIT 13 Grammar: Countable and uncountable nouns

Countable nouns

Countable nouns have a singular and a plural form and take a singular or plural verb.

Countable nouns Example Helpful hints

shop / shops There are over 100 shops in the new We use these words with
shopping center. countable nouns:
• a, an • many
• a few • one, two, etc

baby / babies They’ve got some great toys for babies

in there.
dish / dishes We need to get some new dishes for this
evening.
Watch out
A few countable nouns have irregular plurals. They include:
• one child, two children • one person, two people
• one foot, two feet • one tooth, two teeth
• one man, two men • one woman, two women

Uncountable nouns

We cannot count some nouns (uncountable nouns). They do not have a plural form and take a
singular verb, even if they end in -s.

Some Example Helpful hints

uncountable We use these words with uncountable
nouns nouns:
advice, bread, My money is in my wallet. • a little • much
fruit, furniture, Your hair is really long! • a bit of • a piece of
hair, homework, The news was a complete shock. We use these words with both countable
information, and uncountable nouns:
money, news, • a lot of • some • lots of • the
paper, rice, work We can use any in questions and negative
statements with both uncountable nouns
and plural countable nouns:
• Have we got any homework today?
• There aren’t any eggs left.
Watch out
 There are a few uncountable nouns that are plural and are followed by a plural verb. Be careful
with the following words.
• clothes: Your clean clothes are on the bed.
• jeans: Your new jeans look great!
 Some nouns are uncountable with one meaning and countable with another meaning.
• Get me some paper when you go to the shops. ( = a packet of paper to write on)
• Get me a paper when you go to the shops. ( = a newspaper)
A. Complete using the plural form of the words in the box.
child • foot • man • person • puppy • tooth • watch • woman
1. Did you know that Jason’s dog has had three beautiful puppies?
2. The Spice Girls was an all-girl band, so there weren’t any men.
3. It’s a bit strange that Victor wears two watches - one on each arm.
4. If women do the same jobs as their husbands, they should be paid the same.
5. The dentist says I have to have two teeth taken out!
6. How many people were there at the show?
7. We’ve walked miles! My feet are hurting!
8. Mrs. Jenkins has just had a baby, so she’s got three children now.

B. Circle the correct word or phrase.

1. Your money is / are on the table in the dining room.
2. The advice you gave me was / were really useful. Thanks!
3. The cakes in that shop looks / look absolutely delicious.
4. There has / have been a lot of bad news recently.
5. Your homework was / were late. Please do it sooner next time.
6. Does / Do the information about the museum include the opening times?
7. We need new furniture in the dining room. It’s / They’re very old and scratched.
8. The fish in this tank all seems / seem to be ill.
9. I love your hair. It’s / They’re really soft.
10. Oh, no! The rice has / have gone all over the floor!

C. Complete using the phrases in the box. You have to use some phrases more than once.
Where there is more than one answer, write all the answers.
a few • a little • a piece of • some

some sugar a little / a piece of / a few / some bottles a little / some water
some bread

a little / a piece of / a few / some toys a little / some butter a little / a piece of /
some fruit some music

D. Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence. Write no more than three words.
1. We don’t know anything about the problem. information
We don’t have any information about the problem.
2. Is it okay if I have some cheese? bit
Is it okay if I have a bit of cheese?
3. There’s only a little coffee left in the jar. much
There isn’t much coffee left in the jar.
4. I try not to drink too much Coca-Cola in a week. cans
I try not to drink too many cans of Coca-Cola in a week.
5. Would you like some more chocolate? piece
Would you like another piece of chocolate?
6. I don’t want a lot of cream on my strawberries. cream
 I only want a little cream on my strawberries.

E. Choose the correct answer.

1. Be careful with that vase because it’s made of ……..!
A. glass B. a glass
2. I started coughing because I had ……… at the back of my throat.
A. hair B. a hair
3. Don’t put your hot cup on my new table! It’s ……… and I don’t want you to burn it.
A. wood B. a wood
4. We should all recycle ……… so that it can be used again.
A. paper B. a paper
5. My dad gets ……… every day on his way to work.
A. paper B. a paper
6. Of course you can have some milk. Get ……… out of the cupboard.
A. glass B. a glass

F. Write one word in each gap.

Open-air markets
Even if you only have a (1) little money, you can still have a great time at your local open-air
market. The clothes (2) are cheap, and the fruit (3) is cheap, too! Often, the food in your local
supermarket (4) has travelled a long way, but at the market you know that you’re buying food
which has been produced locally. The vegetables (5) are fresh, even if you go late in the day when
there are only a (6) few left. Support your local market and help local farmers. Contact your Town
Hall to find out if there are (7) any/ some open-air markets in your area.
UNIT 14 Grammar: Articles
a (indefinite article)

Use Example
singular countable nouns (not specific) I need to get a new coat.

an (indefinite article)

Use Example
instead of a when the next word begins with a I don’t have enough money for an expensive
vowel sound dress.
Watch out
Whether we use a or an with a word depends on the sound, not the spelling. Be careful with the
following words and phrases.
• an honest person • an hour • a euro • a uniform

the (definite article)

Use Example
singular countable nouns (specific) Let’s go to the new shopping center.
plural countable nouns (specific) Where are the books I ordered?
uncountable nouns (specific) I gave the shop assistant the money and then left.

No article (zero article)

Use Example
plural countable nouns (general) Prices have gone up a lot recently.
uncountable nouns (general) Fresh fruit is really good for you.

Special rules

Use Example
places the: seas (the Atlantic), rivers (the Amazon), areas (the Antarctic), some countries
(the USA, the UK), public buildings (the theatre), the Earth, the world, the sky, the
moon, the sun, the sea, the environment
no article: towns and cities (Moscow), most countries (France), continents
(Europe), streets (Baker Street), planets (Mars)
activities a/an: have a job, work as a ...
the: on the radio, the media, play the piano
no article: go to work, on TV, go shopping, play tennis, listen to music, go to work,
go to school, be at school, be at university, school subjects (maths)
time the: in the morning/afternoon/evening, on the 20th March, in the 1950s
no article: days (Thursday), months (May), years (2009), at night
people the: the King, the Prime Minister, the army, the navy, the police, the Germans, the
English
no article: become king, he’s English, speak English
A. Complete using a, an, or the.
1. We had a really good science lesson at school today.
2. I found an unusual insect on the wall outside our house.
3. It’s your birthday next week. Are you going to have a party?
4. We waited for hours, but we finally saw the Queen.
5. Why don’t we listen to the radio?
6. Have you got a euro I could borrow?
7. Mum has gone to the bank, but she’ll be back soon.
8. Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for over an hour!

B. Write an article in each gap where necessary. If an article is not necessary, put a dash (-).
I had (1) a really bad day on (2) - Tuesday. I bought (3) a new game on CD-ROM for my computer,
but (4) the game didn’t work properly. I took it back to (5) the shop on (6) - North Street, but (7)
the manager blamed me! He pointed to (8) a scratch on (9) the CD-ROM and said I’d done it. I
couldn’t believe it! I had to buy (10) a new one!

C. Circle the extra word in each sentence.

1. Do you think we will ever send a person to the Mars?
2. When you go to the London, don’t forget to see the London Eye.
3. When we use the cars, we damage the environment.
4. I’m not telling a lies! It’s the truth.
5. I’m looking for a teacher who can teach me the German.
6. Ray needs a warm hat and a new coat for his visit to the Russia.
7. Dad has gone to a work and forgotten the car keys.
8. Some people have an unusual pets, such as lions or tigers.

D. In each sentence there is a word missing. Put an arrow (↑) to show where the missing word
should go and write the word.
1. English music was popular in America in ↑ 1960s. the
2. Would you prefer to read ↑ book or watch television? a
3. We had maths at school yesterday and our teacher gave us ↑ surprise test! a
4. Peter joined ↑ police and caught ten thieves in his first month! the
5. Gordon wanted to be ↑ writer, so he studied English at university. a
6. Suddenly, two UFOs appeared in ↑ sky over Washington. the

E. Rewrite the sentences correctly, adding articles where necessary.

1. We had great time in USA.
We had great time in the USA.
2. Let’s go to Belgium for week this summer.
Let’s go to Belgium for a week this summer.
3. Where’s money I gave you on fifteenth of last month?
Where’s the money I gave you on the fifteenth of last month?
4. I’d like to join army and become soldier.
I’d like to join the army and become a soldier.
5. For Christmas, I got book, DVD and latest CD by my favorite band.
For Christmas, I got a book, a DVD and the latest CD by my favorite band.
6. They say that English drink lot of tea.
They say that the English drink lot of tea.
7. I heard song on radio that I really liked.
I heard a song on the radio that I really liked.
8. Do Japanese and other people in Asia eat cheese?
Do the Japanese and other people in Asia eat cheese?

F. Underline ten mistakes in the dialogue and correct them.

Gary: It’s the a lovely day, isn’t it? Let’s walk down to a the shops and look around.
Helen: That’s an a good idea. I’ll just have a look in a the kitchen and see what we need.
Gary: I got a some milk yesterday, so we don’t need any more. We might need a some bread,
though.
Helen: Okay. Bread ... oh, and the a packet of sugar. After shopping, we could go to a the new
market in a the town center and see what they have.
Gary: Right. You get your coat and I’ll get a the car keys.
UNIT 15 Vocabulary: Buying and selling
Topic vocabulary

advertisement (n) demand (v) property (n)

afford (v) export (v) purchase (v, n)
bargain (n) fee (n) receipt (n)
brand (n) fortune (n) require (v)
catalogue (n) import (v) sale (n)
change (n) invest (v) save (v)
coin (n) obtain (v) select (v)
cost (v, n) owe (v) supply (v, n)
customer (n) own (v) variety (n)
debt (n) profit (n) waste (v, n)

Phrasal verbs

add up find the total of

come back (from) return (from)
give away give sth free of charge
hurry up do sth more quickly
pay back return money (to sb)
save up (for) save money (for a specific purpose)
take back return sth to the place it came from
take down remove (from a high place)

Prepositional phrases

by credit card/cheque
for rent
for sale
in cash
in debt
in good/bad condition

Word formation

add addition judge judgement

afford affordable serve service, servant
compare comparison true truth, untrue, truthful
decide decision use useful, useless
expense (in)expensive value valuable

Word patterns

adjectives wrong about/with

belong to
borrow sth from
buy sth from
verbs
choose between
compare sth to/with
decide on
 lend sth to
pay for
spend sth on
nouns an advert(isement) for
 Topic vocabulary

A. Circle the corect word.

‘Getting to the Top’ business seminar
So, you’ve seen (1) an advertisement / a bargain for someone to work in business? But do you
really know what you’re doing? Do you know how to keep the (2) customers / debts happy? Can
you make a (3) cost / profit again and again? At ‘Getting to the Top Business Education’ we’ll help
you to help yourself. Why don’t you attend our specialist business seminar and ... learn how to
make a (4) catalogue / fortune in business! Our course leader, Richard Sugar, says, ‘Being big in
business (5) exports / requires a certain way of thinking. You need to know what your customers
will (6) afford / demand and then find a way to (7) owe / supply them with it at the right price.’
Come and join our seminar and we’ll... ‘get you to the top’!

B. Complete using the correct form of the verbs in the box.

import • invest • obtain • own • purchase • save • select • waste
1. We’ve decided to invest money in Jake’s new business. Hope it’s successful!
2. Let’s stay in tonight and save our money for the trip next week.
3. Don’t waste all your pocket money on sweets and chocolate.
4. The company has obtained permission to start selling in China.
5. You usually have to pay tax when you import things from other countries.
6. Colin is so rich that he owns four Rolls-Royces!
7. Joan selected a few pairs of jeans and went to try them on.
8. It says here that they give you a free glass with every pint of milk you purchase!

C. Each of the words in bold is in the wrong sentence. Write the correct word.
1. We don’t usually get that property of washing powder. brand
2. We can only take the item back if you’ve still got the change. receipt
3. The best thing about the new shopping center is that there’s a lot of fee. variety
4. What’s the design on a French one euro sale? coin
5. Carter and Sons have got some really good things in the receipt. sale
6. My mum didn’t like me selling my bike, but she said it was my coin, so it was my decision.
property
7. When we bought the house, we had to pay a huge brand to a lawyer. fee
8. The taxi driver wasn’t very happy when I told him I didn’t have any variety. change

Phrasal verbs

D. Write one word in each gap.

He’s taking it down. She’s saving up. He’s trying to hurry up.

They’re giving them away. He’s adding it up. She’s paying him back.
 He’s just come back. She’s taking it back.

Prepositional phrases

E. Complete using the words in the box. You have to use some words more than once.
by • for • in
1. It can be very worrying when you’re in a lot of debt.
2. Can I pay for this by cheque?
3. Did you see that the house next door is for sale?
4. They took ten per cent off because I paid in cash.
5. We need to find an office for rent in the center of town.
6. I got quite a lot of money for the car because it was in such good condition.

Word formation

F. One of the words in each sentence is in the wrong form. Write the correct word.
1. The serve in this place is absolutely terrible and I want to see the manager. service
2. Could you help me make a decide? I don’t know which phone to get. decision
3. Even very good quality clothes are quite afford in this shop. affordable
4. Companies should always tell the true in advertisements. truth
5. Credit cards are really use, but you have to be careful with them. useful
6. I read a compare of all the supermarkets and Safeshop was the most expensive. comparison
7. My grandma had no idea that her old vase was so value. valuable
8. Pete never shops at Mayfield’s because he says it’s too expense. expensive
9. Before you borrow from the bank, you have to make a judge about whether you can pay it back
or not. judgement
10. Is the bill right? Could you just check your add, please? addition

Word patterns

G. Circle the correct word.

1. Don’t lend any money on / to George because you’ll never get it back.
2. Where did you buy your new shoes at / from? They’re great!
3. Let me just pay about / for these things and then we can go home.
4. There’s something wrong in / with the CD player I’ve just bought.
5. Carol seems to spend all her pocket money for / on going out.
6. Look inside the wallet and maybe we can find out who it belongs in / to.
7. Have you decided in / on a name for your new business?

H. Complete using the words in the box. Add any other words you need.
advertisement • borrowed • choose • compare • wrong
1. I need to get a new bag for school but I can’t choose between these two. What do you think?
2. This CD player seems expensive, but if you compare it with the one in the other shop, it’s
actually not bad.
3. Madeleine borrowed a really nice top from me and she still hasn’t given it back!
4. The advertisement for/ on the website said you could sell your old things to people all over the
country.
5. The shop assistant was wrong about the price so I had to show her the label.
UNIT 13, 14 and 15 REVIEW 5
A. Write one word in each gap.
eBay
One of (1) the websites that has been very successful in recent years is eBay. On eBay, people take
things that belong (2) to them and offer them for sale. Other people offer (3) an amount of money,
and (4) the person who offers the most money wins the item. They then pay (5) for the item (6) by
cheque or credit card. It’s (7) a simple idea, but it’s become a very popular way of buying and
selling. Even if you only have a (8) bit of money, you can often find something you want on eBay.
Most of the items are (9) in good condition, and eBay has a (10) lot of happy users.
(1 mark per answer)

B. Complete by changing the form of the word in capitals when this is necessary.
11. I’ve made my (DECIDE) decision. I’m going to buy the blue one.
12. This dress is wonderful - but it’s a little too (EXPENSE) expensive for me.
13. I’ve broken my new CD player and now it’s (USE) useless!
14. In the past, rich people often had (SERVE) servants to do everything for them.
15. We offer top quality products at (AFFORD) affordable prices!
16. The advert was (TRUE) untrue, so I complained to the manager.
17. Please be careful with that painting - it’s extremely (VALUE) valuable.
18. When you (COMPARE) compare our prices with other shops, we’re the cheapest!
(1 mark per answer)

C. Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the
first sentence. Write between two and five words.
19. Could you lend some money to me until the weekend? from
Could I borrow some money from you until the weekend?
20. I can’t decide which shoes I like most, the blue ones or the green ones. choose
I can’t choose between the blue shoes and the green shoes.
21. Why don’t you return the sweater to the shop you got it from? back
Why don’t you take the sweater back to the shop you got it from?
22. It can be very worrying when you owe money to the bank. debt
It can be very worrying when you are in debt to the bank.
23. We need to go quickly or the shops will be closed. up
We need to hurry up or the shops will be closed.
24. I paid for the CD using notes and coins and then left the shop. cash
I paid for the CD in cash and then left the shop.
25. I don’t agree with your opinion of the new shopping center. wrong
I think you are wrong about the new shopping center.
26. Do they rent cars here? rent
Do they have cars for rent here?
(2 marks per answer)

D. Choose the correct answer.

27. I heard there’s ……… new sports shop in town. Let’s see what they have.
A. a B. the C. an D. one
28. I don’t have ……… money, so I’ll have to wait to get a new coat.
A. a piece of B. a few C. much D. many
29. It’s going to be very expensive to send a person to ………
A. a Mars B. one Mars C. the Mars D. Mars
30. I don’t know much about computers, so I asked the assistant for ……… advice.
A. a lot B. many C. a few D. a little
31. In my experience, ……… are very friendly.
A. Chinese B. a Chinese C. the Chinese D. this Chinese
32. Dad has to go to ……… early tomorrow to meet an important customer.
A. work B. the work C. a work D. that work
33. Which is more important - money or ………?
A. environment B. the environment C. an environment D. one environment
34. Apparently, it’s the largest computer store in ………
A. an Europe B. a Europe C. the Europe D. Europe
(1 mark per answer)

E. Choose the correct answer.

35. Let me just add ……… what I’m buying to see if I’ve got enough money.
A. on B. up C. over D. in
36. Bob ……… a lot of money in his brother’s business and made a profit.
A. spent B. invested C. saved D. owed
37. I’m saving all my pocket money ……… to buy a new PlayStation.
A. out B. down C. up D. away
38. The old man took the book ……… from the shelf and looked at the price.
A. up B. down C. out D. back
39. I couldn’t sell my old magazines, so I gave them ………
A. over B. off C. up D. away
40. I gave the waiter a €50 note and waited for my ………
A. change B. supply C. cash D. cost
41. Home Lovers have got lots of ……… in their sale this year.
A. debts B. fortunes C. bargains D. fees
42. I usually spend any money I have ……… sweets and video games.
A. up B. in C. of D. on
(1 mark per answer)
Total mark: ……… /50