Count and Noncount Nouns Exercises

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Count and Noncount Nouns

Exercise 1

Are the following nouns count or noncount? Put an N next to the

noncount nouns and a C next to the count nouns !f the noun can be
either noncount or count de"ending on the context# "ut a $ next to it
banana
world conduct
textboo% "rogress
acid biology
s&o%ing essay
"oetry crystal
a""lause sho""ing
thought

Exercise 2

Put an ' next to the words in

i n the following list that can be used as
either count or noncount nouns# de"ending on the context
rain
defense rug
beauty nature
garbage bag
ex"erience e&otion
baggage

Exercise 3

(ill in the blan% with the for& of the noun in "arentheses that is
a""ro"riate to the gra&&atical context of the sentence and the
&eaning of the "assage as a whole

Diabetes: Beyond the Basics

 Because diabetes can cause devastating ))))))))) *da&age#
da&ages+ to virtually all body )))))))) *syste&# syste&s+# "eo"le
with diabetes should not underrate the seriousness of their disease
Learning to live with a chronic )))))))) *illness# illnesses+ such as
diabetes &ust be an ongoing "rocess
,he -os"ital.s Center for (a&ily Life /ducation is s"onsoring a five0
"art educational series on diabetes ,he series will begin on A"ril 12
and continue through 3ay 45 ,he ))))))))) *"rogra&# "rogra&s+
will be held in the second floor classroo& of the /ducation Center fro&
605 "&
,he diabetes series is free and o"en to the "ublic and will be of s"ecific
 ))))))))) *interest# interests+ to "eo"le who have diabetes and their
fa&ilies and friends

Exercise 4

On the basis of the rules for using articles discussed in the OWL file
7Count and Noncount Nouns#7 which co&binations of words below are
"er&itted and which ones aren.t? Put an ' next to the incorrect
co&binations
the "oetry
a table a difficulty
these "erson a research
this furniture this eggs
that those argu&ent
assign&ent
a boy

Exercise 5

(ill in the blan%s with the a""ro"riate article if one is needed

The Computer Jun!e

,hough you can &a%e )))) decision on "urely econo&ic grounds#

buying )))) co&"uter is often &ore li%e 8oining )))) religious cult
Buy )))) A""le# for exa&"le# and al&ost by default you 8oin A""le
chair&an 9teve :obs in his crusade against !B3 /very &achine has its
7users. grou"s7 and )))) band of loyal enthusiasts who tout its &erits
,hat &a%es it all )))) &ore difficult for )))) uninitiated to decide
what &achine to buy 9tudents have )))) huge advantage# however
(or &ore infor&ation about nouns and other "arts of s"eech# see our
"arts of s"eech wor%s