Mustafa Eissa

Muhammed Almujtaba
1 How long does it take you to get ready in the
morning?
2 What is the first thing you notice about a
person?
3 Do people in your country talk a lot about other
people’s appearance?
4 What do the clothes someone wears reflect
about that person?
5 What kinds of things do you do to
improve/maintain your appearance?
6 Is there a part of your appearance that you are
very proud of? (i.e. eyes, fashion sense, hair etc.)

We shouldn't Judge a person by their appearance but so certainly, we do. In fact, the experts say that
when we meet someone for the first time we make a decision about what that person is like in three
seconds. But what do we look at? One of the most important things is clothes, but it isn't the brand of
clothes that people wear that is important. The important thing is to wear the right colored clothes for
the occasion.
Schools have always understood this and a lot of them ask their students to wear a uniform. Schools
where uniforms are not compulsory often give their students a dress code to follow. Why? A lot of
teachers think a uniform makes students feel that they are part of their school and that their uniform
helps them to be serious enough about their studies. Teachers say that uniforms can help in other
ways too. If all the students wear one, they can't judge each other because of their clothes. They don't
know if other students are from rich or poor lovely families. It also avoids arguments about who, or
what, is fashionable.
However, it is not only schools that want people to dress in a certain way. We all have ideas that are
really stereotype about what the people in certain professions should wear. If we visit a doctor, we
expect to see respectable clothes under the doctor's white coat. When we go into a bank we expect
the staff to wear suits or dresses. In fact, a lot of companies have special dress codes for their staff
because they know that when their customers visit them, they expect to see people dressed in certain
types of clothes. Even university students, who often wear a casual 'uniform' of jeans and T-shirts,
invest in a suit or dress to attend job interviews in their every final year. They know a smart perfect
appearance can help them get a desired job.
But, can our clothes really tell people what we are like? Maybe not, but they can show our attitude to
what we're doing at that moment. When people see us in the 'right' clothes they think we are far
serious about what we are doing. Furthermore, if we are clean, smart and polite, people will have
confidence in us. But if a person is good at their job, are the clothes they wear really important? Well,
would you feel happy visiting a doctor who is wearing a dirty old T-shirt and torn jeans?
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Match the highlighted words in the text with the definitions.
1 .................................Prevents something bad from happening.
2 .................................Considered to be acceptable and correct.
3 .................................Clothes that are for informal situations.
4 .................................To go to or be present at an event or activity.
5 .................................Something damaged by pulling it apart.
6 .................................To form an opinion about something, using the information you have.
7 .................................Ideas that are sometimes wrong, about what someone or something is like.
8 .................................Opinions or feelings that you show by your behavior.
9 .................................The name of a product made by a particular company.
10 ...............................To use your money in a way that is good for you.
11 ...............................Popular at a particular time.
12 ...............................The people who work for a particular company or organization.
13 ...............................To think that something will happen.
14 ...............................A set of rules about what people should wear.
15 ...............................The belief that you can do things well.

Read the text again. Choose the best answers.

1 People
A decide very quickly what the people they meet are like.
B only need three seconds to ask about the clothes brands you wear.
C never judge others on their appearance.
2 Uniforms
A help student to be serious about clothes.
B make students understand school is important in their lives.
C make teachers feel students are a part of their school.
3 Uniforms
a look the same on rich and poor students.
B are very fashionable.
C make students have arguments.
4 University students
A never wear jeans and T-shirts in their final year.
B often wear white coats over their casual clothes.
C know it's important to dress well for an important occasion.
5 Clothes can tell people
A what we think about our work.
B what someone studied at university.
C that we are confident

UNDERSTANDING IDEAS:
Answer the questions. Look at the text, and use your own words and ideas.
1 Do you think the author is right about school uniforms? Why / Why not?

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……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................

2 Do you have stereotyped images of the clothes people should wear for particular jobs? Give some examples.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………
……………………………………………………............................................................................................................................

3 What do you think your clothes can tell people about you?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...............
...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................
4 Apart from clothes, what other things do you think tell us what a person is like?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….............................
...................................................................................................................................................................................

Adjectives:
Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns (people, places, things, or animals) or pronouns.
They describe the noun by telling us its size, shape, age, colour, etc. Adjectives usually come before
the noun or pronoun, or sometimes they can come after it.

Adjectives coming before nouns are attributive adjectives

 Everyone knows a giraffe has a long neck.
 My old car didn’t have air conditioning.
 Today, we have blue sky.

The words in bold long, old and blue are adjectives, and they come before the nouns neck, car and sky. The
adjectives describe the shape of the neck, age of the car and color of the sky.
Adjectives coming after nouns are predicative adjectives
 That statue of a goddess was quite large.
 One of my tables is round.
 The sky looks very black.

The words in bold large, round and black are adjectives, and they come after the nouns statue, table and sky.
Without the adjectives, we wouldn’t know the size of the statue, the shape of the table, and the color of the
sky.
The above adjectives large, round and black are predicative adjectives, and the verbs (was, is, looks)
connecting them to their respective subjects (statue, table, sky) are linking verbs.

An adjective can take up any position in a sentence, preferably close to the noun that it describes. More than
one adjective can appear in a sentence, and we can make the two or more adjectives describe the same noun.

The adjectives are in bold in the following sentences.

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 The pretty girl is angry with her boyfriend.
 The warm air is thick with dust.
 His big house must be expensive to maintain.

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1 What is your attitude toward marriage?
2 What is the best age for a man or
woman to get married?
3 What are the wedding
traditions in your country?
4 How much does it cost to organize a
wedding ceremony in your country?
5 What are the main expense items?
6 What is your attitude toward wedding
ceremonies?
7 What positive or negative changes
take place in the life of a couple after
marriage?
8 What is the divorce rate in your country?

1................ More and more people are living together and having children without getting
married, she told us. The number of divorces is increasing all the time. It doesn't matter if
you are single or married, she said with a smile of victory. 'The prison of marriage belongs
to an older generation’!

2................But now, twenty years later - is marriage dead? You do not need to think
about it for long: go to any newsagent and look at the magazines on sale. On the cover of
every popular magazine like Hello! someone is getting married. Or maybe someone is
getting divorced. The stories Sell the magazines and, in thousands of offices around the
world, people are sitting around and looking at the wedding photos of the rich and
famous.

3................In the UK, waiting until they are older to get married, but the number of
weddings is actually increasing. True, divorces are also going up, but people are getting
married again, for a second, third or fourth time.

4.................in the year after university, I went to the weddings of four of my friends. My
own (first) marriage was two years later. We want to read about marriage, look at films
and photos, and do it ourselves. It appears that we can't get enough of it, Sorry professor,
but the conclusion seems clear: ‘marriage is very much alive and well’.

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Read the article again and put the sentences a—d in the gaps 1—4.

A. Marriage is certainly changing.

B. Marriage, said one of my professors at university; belongs to the past.
C. She sounded sure of herself and we all agreed - or, at least, nobody
disagreed
D. The simple fact is that most of us believe that marriage is good for us.
Did you know?
Work in groups. Read the information about wedding traditions in Britain
and America and discuss the questions.

 Are they the same in your country?

 What wedding traditions do you have in your country?
 The groom arrives at the wedding before his bride.
 The bride wears a tong white dress and a group of young girls (bridesmaids)
follow her into the church.
 The bride throws a bouquet of flowers in the air and other single women try to
catch it. The woman who catches it will be the next to get married.
 The bride and groom cut the wedding cake together.
 After a wedding, the groom carries the bride into their new home.
 A woman wears her wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand.

Present Continuous Forms

The present continuous is formed using am/is/are + present participle. Questions are indicated by
inverting the subject and am/is/are. Negatives are made with not.
Statement: You are watching TV.
Question: Are you watching TV?
Negative: You are not watching TV.

USE 1 Now
Use the present continuous with normal verbs to express the idea that something is happening now, at
this very moment. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now.

Examples:

You are learning English now.

You are not swimming now.
Are you sleeping?
I am sitting.

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I am not standing.
Is he sitting or standing?
They are reading their books.
They are not watching television.
What are you doing?
Why aren't you doing your homework?

USE 2 Longer Actions in Progress Now

In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this month, this year, this century, and so on. Sometimes,
we use the present continuous to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in
progress; however, we might not be doing it at this exact second.

Examples: (All of these sentences can be said while eating dinner in a restaurant.)

I am studying to become a doctor.

I am not studying to become a dentist.
I am reading the book Tom Sawyer.
I am not reading any books right now.
Are you working on any special projects at work?
Aren't you teaching at the university now?

Present Continuous Tips

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that non-continuous verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also,
certain non-continuous meanings for mixed verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using
present continuous with these verbs, you must use simple present.

Examples:

 She is loving this chocolate ice cream. Not Correct

 She loves this chocolate ice cream. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still,
just, etc.

Examples:

 You are still watching TV.

 Are you still watching TV?

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1 What was your favorite subject?
2 Did you ever drop out of school?
3 Are there any big differences between
the schools in your town?
4 Are some schools better than others? If
so, why?
5 What is your idea of a good school?
6 Does your country provide a good
public school system?
7 What did you major in? Why did you choose this major?
8 Did you procrastinate studying? Did you ever pull an all-nighter?
9 Are college tuitions reasonable in your country? Is it easy to get scholarships or government grants?

Read a magazine article about education in Ireland. Match the paragraphs 1—4 to the headings a—d below

A Rich and poor, boys B A success story C School subjects D Traditional teaching
and girls

(1) ……………………………………………………….
Ireland now has one of the best education systems in the world. Class sizes are small, exam results are
good and most children are happy to stay at school after the minimum leaving age of sixteen. It is easy to
forget that the picture used to be very different,
(2) ……………………………………………………….
For years, Ireland had one of the most complicated education systems in the world. There were many
different lands of school, but most of them had a lot in common, Classes were large and the teaching
was very traditional. As in many countries, teachers used to hit the children if they made mistakes (the
government banned corporal punishment in 1982).
(3) ……………………………………………………….
Parents used to pay for their children's education and, as a result, there were schools for the rich and
schools for the poor, Boys and girls went to different schools and studied different subjects. Nowadays,
most schools are free and only about half the schools are single-sex. In many ways, education is now a
woman's world. Girls do better than boys in their 15 exams, more girls go to university and most
teachers are women.

(4) ……………………………………………………….
At the end of secondary school, students take their final exams (the 'Leaving Certificate'). Compulsory
subjects are maths, history, Irish, and a foreign language, in addition, they must choose two or three
extra subjects. Some of these, like Business Organization, help to prepare 20 them for the world of work
This is very different from the past when Latin, Creek and Religion used to be the most important
subjects.

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Complete the sentences with a word from the box.
age certificate compulsory punishment results sex system

1 Some schools in England are for boys and girls and some are single.......................
2 In the English education ........................there are private schools and state schools.
3 Some subjects, like English and maths, are .............................. until the age of sixteen in England.
4 English children must sometimes stay in class at break as a ..................................
5 The minimum leaving ......................... in England is sixteen, but most students continue for another two years.
6 There is no leaving ......................... in England, but many students take 'A level' exams when they are eighteen.
7 School students in England get their exam .......................... in the summer holidays after they leave school.

1 Look at the sentences about Muhammed.

Rewrite the sentences using used to + infinitive.
use used to + infinitive to talk about the past
1 His family was very poor.
His family used to be very poor. states.
2 He went to a famous school in Khartoum. Latin and Greek used to be important school
.................................................................................. subjects.
3 He didn't like his school.
.................................................................................. We also use used to + infinite to talk about
4 He missed lessons. past actions that happened many times.
..................................................................................
5 He didn't do well in his exams. Teachers used to hit children.
..................................................................................
We can always use the past simple instead of
6 He spent a lot of time playing pool.
used to.
..................................................................................
2 Look at the sentences about Frank below. Boys and girls used to go/went to different
Replace the past simple with used to where schools,
possible.
1 The writer, Frank, was/.................. a teacher. however, we cannot use used to for past'
2 He wrote/................. a book called Angela's Ashes. actions that happened once.
3 He was/.................. born in New York.
4 His family moved to/................ Ireland. The government banned corporal punishment.
5 His family didn't have/.................... much money. (not used to ban)
6 His father told/................... funny stories to Frank.
7 Frank loved/............ listening to his father.

3 Write six sentences about yourself when you

were at primary school. Begin three sentences
with I used to and three with I didn't use to.
1 ................................................................................
2 ................................................................................
3 ................................................................................
4 ................................................................................
5 ................................................................................
6 ................................................................................

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1 Do you think you are successful? why? Why not?
2 How do you measure success?
3 What part does luck play in success?
4 Why is money the most common way of judging
success?
5 Can money buy happiness?
6 Albert Einstein said: "Try not to become a man of
success, but rather try to become a man of value."
What do you think of this?

Have you ever wondered why some people are successful in business and others are not? Here's a
story about one successful businessperson. He started out washing dishes and today he owns 168
restaurants. Zubair Kazi was born in Bhatkal, a small town in southwest India. His dream was to be an
airplane pilot, and when he was 16 years old, he learned to fly a small plane. At the age of 23 and with
just a little money in his pocket, Mr. Kazi moved to the United States. He hoped to get a job in the
airplane industry in California. Instead, he ended up working for a company that rented cars.
While Mr. Kazi was working at the car rental company, he frequently ate at a nearby KFC
restaurant. To save money on food, he decided to get a job with KFC. For two months, he worked as a
cook's assistant. His job was to clean the kitchen and help the cook. "I didn't like it," Mr. Kazi says, "but
I always did the best I could. “One day, Mr. Kazi's two co-workers failed to come to work. That day, Mr.
Kazi did the work of all three people in the kitchen. This really impressed the owners of the restaurant.
A few months later, the owners needed a manager for a new restaurant. They gave the job to Mr. Kazi.
He worked hard as the manager and soon the restaurant was making a profit.
A few years later, Mr. Kazi heard about a restaurant that was losing money. The restaurant was
dirty inside and the food was terrible - greasy and undercooked. Mr. Kazi borrowed money from a bank
and bought the restaurant. For the first six months, Mr. Kazi worked in the restaurant from 8 a.m. to 10
p.m., seven days a week. He and his wife cleaned up the restaurant, remodeled the front of the
building, and improved the cooking. They also tried hard to please the customers. If someone had to
wait more than ten minutes for their food, Mrs. Kazi gave them a free soda. Before long the restaurant
was making a profit.
A year later Mr. Kazi sold his restaurant for a profit. With the money he earned, he bought three
more restaurants that were losing money. Again, he cleaned them up, improved the food, and
retrained the employees. Before long these restaurants were making a profit, too. Today Mr. Kazi owns
168 restaurants, but he isn't planning to stop there. He's looking for more poorly managed restaurants
to buy. "I love it when I go to buy a restaurant and find it's a mess," Mt. Kazi says. "The only way it can
go is up.

1 wondered; asked yourself.

2 he ended up working; after much effort, he got a job.
3 to save money on food; to spend less money on food.

10 | P a g e
4 did the best I could /did the best job I could; worked as hard as I could.
5 failed to come; didn't come.
6 impressed the owners; made the owners think well of him.
7 making a profit; earning more money than it was spending. Using infinitives
8 greasy; with lots of oil; oily. Form: (to) + verb
9 remodeled; fixed and painted. to make, to see, to go, to travel
10 Before long; after a short amount of time. You can use an infinitive to:
11 the only way it can go is up; it can only get better.
12 started out; began his career. identify something you hope, want, plan, or
need, to do.
A. Sequence of events. Number these events in Mr.
Mr. Kazi hoped to become an airplane pilot.
Kazi3 life from 1 (the first) to 9 (the last).
He wanted to be a pilot.
1...........He sold his first restaurant at a profit.
identify a plan, hope, dream
2...........He got a job as a cook's helper.
Mr. Kazi's dream was to be an airplane pilot.
3 9 He bought his 168th restaurant.
His plan was to become an airplane pilot.
4...........He moved to the United States.
identify a purpose for doing something
5...........He got a job at a car rental company.
To please customers, Mr. Kazi gave them a
6 1 He learned to fly a plane.
free soda.
7...........He bought his first restaurant.
To buy the restaurant, he borrowed money
8...........He bought three more restaurants.
from the bank.
9...........He became the manager of a restaurant.

Choose a verb from the box to complete each sentence.

to buy to come to fly to find to pleas

to save to give to improve

1 When Mr.Kazi was 16, he learned....................................... an airplane.

2 When he came to the United States, he hoped......................... a job in the airline industry.
3 ................................... money on food, Mr.Kazi got a job at a restaurant.
4 One day his co-workers failed................... to work.
5 The owners of the restaurant decided............................. Mr. Kazi the manager’s job.
6 .......................their first restaurant, Mr. Kazi and his wife remodeled the front of the building and made the
food better.
7 Mr.Kazi tried hard ..................... the customers in his restaurant.
8 Mr.Kazi is planning......................... more restaurants.

Choose a verb from the box to complete each question. (More than one answer may be possible).
to do to eat to fly to live to ski to travel to study to make

1 What do you plan................................ this evening?

2 How are you planning.................................. to Bali?
3 Where can you learn...................................?
4 Have you ever tried...................................?
5 Where would you like.................................?
6 What do you hope..................................... someday?
7 When do you want........................................ for the test?
8 What are you planning.................................. for dinner?

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Work in pairs.
Which of the situations below is the most
embarrassing?
How many more situation can you add to
the list?
Embarrassing situations
 You are wearing the wrong kind of clothes
(eg to a party).
 You do really badly in a test and everyone
knows.
 You fall asleep in a public place.
 In front of other people, your parents say
something about you that you don’t want
the other people to know.
 Your telephone rings at the wrong moment (eg in a meeting).
 Your stomach makes a strange noise.

David:
In October last year, I was working at a school in Cambridge and it was my second month in the
job. At the end of the month the head teacher organized a party for all the new teachers. It was a
good chance to know my new colleagues and I was really looking forward to it. As the party was on
13th October, I thought it was a Hallowe’en party. So, the day before the party, I went to a costume
hire shop and got witch’s costume. When I arrived at the head’s house, he opened the door and
looked at me as if I was completely mad. All the other teachers were wearing normal clothes!
Catherin:
It was the end of term in June and the students were doing their exams. I was in charge that day
and, as usual before the start of the exam, I told the students all the rules: no talking, no mobile
phones and so on. I was walking up and down between the rows of the desks when suddenly my own
phone rang. That was bad enough, but the phone had really silly ring tone. It took me ages to find the
phone in my bag and my face went bright red. One of the students was laughing so much that she fell
out of her chair.
Kelly:
Worst moment? It was one-day last May. When I woke up in the morning, I wasn’t feeling very
well. But it was a beautiful day and I decided to go to school. In the first class I gave the students an
exercise to do and sat down at my desk. It was hot and the sun was coming through the window and I
fell asleep. I probably slept for only two or three minutes. Then I heard a noise and I woke up. All the
children were laughing and the headmaster was standing at the door of the class! Fortunately, he was
very sympathetic later in the morning when I explained that I was feeling ill.

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Read the massages again and answer the questions.
Why did David’s head teacher organize a party? Past continuous:
…………………………………………………....................................................
Why was David looking forward to the party? We use the past continuous to
………………………………………………….................................................... describe actions in progress at a
Why did he wear witch’s clothes? particular time in the past. We often
………………………………………………….................................................... use the past continuous to describe
Why was Catherin in the examination room? the background Situation of a story.
…………………………………………………....................................................
It was the end of term and the
What was special about Catherin’s phone?
students were doing their exams.
…………………………………………………....................................................
Why didn’t she turn off her phone immediately? Past simple:
…………………………………………………....................................................
Why did Kelly decide to go to work when she wasn’t well? We often use the past simple and past
………………………………………………….................................................... continuous together. We use the past
Why did Kelly wake up? simple for actions that interrupt the
…………………………………………….......................................................... actions in the past continuous.

I was walking into class when my

Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past
phone rang.
continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
(First I walked into class. Second, my
1 I ……………….……(switch off ) the computer because it phone rang.) We cannot normally use
…………………..(make) a strange noise. stative verbs in the continuous form.
2 My dad ……………………..(listen) to classical music when I
She knew/was knowing that he was
…………………..(arrive) home from school.
happy.
3 We……………………… (play) video games when my mum
…………………..,(say) ‘Turn the volume down!’ Affirmative & Negative:
4 My cousin ……………………..(meet) his wife, Bianca, while
I/he/she/it + was talking
he…………………. (live) in Italy.
5 My little sister ……………………(draw) a picture while I we/you/they + were talking
………………(study) for my French exam.
6 While they …………………..(try) to fix the computer, all the Interrogative:
lights…………………… (go out). When was I/he/she/it talking?
7 When we …………………(leave) school yesterday, it
……………..(pour) with rain. When were we/you/they talking?
8 When you ……………………(see) Paul, he (wear) a black jacket? Short answer:
9 I ……………………….(try) to log on when the
WiFi...............……………………(stop) working. ; Were you talking? Yes, I was.
10 While Dad ……………………..(print) an article, the / No, I wasn't.
printer…………………… (run out) of paper
ere they working? Yes, they were.

/ No, they weren’t

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1 What kind of beverages do you usually drink?
2 What kind of desserts do you like to eat?
3 What kind of vegetables do you like?
4 What kind of fruit do you like the best?
5 What kind of food do you like the most?
6 What's your favorite junk food?
7 Do you know the nutritional value of the
things you eat every day?
8 Do you believe that "we are what we eat?
9 Can you name a spice or flavoring that is good
for your health?
10 Does your family have any special recipes
that are passed down from generation to
generation?

1 .........................................................
True and false. Natural fruit juice is good for you. But it can be bad for your teeth. So yes, have some
orange juice with your breakfast or lunch, but don’t drink any juice between meals. Try water instead.
Up to eight glasses of water a day is good for you, and water hasn’t got any calories!
2 .........................................................
False. When you sleep you don’t eat for a long time and in the morning it’s important to start the day
with good breakfast. Without breakfast you often feel hungry later in the morning and start eating
biscuits or chocolate. These sugary snacks are not a good idea. (If you want a healthy snack, try some
nuts or melon.)
3 .........................................................
True and false. People drink coffee when they are tired, but it isn’t very healthy so don’t have more
than two cups a day and don’t drink any coffee before you go to bed. Tea is generally good for you,
but drink it with lemon and don’t put any milk or sugar in it! Green tea is especially healthy.
4 .........................................................
False. Vegetarian dishes often contain a lot of cheese and oil and these can be very fattening. It’s
important to eat some vegetables every day. (Doctors say five portions of vegetables and/or fruit). We
need the vitamins and minerals, especially from green vegetables.
5 .........................................................
False. Carrots have a lot of vitamin A and vitamin A is good for your eyes, but nobody can really see in
the dark!
6 .........................................................
False. These are good and bad diets. For example, real chocolate contains vitamins and mineral and
can help you when you are tired. But it also has a lot sugar, so don’t eat it often. Eat a balanced diet
with some rice, pasta, bread or noodles and lots of vegetables and fruit. You also need protein, from
meat, grilled fish, cheese or nuts. And you need oil: olive oil and fish oil are particularly good.

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Read the text again and match the ideas to the paragraphs.
A Coffee and tea are bad for you.
B There are ‘good’ foods and ‘bad’ foods.
C Vegetarian food is always healthy.
D Fruit juice is good for you.
E Carrots help you see in the dark.
F It’s okay not to eat breakfast.

Food:
Dishes: burger / fries / hot dog / pizza / sandwich.

Meat and fish: beef / chicken / duck / ham / lamb /

lobster / pork / scallops / seafood.

Fruit and vegetables: apple / banana / beans /

carrot / dried fruit / pineapple /potato / strawberry
/ tomato / (water) melon.

Drinks: coffee / cola / fruit / orange juice / milk / tea

/ water.

Other: biscuits /bread / wheat bread / butter /

cheese / chocolate / crisps / eggs / nuts / pasta /
rice /spices / sugar.

Containers: bag / bin / bottle / box / can / carton /

jar / packet / tube.

Money: cash machine / coin / credit card / note /

receipt.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable nouns (also called count nouns) are nouns that can be counted (e.g. oranges). Uncountable nouns
(also known as non-count or mass nouns) are amounts of something which we cannot count (e.g. sand). So
how do we know whether or not a noun is countable or uncountable?

The noun is countable:

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if we can use the indefinite article a/ an before it.

 I own a car. / I play with an ostrich.

if we can use the word 'many' (and not 'much') to describe it.

 She has many friends. (It's wrong to say: She has much friends.)

if we can express its quantity by using a number before it.

 I have five apples.

if it takes on singular as well as plural forms.

 an orange / some oranges / fifty oranges

The noun is uncountable:

if a/an is not normally used in front of it.

 He is eating some rice. (NOT: He is eating a rice.) Rice is treated as not countable, so some (which can be used
for both countable and uncountable nouns) is used with it.

if the word much can be correctly used with it.

 How much rice have you eaten? (NOT: How many rice have you eaten?)

if it is not possible for us to count it. However, we can make it countable by having a quantity for it.

 I have just bought two cartons or liters/liters of milk. (NOT: I have just bought two milk.)

if it takes only a singular form.

some ice (NOT: some ices) / some ink (NOT: some inks) / some soup (NOT: some soups)

Some nouns can be countable or uncountable. It depends on how they are used.

Examples:

 I boil an egg. (Countable noun)

 I like egg. (Uncountable noun, as it refers to egg in general.)

Countable and Uncountable Nouns are used with the following: (Review for pre-beginner 2)

COUNTABLE NOUN UNCOUNTABLE NOUN

a, an, a few, several, many, a little, much, some, plenty of,

some, plenty of, a lot of, a lot of, a large amount of,

a large number of a great deal of

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1 What are three holidays that you like to spend
with your family?
2 What do you think of Father's Day? Mother's
Day? Valentine’s day?
3 Who do you usually spend the holidays with?
4 Where do you usually go on any holiday?
5 What holiday is the most exciting in your
country?
6 In your opinion, what are the five most
essential items to pack on any holiday?
7 Do you celebrate holidays differently now than
you did when you were a child?
8 What is your favorite holiday festival in your
country?
9 How do you celebrate ‘Eid Al-Fitr’ and ‘Eid Al-Adha’ in your country?

I don't like holidays with hotels, beaches and swimming pools, and I'm not interested in sightseeing in
old cities. I'd like to do something exciting and nowadays lots of holidays have excitement. There’s
backpacking over the Andes of South America, or I could go on a safari and see animals in all Africa.
Maybe I should visit Australia and swim with dolphins along the coast.

But when I choose a holiday, I always have the same problem. I don't want to go somewhere and see
lots of other tourists. I want to be the only person there. The problem is there are other tourists
everywhere these days. Is there anywhere in the world without other People?

What about Antarctica? It's hug and beautiful. Between 1,000 and 5 000 scientists work there, but
nobody lives there. It does 't have a government and there are no cities so there’s no pollution or
noisy traffic. It has lots of nature and wildlife. It sounds perfect!

Actually, there are also tourists in Antarctica. Tourism in Antarctica began in the late 1950s. About 500
people a year visited from Chile and Argentina. Nowadays, about 50,000 tourists from all over the
world go by ship to the continent every year and the number of cruises is increasing.

So like everywhere else with tourists, Antarctica is changing. You can't stay overnight, but you can visit
areas with wildlife. Some people think the numbers of wild animals and birds are decreasing as a
result. However, there is also some positive news. Many cruise ships are members of the Intentional
Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). They teach their passengers about Antarctica and
its wildlife. The cruises companies also give money to environmental organizations in the region.
These organizations want to help the nature and wildlife of Antarctica so it doesn't change in the
future. So what should I do'? Go to Antarctica, go somewhere else or stay at home?

17 | P a g e
1 Look at the photo all page 135 of tourists on a ship in Antarctica. Why do you think tourists go there? What
do you think they can see? Would you like to go? Why? I Why not?
..........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
2 Read the article. Which paragraph (1- 5) is about:
a why Antarctica is a good holiday destination?
.......................................................................
b the writer 's problem?
.......................................................................
c which holidays the writer likes?
.......................................................................
d changes in Antarctica?
.......................................................................
e the number of tourists in Antarctica?
.......................................................................
3 Work in pairs. Read paragraphs 1 and 2 again. Answer the questions.
1 What does the writer want to do on his next holiday?
.............................................................................................................................................................
2 What types of holiday does he write about?
.............................................................................................................................................................
3 What is his problem? Why?
.............................................................................................................................................................
4 Do you like the same types of holiday as the writer? Do you agree with him about holidays and other
tourists? Why? I Why not?
..........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................

6 Choose the correct words to complete the text

everywhere, somewhere, nowhere, anywhere
from a travel magazine.
Look at the sentences from the article. Which
You should visit Florence! highlighted words talk about people or places? An
Is there 1 everywhere / anywhere in the world like the object or event?
city of Florence in Italy? Of course, there are beautiful There are other to tourists everywhere these days.
cities 2 everywhere / nowhere in Italy. But for me, there Nobody lives there.
isn't 3 anywhere / somewhere like Florence. 4 1'd like to do something exciting.
Everything / Nothing in the city is from the renaissance Is there anywhere in the world without other
period including all the buildings, streets and museums. people?
On every street, there's always 5 anything / something to EVERYWHERE, SOMEWHERE, NOWHERE,
see. If you get lost, ask 6 somebody / something for ANYWHERE
directions. The local people are very friendly! And after a everywhere somewhere nowhere anywhere
long day, sit in a cafe and do 7 nothing / everything! everybody somebody nobody anybody
Relax and watch 8 everybody / somebody else walking everything something nothing anything
past. Use any- in negative sentence and question

18 | P a g e
Work in pairs. When you are learning English, what is important? Read the sentences and choose three
things that are very important and three that aren’t very important.
1 A good relationship with other people in the class.
2 A small class (not many students)
3 A comfortable classroom, with good chairs and desks for the students
4 Interesting lessons
5 A CD player and television in the classroom
6 A good teacher
7 A computer with internet for every student
8 Lots of homework
Compare your answers with another pair. What other things are important when you are learning English?

WHY LEARN ENGLISH WITH US? BECAUSE WE’RE THE BEST. If you don’t believe us, read what our students say.
I have come to your Centre (VISION) because I wanted to learn English. I thought English was
difficult and boring work, only grammar, lots of vocabulary to memorize, etc. But then I saw that here
you can also learn English with films, or songs. We also had debates and presentations. I didn't know
any English when I started at your center, but one year later I knew a lot of English.
Omer:
I have been at Vision Centre for English Language for two years. I'm studying now for an important
exam. I like this center because there are not many students in the class and the teachers give us lots
of personal attention.
Windy:
I’m a student at your center. I speak a lot of English, but I don’t practise outside of class, so I come
here to the conversation classes. I'm learning lots of English expressions. The teachers at your center
have helped me a lot. The classes are decent, and they are cheaper than other centers. That’s why I’m
with Vision Center.
Melissa:
I haven’t studied English before. When I was a child, we didn’t study English at school. Now all the
children in my country are learning English when they are very young. I’m studying English
because I need it for my work. In the future, everybody in my country will speak English.
Perla:
When I had my first lesson at Vision Center for English Language, I was very nervous Because I
could not speak English very well. But I liked studying English because all the teachers were very
friendly, and they always made students relax so we could understand the lessons. I’m going to come
back next year.
Diana:
If you want
✓ English for school
✓ English for work
✓ English for fun
Come to

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1 Read the text. What kind of text is it?
1 An advertisement brochure for a language center verb forms (review)
2 A newspaper article about a language center 1 Find examples of the following verb forms
3 A story about people at a language center in the text.
2 Read the text again and answer the questions. 1 two different future verb forms
1 Who didn’t feel relaxed when she came to the 2 a present continuous
center? 3 a present simple
.............................................................................. 4 a present simple in the negative
2 Who likes speaking in class? 5 a past simple in the negative
.............................................................................. 6 an irregular past simple verb form
3 Who is going to take an important exam? 7 a regular past simple verb form
.............................................................................. 8 a present perfect
4 Who didn’t learn English when he was younger?
..............................................................................
5 Who says there aren’t many students in the
class? English in your life
.............................................................................. 1 Why are you learning (you learn) English now?
6 Who comes to the center because it isn’t 2 H ow often......................... (you have) English
expensive? classes?
.............................................................................. 3 H ow often ......................... (you do) English
7 Who thought that English was difficult, but liked homework?
it? 4 Who ......................(be) your first English teacher?
.............................................................................. 5 When............................(you start) studying
8 Who makes a prediction about English in his English?
country? 6 .............................(you ever see) a film in English?
.............................................................................. 7 ...........................(you ever speak) on the phone in
English?
3 Work in pairs. Are you similar to one of these 8 ................................(yon study) English next year?
students? Discuss with a partner. 9 ................................. (you visit) an English-
speaking country in the future?

TENSE AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE QUESTION SHORT ANSWER USE

Present simple I live in Spain. He doesn’t work Do you like Yes, I do Routine
here. chocolate? No, they don’t Habits
facts
Past simple They took the We didn’t go to Did you study for Yes, he did. Events in the past
bus. class. the exam? No, I didn’t.

Present He is working I’m not working Are they playing Yes, they are Actions happening
continuous at home. at the moment football? No, he isn’t now

Future We are going He isn’t going to Are you going to Yes, I am. Future plans
(going to) to see a film. have a holiday. stop? No, they aren’t
Future He get They won’t have Will I work at Yes, you will. Future predictions
(will) married. a job. home? No, we won’t.
Present perfect They’ve sung She hasn’t made Have you ever Yes, I have. Experiences
in many a CD. spoken in public? No, I haven’t. unspecified past
countries.

20 | P a g e
Supportive Phrases and expressions Unit 1

My best friend Joanna is absolutely gorgeous (extremely beautiful). She has long, sleek, jet-black hair (sleek = smooth
and straight, jet-black = perfectly black), pale blue eyes (pale = light color), and a radiant complexion (skin that
appears healthy and full of energy).
People always compliment her on her hourglass figure (when a woman has large breasts and hips, but a small waist)
and ask her what the secret is to maintaining such a slender waist (a thin waist). She has a round face with an
upturned nose, and she actually bears a striking resemblance (looks extremely similar) to a famous singer.
Joanna could get any guy she wanted – so I was really surprised when she introduced me to her latest boyfriend, who
I think is hideously ugly. He has curly, shoulder-length hair that looks rather unkempt (unkempt hair = messy hair, it
appears that the person doesn’t take care of their hair).
He has a square face and a ruddy complexion (reddish skin). His deep-set eyes (eyes that are far back in the person’s
face) are almost hidden under his bushy eyebrows (big eyebrows with lots of hair), and he sports a thick mustache
and a huge, shaggy beard (a beard with lots of hair). I guess Joanna doesn’t mind his facial hair (facial hair = beard
and/or mustache).
His body isn’t bad – he has an athletic build (body with a lot of muscles), with broad shoulders (wide shoulders) and
muscular arms. If he would only trim his beard (cut his beard a little shorter) and comb his hair, I suppose he could
be considered somewhat attractive (more or less beautiful/handsome).

Supportive Phrases and expressions Unit 3

Most children begin their studies at 5 or 6 years old in pre-school, followed by kindergarten. After that comes
primary/elementary school, which consists of first grade through fifth grade. Then there’s middle school – sixth
grade through eighth grade – and high school, which is ninth grade through twelfth grade.
After high school, you apply to colleges/universities to see which ones will accept you. You send in/submit your
application and then wait for the results. If you got good grades in high school, you might get / be awarded a
scholarship to help pay the tuition (the cost of studying).
In college, you’ll take classes/courses on various subjects. You should always take notes as the teacher is giving the
lecture. Some teachers may ask the students to give/make presentations or do research and write an essay, an
assignment, a report, or a paper. After you hand in your work, the teacher will grade the assignment (give you an
evaluation, for example, 90%) and give you feedback (comments on your work).
To evaluate your progress, you’ll take tests/exams. If you get the minimum number of points required, you’ve passed
the test; if you don’t get the minimum number of points, you’ve failed the test. It’s also possible to pass/fail a
course.
If the course proves to be too difficult, or if you don’t like it, you can withdraw from or drop the course. “Withdraw
from” is the more formal expression, and “drop” is the more informal expression.
Most college students choose a major/concentration. To talk about a concentration of studies, you can use “major”
as a verb or a noun – for example,
“I majored in biology” / “I was a biology major.”
“My daughter is majoring in philosophy.” / “My daughter’s a philosophy major.”
When you graduate from college, you’ll get a diploma. Afterwards, you can say you have a degree in the area of your
concentration. You can have a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate (Ph.D.), for example:
“I have a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.”
“I have a master’s degree in linguistics.”
“I have a Ph.D. in theology.”

21 | P a g e
Supportive Phrases and expressions Unit 6

My mother radically changed her eating habits a few years ago. In the past, she ate a lot of junk food (food
that is not nutritious/healthy) and was overweight. Sometimes she would try to go on a diet (eat less food
and healthier food), but it would never last. But now she understands how unhealthy processed foods are –
they’re full of food additives (chemicals added to food) that contribute to weight gain and heart problems.
Nowadays, she eats a balanced diet including a lot of nourishing meals (meals that are healthy and
nutritious) that she prepares herself. She doesn’t buy organic food because she thinks the prices are
outrageous, but she stocks up on fresh produce (fresh fruits and vegetables) so that she can grab an apple
or some veggies when she wants a quick snack (something small and fast to eat). She has also learned to eat
in moderation and watch her portion sizes (how much food you take).
I often stop by her house when I’m in the mood for a home-cooked meal. The other day she made a hearty
stew (a thick soup with lots of flavors and ingredients) that was full of beans and vegetables. My brother,
who has a healthy appetite (the capacity to eat a lot), had a second helping (a second portion) – but I found
the stew so filling that I could barely finish my bowl.
My mother recently told me that she’d like to try some international cuisine. I was surprised to hear that,
because a few years ago she had a bad experience after getting food poisoning (when you get sick because
of contaminated food) at a Japanese restaurant. So tomorrow I’m taking her to a Brazilian steakhouse. I told
her to eat light meals (small meals) during the day so that she doesn’t spoil her appetite for dinner
(“spoiling your appetite” means eating food earlier, and then not being hungry for a meal later).

Supportive Phrases and expressions Unit 7

Last week I had the worst business trip I’ve ever taken. Normally a travel agency takes care of booking my
flight (buying a plane ticket) and making my hotel reservation, but this time I decided make the travel
arrangements myself. Big mistake!
First of all, the plane was overbooked (there were more passengers than seats available) so I was bumped
to a later flight. When they gave me my new boarding pass (the ticket that allows you to enter the airplane),
they didn’t ask me if I’d prefer a window seat or an aisle seat (a seat next to the corridor) – and I was stuck
in the middle. To top it off, it was a very bumpy flight (a flight with a lot of turbulence).
I then missed my connecting flight and had a ten-hour layover (I had to wait ten hours for my next flight) in
Chicago. Unfortunately, my checked luggage (the bags in the airplane’s cargo compartment) had already
gone through to my final destination, so all I had was my carry-on bag (the bag you take with you on the
plane). I checked into a hotel near the airport just so I could take a nap.
When I finally arrived in Los Angeles, it turns out that I had made a mistake with my hotel reservation, and
instead of booking a room at a five-star hotel, I had booked three nights at a seedy hotel (a hotel that is not
very safe or comfortable) in the red-light district (an area of the city where there are many sex shops, strip
clubs, etc.)! So I was stuck sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress in a dingy room (a dirty and dark room)
while my colleagues enjoyed the luxury hotel.
The trip home was uneventful, but when I arrived I discovered that the airline had lost my luggage. All in all
it was a miserable experience.
22 | P a g e
Success isn’t what it looks like – gorgeous on the surface. Success is chaotic,
messy, perilous, and comes after lots of struggles, hard work, heart break and
sacrifice. If you intend to know what success is, pick this book up and less you
regret.
You may have read lots of English books. But this best biographies book is full
of innate wisdom and hard-earned lessons. Every learner, businessman,
entrepreneur, and other related knowledge seekers must read this book and learn
how to take the leap.
From a constant struggle to finance a company to the positives and negatives of
going public, from business relationships to turning around the entire
management, from innovation to beating the odds, you will learn havoc in this
mammoth 30-page book.

VISION INSTITUTE FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE

23 | P a g e
KHARTOUM_ALKHALIFA RD,WWW.VISION.ORG/
E. MAIL: VISION-CENTRE@OUTLOOK.ORG