Noughts and crosses

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Unit 12 Nouns

12.1. Going places (PW)

Material: a card for each pair of students

The idea has been taken from Teach-This.com

Write the following on the board:

What do you need to take with you on a summer holiday?

Countable Nouns Uncountable Nouns.

Ask the students to imagine that they are going to go on a summer holiday and to brainstorm items they need to take with them. As students call out the items, ask them to say which heading they belong to. Next, explain that students are going to race each other to write lists of things they need in different situations.

Divide students into pairs and allow them to choose a card. Students then brainstorm words for that situation under the Countable and Uncountable headings on their card. Give them the time limit of 5-6 min.

Students then calls out their answers in turns. The others listen attentively for mistakes. They win one point for each correct word. The pair with the highest total score wins.

12.2. Countable and uncountable associations (PW/GW)

Material: worksheet for each pair/group of students

Let the students work in pairs or in groups of 3. Show them the first picture (fold the paper on the line) and ask what are their associations with it (nouns). Ask them which of the nouns they named are countable and which are uncountable. Give them the worksheets with example and set the time limit. Then students name one word in turns, stating the category (count/uncount). The others listen and agree or disagree with the categories. They shouldn’t repeat the words. The pair/group to name the last word wins.

12.3. Name that noun (Whole class)

Material: Objects brought in by students and the teacher

The game is taken from “Fun with Grammar” by Suzanne W.Woodward, Prentice Hall Regents, 1997

The day before, tell students to bring in two objects from home – one a countable noun and one an uncountable noun. Encourage them to find unusual items. Bring in your own objects to use as uncount nouns because these will be more difficult for students to find.

Collect the objects and distribute them around the class with a number for each. Have the students walk around, looking at the objects. On a paper, they write what noun they think each number indicates and whether it is count or uncount. They can write only one noun for each number (so if two apples and a pear have the same number, they must write “fruit”).

Go over the answers and have students check how many they got correct.