ü RAMMAR.

Singular and Plural

Noncount Nouns
Tlwre * Be
Quantity Words
CONTEXT
Pilgrims, American Indians, and Thanksgiüng
Taking the Land from the American Indians
LESSON FOCUS
Some nouns have a singular and plural form. These
are ca]led count nouns.
I ate one WpLe.She ate two aPPks.
Some nouns have no plural form. These are called
noncount nouns.
I ate some soup.I drank some usater.
We can use there * be to introduce count and
noncount nouns.
There are some aPPles on the table.
There's some milk in the refrigerator.
We can use quarttity words with count and noncount
nouns.
I bought a little coffee. I bought a few bananas.

The Mayflower

131
7

Before You Read 1. \\¡hat do you know about American Thanksgiving?

t
2. Do you have a day of thanks in your native culture?
Read the follcwing article. Pay special attention to singular and plural
T
nouns.
T

Fiigriues, Arnericar"l Indians, I T

and Thanksgiving t
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving 0n the fourth Thursday in November.
At this time, they get together with family and friends, eat a traditional big t
meal, and give thanks for all the good things in their lives. What is the
origin of this special day? T
In 1620, a group of 120 mer, women, and children left England for
America on a ship called the Mayflower. They came to America in search
of religious freedom. They started their new life in a desertedz Indian üllage
t
in what is now the state of Massachusetts. But half of the Pilgrims did not
survive their first cold, hard winter. In the spring, two American Indians T
found the people from England in very bad condition. They didn't have
enough food, and they were in bad health. Squanto, an English speaking
American Indian, stayed with them for several months and taught them how
t
to sulive in this new place. He brought them deer meat and animal skins;
Pilgrims
he showed them how to grow corn and other vegetables; he showed them T
how to use plants as meücine; he explained how to use flsh for fertilizers-he
taught them many skills for survival in their new land. T
By the time their second fall arrived, the Pilgrims had enough food to
get through their second winter. They were in better health. They decided
to have a thanksgiving feast4 to celebrate their good fortune. They invited
T
Squanto and neighboring Indian families of the Wampanoag tribe to come
to their dinner. The Pilgrims were surprised when 90 Indians showed up. T
The Pilgrims did not have enough food for so many people. Fortunately, the
squash Indian chief sent some of his people to bring food to the celebration. They
brought five deer, fish, beans, squash, corn bread, berries, and many wild
I
turkeys. The feast lasted for three days. There was a short time of peace
and friendship between the Indians and the Pilgrims. I
Now on Thanksgiüng Day in the U.S., we eat some of the traditional
foods, such as turkey, sweet potatoes, and cranberries, that the Indians
shared with the Pilgrims.
I
T
'The rratives of America are called American Indians, Indians, or Native Americans.
2
DeserLed means ernpty of people.
s
a
HIe put. fertilizer irr the ealh to help plants grow. Fert.ilizer is made of natural things. T
A-fca.st is a large riinner.

I
132 Lesson Five
t
 Noun Plurals

Regular Noun Plurals

\,¡owel bee +S bees

banana bananas

s, ss, sh, clt, x, z church +es churches

dish dishes
box boxes
rvatch watches
class classes

Voiceless cat +S cats

consonants tip Iips
month months

Voiced consonants ca¡d +S cards

pin pins

Vowel + y boy +s boys

day days

Consonant * Y lady y'+ies ladies

story stories

Vowel t o video +s videos

iadio radios

Consonant t o potato T" pot¿toes

hero I heroes
ExcnmroNs: photos, pianos, solos, altos, sopranos, autos, avocados
forfe leaf f+ves leaves

I mrire I
knives
ExcnrnoNs: beliefs, chiefs, roofs, cliffs, chefs, sheriffs
(continued)

singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There * Be; Qrlantity words 133
Irregular Noun Plurals

man
t
m.en Men and women came to \:ou'el change
\\¡oman
mouse
women
r-nice
America from England.
t
tooth teeth
foot feet I
goose geese

sireep The Indians brought five deer. No change

t
fish
deer I
child
person
children
people (or persons)
The Pilgrims brought their
children to America.
Different word form
t
Norp: People is more Many people came to the
commonly used than celebration.
persons. T
pajamas Your clothes are dirty. No singular form
clothes My glasses are broken. T
pants/slacks
(eye)glasses T
scissors

The news is not good. Singular form ends T

Politics is interesting for me. in -s. No plural form.

I
LnNcuncr Norrs I
1. we use the plural to talk about more than one. Regular
" noun plurals
end in -s or -es. Some noun plurals are irregular. I
One hundred twenty n1,en, u)on1,en, and childrem came from
England. Two Inüans found these people.
2. Exact numbers use the singular form. I
The U.S. has over 270 mi,lli,ora people.
ó. Inexact numbers use the plural form.
' Mi,üi,ons,of Indians live in America. t
Huytd,reds of Europeans carne to America in the 1600s.

4.
My grandfather is in his seuenties.
We use the plural form in the following expressions: one of (the, ffiU,
I
his, her, etc.).
One of the Indi,ans spoke English. I
5. We use a singulax noun and verb after euery.

6.
Every persqn needs love and attention.
Don't make an'a{ectivc plural.
I
We have many good tlings in our lives.

134 Lesson Five

I
t
reeGSEffiFflR*ɧ@ffi¡áS,¡!,i -'. EU¿,ffi:**'t r +É' : ri'r'

Exrncrsr I r'\tite the plural form of each noun.

ExRNpr.s: hour

i. American 11. butterfly

2. famity t2. man
J. leaf 13. ñsl-t

4. child 14. s.olf

5. deer L5. donkey
6. city I fox
tl.

7. Ianguage 17. country

8. cloud 18. month

9. potato 19. goose

10. valley 20. womar-I

Exr,ncrsr 2 Find the mistakes.with the underline{ wordg, and correct them.
Not every sentence has a mistake. If the sentence is correct,
write C.

Extup¡.rs: tt r" ## Ieft early.

Mattremaü"" # my favorite subject.

I saw trryo deer

- in the forest. C
'

1. She has two childrens.

t One of her daughter is a doctor.
o
¿). Eleven millions peoples died in the war.

4. The news are on TV at 6 o'clock.

5. His pants is very expensive.

6. Five women in this class speak FYench.

7. Every students want to pass this course.

8. Math is one of my favorite subiect in school.

9. Everyone want to have a good life.

10. Many Americans own a home.

11. Hundreds of people saw the accident.

12. My mother is in her sixties.

Singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There * Be; Quantity Words 135
 ffiffiT*TffiT=ñ;;.ñ;ñffi]ffi;;;;. io,* of rhe ivord in
t

parentheses ( ).
;''-' '-irt I
[:l¿xiir, celebrate'fhanksgiving in Nor.ember.
(Ametican,)

1. One hundred trventy came to America on the

T
(person)
NIay{lou,er. E
2. and came to
{Marü (wonzatt) (chitd)
Anlerica on the Mayfl ower. J
o
D. They had very hard in America.
4.
(ti.fe)
of Indians lived in America before the arrival of a
(Mi.llion)

5.
the Pilgrims.
Squanto taught the Pilgrims to live in America.
I
(skiu)
6. He stayed with the Pilgrims for several
(month)
a
7. Indians used for fertilizer.
!
8. Many Indian carne to celebrate with the Pilgrims.

9. They brought five

(deet)
and many wild .-.
(turleeU)
J
10. The feast lasted for three
J
Using the Singular and Plural for Generalizations t
Explanation
I
A child needs love. When we make a generalization, we
Clüldren need love. say that something is true of the
noun in general. I
A big city has a lot of traffic. To make a generalization, we use a
singular noun after a or an, or the
Big cities have a lot of traffic.
plural noun with no article. I
I
Exsncrss 4 Make a generalization about the following nouns. Use the plural
form. (You may work with a partner.) I
Exluplr: American teachers are very tnformal'
1. American children t
2. American colleges
3. Buses in this city I
4. Elder§ Americans
I
136 Lesson Five
I¿
 5. American cities
6. American doctors
7. American women
B. American men

Exgncrsr 5 Make a generalization about these professions. Use the singular

form. (You may work with a partner.)
, -,- -:
ExRv p Lr, ' J.''; ': )-.. _' .

1. A teacher
2. A doctor
3. A nurse
4. A garbage collector
5. A lawyer
6. A musician
7. A librarian
8. A moüe star
9. An accountant
10. A newspaper reporter

Noncount Nouns
There are several types of noncount nouns:

Group A. Nouns that have no distinct, separate parts. We look at the whole.
milk wine bread electricity
oil yogüt meat lightning
water pork butter thunder
coffee poultrys paper cholesterol
soup atr blood

Group B. Nouns that have parts that are too small or insignificant to count
rice hair sand
sugar popcorn corn
salt snow grass

(cortt i tntcd)

5
Poultry includes domestic birds that we eat, such a-s chickens urd turkel's.

Singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There + Be: Quantity Words 137
Group C. lJcuns that ¿u'e classes cr categcries of things. The members of the category are L-
not the same.
money or cash (nickels, dilnes, dollars) fruit (cherries, apples, grapes) I
food (vegetables, meat, spaghetti) makeu¡r (lipstick, rouge, e¡'e shadou,)
furniture (chairs, tables, beds) homeu-ork (con"rpositions, exercises. reading)
T
clothing (sweaters, pmb, dresses) jeu,ehy (necklaces. bracelets, rings)
mail (letters, packages, postcards, fliers)
¡
Group D. Nouns that are abstractions
love
life
happiness
education
nutrition
intelligence
music
aft
information
nalure
t
time
truth
experience
crime
unemploSanent
pollution
urork
health
help
:.roise
t
beauty adüce patience lrouble energy
luck lcrowledge pover§ fun friendship T
Group E. Subjects of study
history grammar biologi
I
chemistry geometry math (mathematics*)
*NorE: Even though mathemafics ends with s, it is not plural. t
I
LnNcuncr Norrs
¡
1. We classify nouns into two groups: count nouns and noncout nouns.
A count noun is sómething we carr count. It has a singula^r and plural
form. We can put a number before a count noun. I
one potato five potatoes

2.
one apple ten apples
A noncount noun is something we don't count. It has no plural form.
I
We cannot put a number before a noncount noun. With a noncount
noun, we use a unit of measure, which we can count. I
one cup of coffee five cups of coffee
r). Count and noncount nouns are grarnmatical terms, but they are not
always logical. Rice is very small and is a noncount noun. Beans and I
peas a-re also very small but are count nouns.
4. Some nouns can be either count or noncount. Food andfru,i,t can be
count nouns when they mean categories of food or fruit. Coupene:
I
She eats a lot of frui,t every day. (noncount noun)
Orarrges and grapefi"uits arefru,its that contain ütamin C. (count
noun)
t
She bought a lot of food for the parfy.
Tladitional foods on Thanksgiving are turkey and sweet potatoes. T
(count noun)

5.
For a }ist of nouns that can be count or noncount, see Appendix G.
When referring to whole turkeys or other birds, these words are count
I
nouns. When referring to apart of the bird, these are noncouni nouns.
T
138 Lesson Five
3
 The Indians brought many turkeys to the feast.
\\re eat turkey on Thanksgiüng.
S. Some nouns that have a plural form in other languages are noncount
in English . Ad,ui,c e, i'nfonn ation, knott'Ledg e, equipmertt, furt1iture,
andltomewot* are always noncount nouns in English.
ftsl'i!¡ :.*

Exsnclsr ó Go back to the article about Indians, Pilgrims, and Thanksgiving

on page 132. Mark the nouns in the article with C for count
noun ot NC for noncount noun.

Exn¡trtrs, Indians : C
freedom : NC

n parenthese§ ai is count or noncount. If it

is a count noun, change it to the plural form. If it is a noncount
noun, do not use the Plural form. '

ExRtqptr,
EducaLion is expensive in an America¡t college.
(Edtrcation)
booke
Besides the tuition, you have to pay for your
(book)

1. American Indians have a lot of resPect for (natr.r.re)

They

love and
(tree) (bird)
Qlnwer)

(fi.sh)
2. Thanksgiving is a celebration of and
----
(Peace) (Íriqndship)

3. On Thanksgiving, America¡rs eat a lot of and sometimes

(Jood)
gain weight.
4. Squanto gave the Pilgrims a lot of about planting
(ad,uice)

and other He had a lot of

(com) (oegetable)

about the land.

(knowled,ge)

5. The Pilgrims didn't have any with American food.

(erperienre)

6. On the first Thanksgiving, Indians brought (meat)

and
(bean) (bread,) (berrU)

7. The Pilgrims celebrated because they had a lot of good

(Jotxune)

8. American Indians use for

(plant) (medbine)

Singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There * Be; Quantity Words 139
 1\,{y friends r+'ent to the Southwest last summer. They bought
An"rerican Indian , sucit as and
(janel,ry) (ting)

(neckl«ce)

10. Do you have a 1ot of about American

(ittfonnatiott)

(holiday)
-?
Quantities with Count and Noncount Nouns
Ways we see noncount nouns:

a bottle of a slice (piece) of I an ounce of a loaf of bread a piece of mail

water bread I sugar an ear of corn a piece of
a carton of milk a piece of meat I a quart of oil a piece of fruit furniture
a jar of pickles a piece of cake I a pound of meat a piece of advice
a head of lettuce t_
a bag of flour a strip of bacon I a gallon of milk a candy bax a piece of
of I a pint of crearn information
a can of soda
(pop)
a piece (sheet)
paper
a roll of fllm
a tube of
a work of art I
a cup of coffee a slice of pizza toothpaste a homework
a glass of water a scoop of ice
cream
a bar of soap
assignment I
a bowl of soup

I
LnNcuncr Norrs ¡
1. We cannot put a number before a noncount noun. With a noncount
noun, we use a unit of measure, which we can count. I
one cup of coffee five cups of coffee

2. For a list of conversions from the American system of measurement

t
to the metric system, see Appendix D.
::¡li!ii:l!¡iiil:th1í.t;\:t |\,.1¡:i ' .. . ..
I
8
''¡N

Exrnclsr Fill in the blanks with a specific quantity.

qlaseee of
I
ExR¡lpLr, I drirrk three water a day.
T
1. You should take a few film on your vacation.
2. I'm going to buy two
family.
meat to make dinner for the
I
t
14A Lesson Five
I
 .-)
ü. milk is hearry to carryr
!1
=. She drinks two coffee er¡eny morning.

= Buy bread for dinner.

D. He eats fiuit a da-r,'.

t. Some Americans carry a water with them.

8. I ate two cake.

9. Letmegiveyou adr.ice before you apply to colleges.

10. How many gas did you buy at the gas station?

Before You Read 1. Who were the original inhabitants of your native country?
2. Are there any ethnic minorities in your native country? Do they have
the respect of the m4jority population?

Read the following article. Pay special attention to there * a form of. be.

Taking the Land from the l{ative Americans

Before the arrival of Europeans, there were between 10 and 16 million
Native Americans in America. Today there are fewer than 2 million. What
trappened to these natives of America?
The friendship between the Indians and Europeans did not last for long.
As more English people came to America, they did not need the help of the
Indians, as the flrst group of Pilgrims did. The white people started to take
the land away from the Indians. As Indians fought to keep their land,
many of them were killed. Also, there were many deaths from diseases that
Did you know...? Europeans brought to America. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson took the
Indians' lands and sent them to live 0n reservations. Indian children had to
Many place learn English. 0ften they were punished for speaking their own language.
names in the U.S. As a result, there a,re very few Indians today who speak the language of
are American In- their ancestors.o
dian names. Chi- Today there are about 500 tribes in the U.S., each with its own traditions.
cago, for There are about 300 reservations, but only 22 percent of American Indians
examp[e, comes live on this land. There is a lot of unemployment and poverty 0n many
from an Indian reseryations. As a result, many Indians move to big cities to find work. Many
word meaning return to their reservations only for special celebrations such as Pow-Wows,
smelly onion. when Indians wear their traditional clothing and dance to traditional music.

a
Ancestors are grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.

Singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There * Be; Quantity Words 141
 American lndian Reservations in the U.S. L
'0 §
§- c.¡
¡l NH
h
MN.
\/T

MA
T
RI
--'lt
' Q;'r
AT
NJ
T
:. '.
DE
ca'. MD ll
.-\

t
;

T
T
T
There + A Form of. Be
-.'ir
,i

:.i:t.":'
' .
;i, --.':
;
';:..'.' :
t

I
.::j":'. ._

CouNr There is a reservation in Wyoming.

- There are about 500 Indian tribes in the U.S.
There are a lot of jobs in a big city. ;
There wiII be some rain tomorrow.

NottcouNr There is a lot of unemployment on some reservations. T

There was Peace at first'
T

;
LnNcunGE NorEs
1. We use there * a form of be to introduce a new noun, either count T
or noncount. A sentence that begins with there gften gives a place

2.
or a time.
If two nouns follow there, use a singular verb (is) if the first noun is t
singular. Use a plural verb (arz) if the first noun is plural'
Th".e is one Korean student and three Mexican students in this
cIass.

1+2 Lesson Five

r I
 There are tht'ee X{exican students and one Korean stuclent in this
class.
.f. In conrrersation, you rvill sometimes hear tlrcre3' lr,ith piural nouns.
IxpoRl,ra¡,: Th,et'e's a lot of reservations in Califorr-ria.
FoRl,r¡r,: Tltere e't'e a iot of resenations in California.
4. After rve introduce a noun ttitl. there, \\¡e cail coutinue to speak of
this noun with a pronoun.
Tlrere are over 500 tribes of Natir.e Americans in the ÍJ.5. Tlrcy
each have their or,vn traditions.
There is a Na",ajo resen,ation in Arizona. I¿is rrery big.
There's a Navajo \\¡orran in my chenristry cl¿tss. ^Sfue comes from
Ar izona.
5. Observe the worci order in questions rvith there.
Is tltet'e unemployrnent on some reservations? Yes, there is.
Are thet'e any reselvations in California? Yes, there are.
How many Navajo Indians are tl¿ere in Alizona?
b. We don't use a specific noun aft.er thet'e.
WRoNc: There's the Sears Tower in Chicago.
RIcsr The Sears Tower is in Chicago.
WnoNc: There's Paris in FYance.
RIcHr Faris is in France.

Exsnc¡sr 9 Fiil in the blanks with the correct form and tense.
ExR¡lplr: There are a lot of Indians in Oklahoma.

1. There a lot of reservations in California.

2. There more American Indians 200 years ago than there

today.

3. In the beginning, there peace betrveen the Indians a¡rd

the Pilgrims.

4. wars between the Indians and the white people

t
Laterthere
who took their land.

t
5. enough food to eat at the first Thanksgiving?
Yes, there was.

6. How many people at the first Thanksgiüng

L 7.
celebration?

Next week there a test on noncount nouns.

L 8. How many questions on the test?

L
Singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There * Be; Quantity Words 143
l;
 Exincrsr t O Fill in the blanks u,ith a time or place.
:=:.1::i:liis:::::+: : : :

t
Exltr,tp¡-rt There \!'as a w-ar
L.L-/ l¿) / J
t
1. There will be a test

2. There are a iot of problems

r). There's a lot of snow

4. There are a lot of people t

5. There is a lot of crime
I
6. There are a lot of reservations

7. There was a presidential election

8. There are a lot of students t

9. There was a war in my country
t,
:..

Quantity Expressions-0verview
I
We can use quantity expressions to talk about the quantity of count and
noncount nouns.
I
t
There are about two million American Indians today.
The Pilgrims had very little food during the first winter.
The American India¡rs had a lot of lcrowledge about the land.
t
The Pilgrims didn't have much lcrowledge about the land.
Many Indians died from üsease. I
Some Inüans today live on reservations.
Very few Indians today speak their native language. I
'rt,itililr$;t:it,,rt.r'.,1".' :

I 1 Fill in the blan-ks to complete these statements.

Exrnclsr

ExRvptr: There are 500 trtbes of American Indians in the U.S.

I
1. Before the arrival of the white people from Europe, there were at

Ieast American Indians. I

--_.-
144 Lesson Five

t
 2. After the ñrst cold ininter in America, the Pilgrims didn't have
much
3. Many Pilgrims during the first wtnter.
4. Some helped the Pilgrims.
5. The Indians taught them many to help them survive.
6. The second year in America was much better They had a lot
of
7. As more white people came to America, many lost
their land
8. Marry Indians can't flnd work on their reservations. There is a lot
of on a reservation.

.:a
Sottle, AnU, A, No

un, Plurál Cóunt: -; Ñon.ount ',j

Affirmative There's a clock in the There are (some) There's (some) rice in
kitchen. windows in the kitchen. the kitchen.
Negative There isn't a clock in There aren't (any) There isn't (any) rice in
the kitchen. windows in the kitchen. the kitchen'
There's no clock in the There are no windows There's no rice in the
kitchen. in the kitchen. kitchen.

Question Is there a clock in the Are there (any) Is there (any) rice in
kitchen? windows in the the kitchen?
kitchen?

LnNcuncE NorEs
1. We use a or ain with singular count nouns.
2. We can vse sonl,e for afflrmative statements, with both noncount
nouns and plural count nouns. Some can be omitted.
I have sonle time.
I have time"

3. We can use anA for questions and negatives, with both noncount
nouns and plural count nouns. Any can be omitted.
Do you have any change?
Do you have change?

4. Somecan also be used in questions.

Do you have some change?

Singuiar and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There * Be; Quantity Words 145
 5. l]se an affirmative verb before r¿o. CoMpaRs:
There i,s no time.
t
There i,s no* ans\+'er to your question.
There isn't uny time. L
There isn't an ans\r,er to your question.
'¡lrlortr: Don't use the indefinite article after n,o.
L
6. You wiil sometimes see anA rn ith a singular count noun.
\Viiich pen should I use for the test? You can use a?tA pen. T
Atty, in this case, means whichever you rvant. It doesn't matter which
pen.
T
Exsnc¡sr 12 Use there + the words given to tell about your hometown. (If J
you use no, delete the article.) You can add a itatement to give
more information. ;
Exluplrs: a mayor
There's a mayor in my hometown. He's a young man. t
a subway
There's ao subway in my hometown. T
1. a university 6. a river T
2. a subway 7. a jatl
3. an English language newspaper 8. a¡r art museum T
4. an airport 9. an English language institute
5. a soccer team 10. a cemetery T
Exrncrsr l3 fiU in the blanks with sozr¿e, an¡, a, ün) or ?Lo. I
Exeuplrs: I have eorne
money in my pocket.
T
Do you have anY fime to help me?

Do you have
T
new car?

I have no
experience as a babysitter. T
1. Do you have questions about this exercise? T
2. Do you have dictionary with you?
T
3. Did you have trouble with the homework?

4. If we have extra time, we'll go over the homework. t

T
146 Lesson F'ive

T
 5. The teacher can't help you norv because he has time.
6. The teacl-rer can't help you nou, because he doesn't have
tin-re.
f;
l. I'm confused. I need ans\\-er to m5' question.
ti. I have questions ¿rbout the last lesson. Can you ans\\-er
them for me?
9. I understand this lesson completely. I have questions.
10. I understand this lesson conrpletely. I don'l, ha'",e
questions.

11. I work hard all day and have energ/ late at night.
t2. I don't have computer.

A Lot OJ Much, 't lr*\** I a \rt

Affirmative He has many friends. He has a lot of time.

IIe has a lot of friends.
Negaüve He doesn't have many friends.
He doesn't have a lot of friends
Question Does he have many friends?
Does he have a lot of friends?
How many friends does he have?
He doesn't have much time.
IIe doesn't have a lot of time.
Does he have much time?
Does he have a lot of time?
How much time does he have?

LnNcuncr Norrs
1. Mu,ch is rare in affirmative statements. It is more common to use o
l,ot of tn affirmative statements.
2. In conversation, o/ is often pronounced, /e/. Listen to your teacher
pronounce the above sentences.
3. When the noun is omitted, we say a lot, not ¿ lot of.
Do you get a l,ot of mail?
No, I dont get a lot.
4. In conversation, many people say "lots of' or "plenty of- for both
noncount and plural count nouns:
He has lnts of ti,m,e. [ie has plenty of Jriends.

Singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There + Be; Quantity Words 147
 ,ffi;T"ATñ"iT=ñ;;j;;ñ;h t
or,,rh,, rua?ta, o,r a tot (of). Lvaid,*tuctt
in affirmative statements. In some cases, more than one answer
is possible.
much
E:lRr"trirs, You don't neecl time to do this exercise.
I have a lof, of (or many)
friencls.

1. Busy people don't have free time.

2. Was there snow last winter?

I
ó. American Indians preier to live in big cities.
4. There's crime in a big city. t
traffic in a small town.
5.

6.
There isn't
There aren't schools in a small town.
t
7. How coffee do you drink in the morning? t
8. I like coffee, but I don't drink because it keeps me
awake at night. T
9. There are Japanese cars in the U.S.

10. How students in this class come from Korea? I

A Lot 0f vs. Too Much/Too ManA
t
I
pioblem is presented
A lot of American Indians My friend left the reservation because there
I
liüe in Oklahoma. was too much unemployment and she

I have a lot of homework.

't find a job.
I don't have time to talk to you. I have too
f
much homework.
I have a lot of cousins. I have no time to study. I have too many T
family responsibilities.
I
T

T
148 Lesson I¡ive
I
 Ln¡¡cuEcs Norrs
1. A tot qf has a neutral tone. It shou.s a large quantity but doesn't
present a proble¡r . Too tntLcl¿ or foo man?/ usualiS' presents a prolll-m
or has a con'rPiaining tone'

2. Use foo tt'¿ttclt, u'ith notlcount nonns. Llse t'oo tnany u'itll count nouns'
I irarre too ntuclt u'ork.
I harre too nt'atty responsibilities.
3.\\recanputl,ootttu,cltattheendofar-erbphrase'
Slre can't buy that car because it costs too tttttclt'

G-- **"=*-***.**" '

Exrnc¡sr 15 Use lot of, too muclll or t00 nLaW to fill in the blanks in the
a
story below. In some cases, more than one answer is possible.
My name is Coleen Finn. I'm a Ho-ch¡nk Indian. My tribal land is in
rnn 7¡¡g6fi
Wisconsin. But I live in Chicago because there is 'u" unem-

I ptoy*"r-,t on my tribal land, and I can't find a good job there. There

are opportunities in Clücago, and I found a job as a

(1)
job very
secretary in the English Department at Tmman Cotlege. I like my

much. I have responsibilities and I love the challenge.

(2)
Coleen Finn
I tike chicago, but I miss my land, where I sti[ have
--l;
relatives and friends. I often go back to visit them whenever I get tired of

life in Chicago. My friends and I have fun together, talking,

(4)

cooking our native food, walking in nature, and attending Indian ceremonies,

such as Pow-Wows. I need to get away from Chicago once in a while to feel

closer to nature. Even though there are nice things about

(5)

Chicago, there are cars and tmcks in the big city and
(6)

there is pollution. A weekend with my tribe gives me

(7)

time to relax and smell fresh air.

Singular ancl Plural; Noncount Nouns; Tltere * Be; Quantitry Words 1+ci
 ffi riii. -ruch or man!/.Then compiere I
the statement.
'i;-/úli I won't be able ¡i trct
I
[x¿¡"t p lr If I drink too coffee,
'

1. If I try to memorize too u-ords, I

2. If tr make too mistakes on my homeu,ork,
I
3. If I spend too money on ciothes, I
4. If I drink too coffee,
5. If I spend too time with my friends,
I
6. If I stay up late,
T

A Few, Seueral,--A Li,ttle T

T
I have a few questions. I need a little help.
I have several mistakes on my I need a little more time.
composition. T

t
LnNcuncr Norrs
T
1. Use a few or seueral with count nouns.
2. Use o little vmth noncount nouns.
T
Exrncrsr l7 r'u in thd blanks with aÍail, ssueral, or a li,ttle. T
ExR¡,lptrs' He has a few problems with his car.
He has a little experience as a teacher.
T
1. Every day we study grammar. T
2. We do exercises in class.
3. I have knowledge about computers.
t
4. students are absent today.
T
5. I have cash with me.
6. I have dollars in my pocket. t
150
T
Lesson Five

T
 7. I bought furniture for my aPartment.
L I harre chairs in my living room.

9. I had n-ristakes on n.;' compositiot"'..

10. I need help with my composition.

A Feus vs, Few; A Little vs, Li,ttle

I i-Lave a few good friends. I'nt I have few good fiiends' I'm
happy. lonely.

I have a little rnoney. Let's go to I have r.ery little money. I can't

the cafeteria and get something to buy anything today.
eat.

There are a few American Indian Few young America¡r Indians

students in my biolory class. speak the language of their
ancestors.

Lnxcuncr Norss
1. When we omit o beforefew and,Li,ttle,we axe emphasizing the negative
quantity. We are saying the quantity is not enough'

2. We often :¡se uery fe¡) or aery Li,ttle to emphasize a negative quantity'

J. Whether something is enough or not enough does not depend on the

quantity. It depends on the perspective of the person'
Is the glass half emPtY or half full?

@ Otl" person may say the glass is half full. He sees

something positive about the quantity of water in the
glass: The glass has a Little water-

@ Anottrer person may say the glass is half empty' He

sees something negative about the quantity of water in
the glass: The glass has (uery) little watet.

singular and Plurai; Noncount Nouns; T\tere + B¿; Quantity words r51
 i_:1

ExrRc¡sr I 8 plt in the blanks with a ri,ttre, aera li,ttle, a 5

::: 1
'::

feza, or uery fetL,,

ExRurigs' He has a little extra money. I{e's going to bu¡, a sandwich. I
He has ve ry itf;tle extra money. He can,t bu¡r an¡thing.

1. I harre food in my refrigerator. Let's make clinner at nt-,

I
house.
2. In some countries, people have food, and many peopie
I
are starr.ing.i
o. Tirat r,r,.orker has experience. He probably can't do tha¡ t
.iob.
4. That worker has experience. He can probably do thar ;
job.
5. I eat meat every day because I want protein in my diet. ;
b. I want to bake cookies, but I can't because I have
in the house.
sugar
t
7. When there is rain, plants can't grow.
8. Tomorrow there mav be rain, so you should take an
T
umbrella.
9. TWenty-five years ago, home computers were very rare. t
people had a home computer.
10. Before I §ought my computer, I talked to people about I
which computer.to buy.
11. There are .' =- monkeys in the zoo. Let's go to see them. T
12. There are gray whales in the world.
These animals are an endangered species.s I
13. If you want to study medicine, I can give you a
list of
U.S.
good medical schools in the I
14. ----.----- high schools teach Latin. It is not a very popular lan-
guage to study anJiTnore.
I
15. I want to say 'words about my country. Please listen. T
16. My father is a man of -words. He rarely talks.
17. English is the main language of countries. t
18. Women are still rare as political leaders.
a woman president.
countries have
t
iTo s1r¡r¿rr., nrea¡s lo sufft,r or die front not ha,íng cnough foocl.
'AIt ctirlr.trtr¡er'«l spr|ics is :r tt1tc
tlatgcr of dis:i¡r¡rciuing conr¡rlerel.f
of lir.ing thing l.hat is beconring lrrorc anri nrorc rAre . 'l'hc s¡r¡<.iss is ilr
if il is ltot prot,.,.ttd.
T

T
152 Lesson Five

T
 s* =r#*§fP-" i§ '+ ' - '"'
Eaffi;r!*R:,s#rs¡*5.ed€gi¿#s+{sf¡§

f**,1t9 E t questionwith"Are th,ere . ..

?" and the words giveu about
another student's hometown. The other student wiil ansrver \1.ith
aneryressionofquantity.Practicecountnouns.
xR¡t p tr ntuseums
E
' A- Ale there any museums in your hometou'n?
B. Yes. There are a lot of (a fe$,, tl1ree) museums in m5' hometo$'n'
OR
No. There aren't anY museums in mY hometorvn
1. dePartment stores 6. open markets
, 2. churches 7. hosPitals
3. syr-tagogues 8. universities
4. s§scraPers 9. mosques
5. suPermarkets 10. bridges

g*r*.,rr70 ¿rt a questign with "Are there aW . . . ?" or "Are there

*ony , . , ?,, and, the words given about another student,s
native country. The other student will answer with an
expression of quantity. Practice count nouns'

Ex.Ruplr' single mothers

A. Are there many single mothers in Your country?
B. There are very few.
1. homeless PeoPle 5. American businesses
2. working women 6. nursing homes
3. fast-food rest¿urants 7. rich peoP1e
4. factories 8. good universities

fo*.ttt 2l Ast a question with "Is there . . ?" and the words given
about ánother student's native country. The other student will
answer with an expression of quantity. Practice noncount n0uns.

EXlUptgr petroleum/in your native country

A Is there much petroleum in your naüve country?
B.Yes.There'salotofpetroleuminmynativecountry.
OR
No. There isn't much petroleum in my native country'
In Your Native Country In Your Hometown
l. petroletm 5. traff,c
2. industry 6. rain
3. agriculture 7. pollution
4. tourism 8. noise

Singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There * Be; QuantitY Words 153
*B:ewr46iFsE,qas§+{*F§*@e,- ..-!

I
: d.j,: ....

Exgnc¡sr 22 tsx a sturient a question with "Do yon ltaue ?" and the
words given. The other student will ansi,ver. Practice both c0unt
and noncount nouns. I
[>:¿tt¡,lr' Arl- erican friends
A. Do you have any American friends? I
B. Yes. i have tllany (or a lot of) Americar-r fiiends.
olt
No. I don't have many American friends.
I
Éx¿mpLr' free time
A. Do you have a lot of free time? I
B. Yes. I have sorre free tinre.
OR
No. I have very little free time.
t
1. problems in the U.S. T
2. American friends
T
3. relatives in New York
4. time to relax T
5. brothers and sisters (siblings)
6. experience with computers
I
7. questions about Arnerican customs T
8. trouble with trnglish prorrunciation
f. information about points of interest in this city
I
10. knowledge about computer prograrnming t
Exrnc¡sr 23 Cross out the phrase that doesn't fit and fill in the blanks \4rith !
an expression of quantity to make a true statement about your
native country. Discuss your answers. t
Exluplr, Thereb/There isn't much unemproyment in my native country.

1.
I
There's/There isn't opportunity to make money in my
native country.
L
2. Tirere are/There aren't divorced people in my native
country.
T
a)
D. There arelThere aren't foreigners in my native country.
4. There's/Tl-rere isn't freedom in my native country. L
T

:
¡
'D. There are/There aren't American cars in my native
country.

6. There are/There aren't poiitical problems in mY native

countrlr.

7. There is/There isn't unemplolrnent in my native

country.

8. There is/There isn't crime in nly hometown.

1. study the words that we use before count and noncount nouns.

Singular Count Plural Count Noncount

a tomato some tomatoes some coffee
no tomato no tomatoes no coffee
any tomatoes any coffee
(with questions and negatives)
a lot of tomatoes a lot of coffee
many tomatoes much coffee
(with questions and
negatives)
a few tomatoes a little coffee
several tomatoes
How many tomatoes? How much coffee?

2. Sentences wlth Th,ere

Count
There's a Viethamese student in this ctrass.
There a^re some Chinese students in this class-
Noncount
Therets some rain in my hometown in the winter.
How much rain is there in the sPring?

3. Too Much/Too Many/A Lot Of

. A l,ot o/ f count or noncount noun (no problern is presented)
She's a healthy woman. She gets a lot of exercise.
She walks ¿ lot of miles.
. Too much + noncount noun (a problem is presented)
she doesn't qualify for fina¡rcial aid because her parents make too
much money.
. Too nxonA * count noun (a problem is presented)
There are too müry students in the class. The teacher doesn't have
time to help everyone.

Singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There + Be; Quantity Words r55
Í

I
1. q^-^
1 .-1,,--r ioi'iiis
üome pi''iiai r^,*
are iiíegrilar ai-rd doi-l't take t
She has two childrens. I
2. Use a singular noun and verb after et)etu.
5
I
Every children need love.
t
¿). [Jse the plural form after one of.
ó
One of my sister is a lawyer.
I
T
4. Don't use a or an before a plural noun.
(eome)
She bought a néw socks. ;

Don't put o or a,n before a noncount noun. T

some O< a Piece of
I want to give you ed advice.
:
A noncount noun is always singular.
a loL of
I have many homeworks to do.
I
piecee of
She bought tliree furnitures. ;

7. Use there to introduce a noun. T

There a
a lot of people in China.
^fue b
8. Be careful with there and th.ey,re. They sound the same.
There
t
9.
Thefre are many problems in the world.

Don't use a specific noun after thsre.

t
Tie L
T+ereh the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.

10. Include o/with unit of meastrre.

a
t
of
He bought three rolls film. t
¡
15ó Lesson Five

T
4
 11. Omit o/ after a lof lvhen the noun is omitted'

I have a lot of time, but my brother doesn't have a lot of'

t2. Use a Littte/a feu for a positive meaning' lJse Little/;fe¿o for a negative
nreaning.
,

He can't help you because he has a"iittle time'

13. I)on't use foo tttuclt or [oo ??'¿r.?7A if the q.rar-rtity doesu't present a problem'
. ,. ;
He's a luc§ man. He has doo<nany friends.

14. Don't use a double negative.

án5r
He doesn't have ao money.
or l,e hag no mcney.

PART 1 Find the mistakes with the underlined words, and correct them.
Not every sentence had a mistake. If the sentence is correct,
write C. ,, i +

much
ExRMplrs' How manymilksdid You drink?

Ilorv t'nuch tirne do vott have? C

1. He doesn't have no job.

2. One of my friend moved to Montana.

3. I can't go out tonight because I have too much work'

4. Three womens came into the room.

5. I had a lot of friends in my country but in the u's. I don't have a lot of'

6. A tot of American own a computer.

7. A person can be happy if he has a few good friends'

B. I have much information about my country'

9. Every workers in the U.S. pays taxes.

Singular and Plural; Noncount Nouns; There * Be; Quantity Words 157
I
10.

1'l
Are tirere any mistakes in this sentence?
t
rl. ['1y mother gave me a lot of ad'u-ices
L
t2. You need a luck to u.in the lotterv.

13. Tirere's the White House in Washington, D.C.

I
1^
1+. I can help you on Saturday because I,ll have too much time. !
15. ,A,re a Iot of stndents in the cafeteria, a.d I can,t fincl a seat. I
16. A few of my teacher speak English very fast.
I
t7. Did you buy a new furniture for your apartment?
T
18. Some man are very polite.

19. I have many problems with my landlord.

T
20. Did you have much fun at the party? [-

21. I have a new dishes in my kitchen. T

in this class speak French.
22. Several students
J
r)o
A?) - I have a dog. I don't have any cat.
t:
24. Many people like to travel.

25. He doesn't need any help from you.

tl
26. I have a little time. I can help you. t:
27. I have a little time. I can't help you. t:
28, He bought three pounds meat.
t:
29. How much apples did you eat?
L:
30. How many cup of coffees did you drink?

31. They're are four Mexican students in the class.

t:
QO
t )¿. I'want to give you an adüce about your education. C

1-5B Lesson Five

D
 fi.I
n¡
r--H.
ñt
¡r t ,3d Fill in the bianks tyith the singular or plural form of the v"ol'rl
in parentheses ( ).
exüerieii,Je
l-¿lll'l-1. -l'llr' Pil:1r'irrr:i (li{lir'l itlrt' i l,ti irl' wit} Americatt i¿ilr.ii.
(rlPo¡',ctl''

1. The Indians had rnany

(:'l'ar)
rvith white
(perscn)
over their lands.
2. Some
(reseruati,on)
have a big problem rnith
(unan"pLollntent.)

. There aren't enough for everyone.

(poua'tg) (iob)

3. My father gave nte a iot of . He told me that there are

(ad.uice)

more in big tha¡'r on the reservations.

Aob) (city)
4. We Iike to visit the ar[ museum. We like to see the
(scuLpture)

and by famous We like all kinds

(paíntiW) (artíst)

(art)
5. My brothér likes all kinds of
(mttsic)
He has a large collection

of
(CD) (taPe)

PART 3 Fill in the blanks with an apprgpriate measurement of quantity.

In some cases, several answers are possible.
ExAuptr, I bought u loaf of bread.

1. I drank a of tea

2. She drank a of nük.

3. I usually put a of sugar in my coffee.

4. There's a of milk in the refrigerator.

5. I'm going to buy a of furniture for my living room.

6. The teacher gave a long homework

7. My father gave me an important of advice.

B. I took three of film on my vacation.

9. I need a of paper to write my composition.

10. We need to buy a of soap.

Singular antl Plural; Noncount Nouns; There * Be; Quantiby Words f 59

;,AÍiT 4 Read this composition by an American indian. Choose the
correct n,ords to compiete the composition.
t:
i\{5:11¿,l," is Joseph Fzrtling Snou-. I'nr (nrz. 3
, arzy) Native Ar"Lrerican fron'L
t:
a Siouxe resen'atiou in South Dakota. I don't live in South Dakota anlmore
because I couldr"L't flnd (a, an,y, tto)job. There's (n li,tt\e, a feu, uery rittre, t'erg t-
/etr,) nork on nty resenation. There's (nurclt, a lot of, many) porrerty. I,ly uncle
gave me {a, cut, sonLe, arzg) good adr.ice. IIe told n-Le to go to Minneapolis to
¡.:
flrrd (4, ant, sonte) job. N{inneapolis is a big cit¡,, so there are (rnucrl, lnana.
any) iob opportunities hele. It u.as easy for rne to fincl a job as a carpenter. I
had (rzo, ttot, crtt'y) trouble finding a job because I have (a tot of.:nütta, nutclt)
f
experience.
native language is Lakota, but I knos' (any, a Jbto, uery few) words ilr
N,Iy t;
my language. Most of the people on my resenation speak English. (Afeu, Arzy.
A little) older people still speak Lakota, but the language is dying out as the t-
older people die.
(A fe'to, A Little) times a year, I gc back to the reservation for
l,i,ttlc, Feu, t-
a Pow-Wow. We rn ear our native costumes and dance our native dances. It gets
very crolvded at these times because (.muclt, enA, a lot ofl people from our
reservation and nearby reservations attend tliis celebration. We have (m,uclt,
E
nLanA, a lot ofl fun.
I
T
T

I
¡

I
r',§io¿.r' is
¡tr<lrorutr:crl /srr,/
Ia

l-¿o Lesson Five

t
Ij
C §.A§§R"Ü*i"i
A -Tt! Ítn'lY {:
i. \\Ior-k rvith a pattuer. inragine that ¡'ou have to spet-Ld
.r{{-¡rvá!ll:5 a f'eu, ureeks alone on a deserted island- \ott can
take 15 things rvith yott. \\Ihat u'ilI you nt'ed to sur-
r.ive'? Gir.e I'easons for each itetlr.
E,x¿xr,¡-r, l'11 t¡rlie li ktl ol' u-ti1t.l Irr.1'1t¡rr,, i ,.':llt i tlt'itll.
(){'r'iiti \','¡Lii'i'. ii ii;ir,r s¡i]i i:l r:.

2. Complete the follou-ing sentencc in as lllr1ny \\':iys

as you can. Cotnp&l'e ¡r611a alls\\-ers r'r'itlt a partlrcr
or ilr a small group.

Happiness is
ExRuptrs' IJa1r1;luess is sleeltiitg ttlitil it'lt o't'1<'t'li itl tlte tilotttitig.
Il:rplritiess rs ht'lltirrg ¿rtl t'ltlt'r'l\' 1)('rs()ll.
I'iappi;ress is ¿rtt air ttotttiilioltt't'()ll il liot tlat'.

3. Cornplete the following sentence in as many ways as you can. Compare

your answers with a partner or in a small group.

Life is
ExR¡,tpt-gs, Life is too sl-.o11.
Life is a gift.

4. Game: Where am I? Teacher: Write these words on separate index cards:

at the airport, downtow,n, at the library, at a supennarket, at a department
store, on the highway, at the zoo, at church, at the beach, at home, on an
elevator, on a bus, on an airplane, at the post office, in the school cafeteria.
Students: One student picks an index card with a place nalne and says,
"Where am I?" Other students have to guess where he/she is by asking
questions.
ExRvplEs: Are you indoors or oultloot's'l
Are there a lot of c'als ilt lliis plrrt'c'.'
Is it noisy ir-r this Plat'e'l
Are there a lot of peolrle irl lhis 1rl:tt'c'?

5. Find a paftner. Take something from your purse, pocket, book bag, or
backpack..Say, "I have with nte." Then ask your partner if he
or she has this. If you're not sure if the item is a count or noncount noun,
ask the teacher.
ExR¡rpus' I havc ¿r c:ol',rl¡ itr nrv ¡t<tcl<t'1 . i)o vort lt¿tvt'¿t cotrllr itl lottt'llor'kt't:'
I have soltrc nrakc'u1l in llv l)ul's('. I)o vtltt httvt'iitt-v iltttlit'it¡r ill Vottl'
¡lurst"?
I ¡aVt I¡OIl('V lj"¡rri ¡t\,(.()¡¡l¡t
SO1I1'C ilt trtr'¡locl<r:1. I)Li rctt Iirtir'¿tit)'
nron('y Ytrtttt ¡'<-rttt t'otttt1t't'''l

Singular ancl I'}lural; Nottcount Nguns; 'fhere * Be; Quantity Words l6t
1", ¡g* i-l*q-q I¡#y"j Read tire follorving quotes and discuss what they mea^l, io you. t
1. Once I rvas in a big city and I sarn, a very iarge house. They told me it s'a.<
a l¡ank ancl that the r¡¡¡i¡" men place thei¡ money there to be taken ca¡e I
of, and that by and by they got it back rnith interest. \\'e are Indians ar-Li
rl'e have no such bank. When we have plen§ of money or blankets, rve give
them away to other chiefs and people, and by and by they return them u-itL
t
interest, and our hearts feel good. Our way of giving is our bank.
Maquinna, Nootka tnbe
-Chief t
Tteat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned
to you by your chiidren. I
c)
i). "Today ls a time of celebrating for you-a time of looking back to the first
days of white people in America. But it is not a time of ceiebrating for me.
It is with a hear,y heart that I look back upon what happened to my people.
I
When the Pilgrims arrived, we, the Wampanoags, welcomed them with open
arms, little lcrowing that it was the beginning of the end. . Let us always
T
remember, the Indian is and was just as human as the white people." From
a speech by a Wampanoag Indian given on Thanksgiving in 1970 in Massachu-
setts, at the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrim's arrival in America.
I
WRITING 1. Write about a¡r ethnic minority in your native country. Where and how do T
they live? Use expressions of quantity.

2. Write a paragraph telling about the advantages or disadvantages of üving

T
in this city. You may write about pollution, job opportunities, weather,
traffic, transportation, and crime. Use expressions of quantity. T
Internet Activities
T
1. Search for American Indian Web sites. Find the narnes and locations of
three tribes.
T
2. Search for more information about the Pilgrims. Why did they leave England?
Where did they go before coming to America? T

t
I
T

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162 Lesson Five
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