27 Uncountable nouns and plural nouns 58 A Uncountable nouns Uncountable nouns (e.g. information): = don’t have a plural form (informations); ig = ace used with a singular verb (the information ate; = cannot be used with the indefinite article ‘a/an’. (I want aw information) “These uncountable nouns ae often countable in other languages. Look at them carefully He refused to give me more information about the hotel. She gave me lots of advice about the best dictionary to buy. We are going to sell all the furniture. (= tables, chairs, armchairs, desks, etc.) My knowledge of German is very limited. ‘You need a lot of equipment for camping (€. She is making good progress in her English. We had fabulous weather in Italy The teacher gave us a lot of homework last night. Tnever take much luggage (= bags and suitcases) when I go on holiday. tent, sleeping bag, things for cooking, ete: wer English is improving / getting berter) In dictionaries Countable nouns are usually shown with a (C) after them; uncountable nouns have (U) after them; and some nouns can be countable with one meaning and uncountable in another. book (C) ‘The books are on the table. housework (U) I did a lor of housework this morning, hair (U) My hair is getting very long and untidy. I need to get it eu. hair (C) ‘There is a hair on my dinner plate. Plural nouns Plural nouns (e.g. trousers) ~ only have a plural form and cannot be used with ‘a/an’ (a-teowser) trowers ~ usually have a plural verb (the trousers i...) ve ~ some plural nouns can be made singular using a pair of, et. a pair of teousers/sunglasses Other words which are usually plural include: I bought a pair of jeans yesterday: ‘These shorts are too long. I bought a new pair of pyjamas when I went into hospital The scissors are on the table. When it’s sunny I wear sunglasses for driving. ‘These stairs are dangerous. ‘You can weigh yourself on those scales over there. The headphones on my new walkman are great. English Vocobulory in Use (pre-intermediote & intermediate)27.4 27.2 27.3 27.4 Exercises Correct the mistakes in these sentences. [need some informations. We had a lovely weather. The furnitures are very old. Pm looking for a new jeans. Your hairs are getting very long. Do you have a scissors? We had a lot of homeworks yesterday. Do you think she’s making a progress with her English? ‘These trousers is too small She gave me some good advices. 1 Are these nouns countable, uncountable, or countable with one meaning and uncountable with another? Use a dictionary to help you. If they can be countable and uncountable, write sentence examples to show the difference. butter cup housework insurance spaghetti coffee ‘grape money television coin work travel ‘Complete these dialogues using a suitable plural noun or uncountable noun from the “opposite page. Make sure the form of each word is correct. Look at the example first. Example: A: Its too hot for jeans. i: You need ..2 oir. of shorts : Lhave to cut this paper into three pieces. You need I can’t see because the sun is in my eyes. : You need Tdon’t know what to do when I leave school. You need : My room looks so empty. ts You need 5s: Lwant to find out how much I weigh. 1: You need 6 a: Lean't play my music loud because my mother always complains. : You need 7 x: Pim starting to feel cold in bed. wi: You need 8 A: My teacher said my English wasn’t getting any better. : You need Read this text from a radio broadcast. Can you find two more uncountable nouns and ewo ‘more plural nouns? (These words are not included on the opposite page.) Traffic has boon bad throughout the day because of roadworks on the 40 at Uxbridge which are causing long delays for motorists heading into Londen. The authorities are advising drivers to avoid the aroa if 1 possible, and we will, of course, keep you informed of the situation with the latest news every ha hour, <0 don't go away. English Vocobulary in Use (prentermedate & intermedite) 59