Exercises

1. In the following pairs of words, one is countable and the other is uncountable. Write some or a before each word.

1. __a__ book/ some_ literature

2. ___a__ report/ __some___ news

3. ___a__ desk/ _some____ furniture

4. __some___ accommodation/ __a___ hotel

5. __a___ chance/ __some___ luck

6. __some___ water/ ___a__ litre

7. __some___ equipment/ _a____ machine

8. ___a__ dollar/ __some___ money

9. __a___ cheque/ __some___ cash

10. __a___ letter/ __some___ correspondence

2. Cross out the incorrect alternative in the following sentences:

1. I have /some good news for you.

2. I need /some information about visas.

3. We’ve made /some progress since we met.

4. They say that- travel broadens the mind.

5. She never uses public transport.

6. There was /some heavy traffic this morning.

7. I was given/some more training when I started my present job.

8. Sue was very helpful. She gave us some very useful advice.

9. We had a very good weather while we were on holiday.

10. It’s very difficult to find a/job at the moment.

11. I had to buy /some bread because I wanted to make some sandwiches.

12. Your hair is too long. You should have it cut.

3. Complete the sentences using one of the following words. Sometimes the word needs to be plural (-s).

air chair country day experience experience friend furniture hair information job meat language letter patience people permission photograph progress queue space work

1. I had my camera but I didn’t take any photographs.

2. There are seven … days in a week.

3. A vegetarian is a person who doesn’t eat meat … .

4. Outside the cinema there was a queue … of people waiting to see the film.

5. I’m not very good at writing … letters .

6. Last night I went with some friends … of mine.

7. There were very few … people in the shops today. They were almost empty.

8. I’m going out for a walk. I need some fresh air … .

9. George always wants things quickly. He’s got no … patience .

10. Do you speak any foreign languages … ?

11. Jane travels a lot. She has been to many … countries .

12. Our flat is very small. We haven’t got much .. space.

13. They’ll tell you all you want to know. They’ll give you plenty of information … .

14. There is room for everybody to sit down. There are plenty of … chairs .

15. We have no furniture … , not even a bed or a table.

16. ‘What does Alan look like?’ ‘He’s got a long beard and very short hair …’ .

17. Carla’s English is better than it was. She’s made … progress .

18. George is unemployed. He’s looking for a job … .

19. George is unemployed. He’s looking for … work .

20. If you want to leave work early, you have to ask for permission … .

21. I don’t think Ann will get the job. She hasn’t got enough … experience .

22. Rita has done many interesting things. She should write a book about her … experiences .

4. Fill in the gaps in the text with a few/a little/much/many. Retell the text.

Two Bags of Groceries

Michael is at the supermarket and he's really upset. He just bought some groceries, and he can't believe he just spent forty dollars!

He only bought … a few oranges, a few … apples, a little … milk, … a little ice cream, and … a few eggs.

He also bought just a little … coffee, … a few onion, … a few bananas, … a little rice, … a little cheese, and … a few lemons.

He didn’t buy very … much fish. He didn’t buy very many. … grapes. And he didn’t buy very much … meat.

Michael just spent forty dollars, and he’s walking out of the Supermarket with only two bags of groceries. No wonder he’s upset!