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Лабораторна робота №1:

Uncountable words

Uncountable nouns are not normally used with a(n) or the plural, e.g. information, not an information, or some informations. It is a good idea to learn uncountable nouns in groups associated with the same subject or area. Here are some possible headings.

luggage accommodation money equipment information

baggage (Am. Eng.) currency (e.g. for skiing)

Travel is also an uncountable noun, e.g. Travel broadens the mind.

Day-to-day household items

soap toothpaste washing powder washing-up liquid polish paper

Food

The word food is uncountable. Try adding more uncountable words to this list. sugar rice spaghetti butter flour soup..................................................

Some rather abstract words are uncountable

She gave me some advice on how to study for the exam. I picked up some interesting knowledge on that course. She's made a lot of progress in a very short time. She has done some research on marine life. They've done a lot of work on the project.

Materials and resources

For making clothes, etc.: cloth (e.g. cotton, silk) leather wool For buildings: stone brick plastic wood/timber concrete For energy: coal oil petrol gas

Typical mistakes

Don't say: What a terrible weather! She has long hairs. I have a news for you.

We bought some new furnitures. Say: What terrible weather! She has long hair. I have

some news for you. We bought some new furniture. (See also Unit 27.)

Tip: always mark an uncountable noun with (U) in your vocabulary notebook, or write 'some...' or 'a lot of...' before it.

Exercises

26.1 Say whether these sentences need a(n) or not. Some of the nouns are not on the left-hand page. Use a dictionary that tells you whether the nouns are uncountable.

1 He gave us all........ advice on what to take with us.

2 I'm sorry. I can't come. I have........ homework to do.

3 She's doing........ investigation of teenage slang in English for her university project.

4 You'll need........ rice if you want to make a Chinese meal.

5 Paula getting divorced? That's........ interesting news!

6 I have to buy........ film for the holiday. I think I'll get about five rolls.

7 We saw........ beautiful silk and........ cotton in Thailand.

26.2 Sort these words into two columns side by side, one for uncountables and one for countables. Then join the words which have similar meaning.

tip clothing case information job advice travel garment

trip work baggage fact

26.3 Imagine you are going away for a week's holiday and you pack a suitcase with a number of things. Make a list of what you would pack and consider how many of the items on your list are uncountable nouns in English.

26.4 Correct the mistakes in these sentences.

1 We had such a terrible weather that we left the camp-site and got an accommodation in town instead,

2 In the North of England, most houses are made of stones, but in the South, bricks are more common.

3 I love antique furnitures, but I would need an advice from a specialist before I bought any. My knowledges in that area are very poor.

4 Her researches are definitely making great progresses these days. She has done a lot of original works recently.

26.5 Another area that has a number of uncountable words is personal qualities and skills. For example, we might say that a secretary should have intelligence, reliability, charm and enthusiasm. These are all uncountable nouns. Choose from the list and say what qualities these people should have. Say whether they need some, a lot or a bit of the quality. Use a dictionary for any difficult words.

Jobs: soldier nurse teacher explorer actor athlete writer

surgeon receptionist

Qualities: patience courage determination goodwill charm stamina reliability loyalty energy experience commitment

talent creativity intelligence training

26.6 Could I have...? Practise asking for these everyday items and decide whether you must say a or some.

vinegar duster needle thread sellotape tea-bag polish