Noun
Noun
Noun
4 nouns ? lld
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c
grammar summary
Nouns are mostly words for things and people - for example house, tree, driver, child, water, idea, Iesson.
Most nouns can come after fhe.
English nouns can be countable (we can say two houses) or uncountable (we can't say twe#a+ers).
Countable nouns have plurals (houses), and we can use o/an with them (c house, an idea).
Uncountable nouns have no plurals, and we can't use o/on before them.
Some English uncountable nouns are countable in some other languages (like furniture).
key ring
\\s{-
b
g lass \/
ing finger
\
plate glass
nail file
\
n finger nail
number plate
/tai)6gr
NOUNS 195
singular and plural nouns c#r, r*fs; &nx, tu*xes
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Countable nouns have different forms for singular and plural.
onecor fourcars oneday tendays oneboby fourbabies onechild sixchildren
+ -E5: . .9.qssps
NOUNS ENDING IN -Y
a -ol,-€y,-oy,-uy:+-s day -** days monkey ** monkeys toy *-r- toys
* -by,-dy,-fy,-g!, etc:-y -*> -ies boby ---> babies lody ---* ladies lorry ---> lsvvisg
+ -s: ..9.r.A5.
-Y --i" -,Es: ..?*19?.
Simple present verbs have different forms after singular and plural nouns (see page 16).
This bus runs ot weekends. Most ofthe buses run atweekends.
My brother hos a small flot.
Both my brothers have good jobs.
196 NOUNS
singular/plural f*,'r;*;,,i*r:;ily; i{i{-}r?s, s*rss*r:
Words for groups of people can have singularor plural verbs in British English.
We often use plural verbs when we talk about personal actions (for example play, wont, think).
The teom is/ore playing badly. My fomily want/wonts me to study.
The government think/thinks taxes qre too low.
Note the difference between England (the country) and England (the football team).
England has got a new prime minister. England have got a new manager.
Police is always plural.
The police ore looking for a tall 3}-yeqr-old woman. (Nor Thepotiee+Jeeking ...)
ur^y .!.. audience ..{.. beach ..{.. class ...... club ...... Communist Party ...... company ......
crowd...... idea...... lunch...... question...... room...... school ...... train......
Put the beginnings and ends together, and put in pluralverbs from the box.
Those trousers are too short. (not That+reaser ...) Where are my glasses?
black trousers blue jeans / dark glasses scissors shorts silk pyjamas tights
three poirs of jeans (NoT f#reeFens) two poirs of pyjomos (Not twopyianas)
ln some answers, both contracted forms (for example /m, don't) and full i\ii."lriifrr '197
forms (for exam ple I am, do not\ are possible. Normally both are correct.
lg countable and uncountable nouns
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Countable nouns are words like car, book, chair.They can be singular or plural.
Uncountable nouns are words like petrol, rice, water.fhey are only singular.
The following words are uncountable in English (but countable in some other languages). They are
normally only singular. We can use some with them, but not o/an. (Not a+avet, a+anitare)
advice baggage bread furniture hair information knowledge luck
Iuggage news spqghetti (and macaroni elc) travel work
I need some odvice. Thisfurniture is too expensive.
His hoir is very long. Travel teoches you a lot.
Put d with the countable nouns and sorne with the uncountable nouns.
bread cheque baggage ............ fridge fu rniture
handbag holiday knowledge ............|uck
newspaper problem station ............ travel work
For articles with countable and uncountable nouns, see page 1 53.
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1 ................... 2................... 3 ................... 5 ...................
6 ...................
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7 ................... 8 ................... 10
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bag bottle box can cup glass jar jug mug packet
3 i
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6 a ...............
wa ............... B a ...............
. *rr.j$
a ............... 10 a ...............
of honey of soup of onions of orange juice of biscuits
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l-,. .." ... .. ,, ,.. .. ..... . .... .i. i- , ., ,.." 1.," ,,.. ,; ,.
one and anes l;
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1,...i rt..lr,
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We often use one instead of repeating a countable noun.
'What sort of car would you likeT' A big one; (='A big ca() (Nor 'A+ig!
That was a great party. Let's have onother one soon.
The plural is ones.
'Which ore your glovesT' 'The ones on the chair.'
Complete the sentences with one(s), using words from the box.
I bought a blue shirt and two ..9f9q* 4 That bus is the .......... . tonight.
1 That shop isn't as good as 5 'Another piece of cake?'
2 MyTV's broken. I must get Just a .........
3 She's finished her apple. She wants Idon't like the red shoes. I prefer
the ............
tr
1
l've already got one. I haven't got one. I need one. I need a new one.
I don't need one. I'd like one. I don't want one.
We use possessive 3 and s'mostly to talk about people and animals, not things: for example their possessions,
experience, relationships (family, friends etc), parts of the body.
Ann's purse Ann's English lessons Ann's holidoy
Ann's husband Ann's friend
my dod's book(nor the-beekefmy4ad) my horse's ears (Nor t@f$orse)
BUT the roof of the house (Not *ehoase3+eefl the top of my desk (Not my4eskS+op)
3 You can see the church from the window (Emma; the living room)
202 NOUNS
With some common time words, we add 3 to say how long something takes.
a second's thought o minute's silence
HI
S Choose a time expression for each sentence. Use the words in the box.
'Who was it?'l asked. There was a pause before she answered. ..?..r9.2?.ry4':tg*:q
1 After university, Les took a course lo become a teacher.
2 Lin had a holiday with her mother earlier this year.
3 Oxford is nearly 600 km from Edinburgh - that's a journey.
4 Sita's new job will mean a drive to work every morning.
5 There was a wqit while the computer started up.
i{$ I-oot at the picture. There is some confusion. Complete the sentences as in the example.
{@6ry;j
.s /.-.,
>
1
K@ Mr Brown
ffi Other people's homes: write about two or more things in your past. Use ot ...'s or at ...s'
..1.ry.9y.vu.s.t".ff:ig*.4..q.Q*lg':,...!.Y9ry:.y2.ry.a.ey!*lP.?.y9.ry1?.:.f.2r.Fr:t9.[...............
ln some answers, both contracted forms (for example /m, don? and full NOUNS 203
forms (for example I am, do not) are possible. Normally both are correct.
noun + noun ': ' .," I . rjiiiq, ;:, li riJrii] r:i f i:r":r {},il.iir:}.
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We can put one noun before another when we are talking about a kind of thing or person.
The first noun is usually singular, even if it has a plural meaning.
milk chocolate = a kind of chocolate, with milk in it chocolate milk = q kind of milk, with chocolate in it
flower shop = shop that sells flowers (not ftowers:hep) corner shap = a shop on a corner
hotel receptionist = a receptionist in a hotel history teacher = q teacher who teaches history
Use the words in the box to make noun + noun structures. You can use some of the
words more than once.
13 kinds of address
23 kinds of bottle
33 kinds of singer
42 kinds of wall
53 kinds of uniform
62 kinds of chair
Change the expressions in the box to noun + noun structures, and put the beginnings and ends
together. Remember: don't make the first noun plural.
clothes for babies make-up for eyes / building with offices in it food for dogs
engineer who works on computers school of languages drawer for knives
0 Judy wea rs too much ..?H9.Y4.&9..TP.... to the offi ce A but he couldn't repair it. ......
1 They're going to put a big B I want to learn Japanese. ......
2 Our dog won't eat ...........; C - does she think she's at a party? ..?.
3 The ........... looked at my printer, D he only wants fresh meat or fish. ......
4 Do you know of a good ............................ ? E when my brother was born. ......
5 My aunt made some lovely ......... F at the corner of our street. ......
6 Why are the spoons in the ............................ ? G And who put them there? ......
We often use noun + noun structures to talk about what things are made of.
We mostly use 3 or s'when the first noun possesses, experiences or has a relationship with the second noun.
We use a noun + noun structure for other kinds of meaning. 5o things do not usually lake's / s'. Compare:
the dog's narne (possession: the dog has a name) Rita's arcidenf (experience: Rita had an accident)
Ed's brother (relationship: Ed has a brother) Annie's se$etary is Ellen's best f riend. (relationships)
BUf a shoe brusft (the shoe doesn't possess or experience the brush; shoes don't have relationships)
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205
li nouns: more practice
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ffi Special plurals. Put in three different plural nouns which have no singular.
I a pair of 2 a pair of 3 a pair of
206 NOUNS
Noun + noun. What are these people? Put together words from the two boxes and
write the descriptions.
. ?. .4 e. ?.9.e.Y .P.lq.Y 9 r. .
N^r%e&ff
4..............
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:1i-.:: Grammar in a text. Read the text and circle the correct forms.
f n the >(ent Mappleforrl/ Mappteford centre there's a large ancient covered market with all sorts of
re of
lnteresting shops: shops of clothes / clothesshops, butchers, grocers, jewellers etc etc. But my favourite
-
placeinthemarketisJoe'sCaf6. lt'sareal zbusinessof family/familybusiness: Joe, : thewifeof Joe/Joe's
wife,his sons, his q son's / sons'wives, his daughter and his s daughter's / daughters'boyfriend all work there
at different times. lt's not luxurious - there are o tables and chairs of plastic / plastic tables and chairs - but it's
excellent value. Joe's caf6 is the best place in town for a full English breakfast. For a few pounds, you get a
big plate of eggs, bacon and sausages, as much toast and butter as you can eat, and an enormous cup of tea
All sorts of people t have / has breakfast at a Joe / Joe's, from professors to e drivers of buses / bus drivers /
bus's drivers.When they've all gone off to work, Joe and his family have time for a short rest. and then the
caf6 starts filling up with tourists who have come to try Joe's famous rc cake of chocolate / chocolate cake.
lf you're ever in Mappleford, take my advice and visit Joe's Caf6.
li.j lnternet exercise. Checking correctness. Use a search engine (e.g. Google). Which of the
following expressions get most hits? So which are correct?
"a heavy baggage" ..F.??......... "some heavy baggage " .3.?.2?.
"a coffee table" ....... "a table coffee "
"the President's birthday" "the birthday of the President
"a bus driver" "a bus's driver " "a driver of bus"
"a gold watch " "a watch of gold"
*s
pronunciation for grammar NOUNS 207
nouns: revision test
lltr
Sff Write the plurals.
bus..9.*:.e.q.... fox journey match book
table foot person knife mouse
dog day family woman leaf
man child car wife babY
;
'r t'girclg)the correct forms.
1 My cousin is a tennis player/ player oftennis / tennis's player.
2 The police is / are looking for a tall thin man.
3 l'm going to have a sleep of an hour / an hour sleep / an hour's sleep now.
4 Do you read woman's / womans'/ women's / womens'magazines?
5 I like travelling to other countries / countrys / countreys.
6 'Coffee?' 'Yes, please. One large / Large one / A large one / A large!
7 Could you give me some information / informqtions?
8 England is / are leading by 4 goals to 2.
9 My sister works in a flower shop / flowers shop / shop flower / shop's flower.
1 0 I can't fi nd her number in the phone book / phone's book / book of phone / book of the phone.
{$ correct the mistakes.
) He's bought two new *etrs'ers. .l.q!.,.:.p.f .!f.q*:qf:........
1 I like eating chocolate milk.
2 My parents lived all their lifes in Dublin.
3 I like looking round books shops.
4 Who was the people who came to see you?
5 Peter is my son's sister.
6 I like those gloves. How much are the blue?
7 lt's a nice jacket, but d like a one with pockets.
I
208 NOUNS ln some answers, both contracted forms (for example / m, don't) and full
forms (for example lam, da not\ are possible. Normally both are correct.