Uncountable nouns used only in the singular

1. Names of substances considered generally: dust, cloth, paper, ice.

2. Abstract nouns: relief, horror, help, courage, beauty, pity.

3. Some nouns considered uncountable in English: shopping, parking, camping, politics, tactics, optics.

4. The subjects: economics, mathematics, physics, statistics.

5. The games: billiards, darts, dominoes, bowls.

6. The activities: gymnastics, athletics.

7. The illness: measles, rickets, mumps, shingles.

8. Sometimes we use a plural noun with a singular verb. We often do it when we talk about a sum of money, a period of time, a distance or a dish. e.g. Five thousand dollars is not enough to buy a flat. Two miles is a long distance. Five days is enough to have a good rest. Fish and chips costs 5 dollars.

9. The following nouns are always uncountable: linen, furniture, knowledge, advice, luggage, permission, death, money, business, information, trouble, accommodation, luck, equipment, progress, traffic, hair, scenery, wood, weather, sand, food, sugar, beef, music, bread, spaghetti, macaroni, yeast, evidence, applause, research, rubbish, chaos, machinery, behaviour, failure, fear, travel, baggage, damage, work, news.

We use the pronoun it instead of them. We say много – much, мало –little (a little).

We never use the indefinite article with these nouns.

These nouns are often preceded by some, any, no, a little, or by nouns such as bit, piece, slice, etc. + of: a bit of news, a piece of advice, a slice of cheese.

Many of the nouns in this group can be used in a particular sense & are then countable. They can take a/an in the singular & can be used in the plural: hair (all the hair on one’s head) is considered uncountable, but if we consider each hair separately we say one hair, two hairs.

Uncountable nouns used only in the plural

1. Names of tools or articles of dress consisting of 2 equal parts which are joined: tweezers, braces, flannels, pants, pincers, jeans, pyjamas, scissors, tongs.

2. Miscellaneous nouns: antics, ashes, minutes, suds, whereabouts, earnings, greens.

3. Some proper nouns: the East Indies, the West Indies, the Hebrides, the Highlands.

4. The following nouns are always used in the plural: sights, goods, sweets, arms, holidays, riches, people, police, contents, customs, savings, outskirts, slums, suburbs, wages, stairs, spectacles, opera-glasses, lodgings, gentry, cattle, congratulations, clothes, foundations, premises, looks, sweepings, proceeds, authorities , odds, tongs, traffic-lights, thanks, tights.

We use the pronoun they instead of these nouns.

We say много – many, мало – few (a few).

We cannot use a/an or a number with a pair noun. We use a pair of: – I need some jean. – I need a pair of jeans.

Exercises

Ex. 1. Decide whether the following nouns are countable or uncountable.

Wool, air, airship, word, aviation, assistance, assistant, paper (бумага), paper (газета), hour, bread, darkness, water, sea, cheese, happiness, event, glass (стекло), glass (стакан), hero, sand, music, friend, friendship, quickness, tobacco, cigarette, copper, armchair, coffee, ship, coin, money, university, ink, banknote, meat, silver, watch, timber, tree, idea, ice, furniture, chalk, heat, cow, milk, butter, horse, obligation, machine, equipment, speed, umbrella.

Ex. 2. Divide the following words into 2 columns: countable and uncountable nouns.

Furniture, coffee, leaf, food, computer, list, blood, job, work, language, country, advice, information, money, progress, permit, permission, baggage, luggage, beach, traffic, weather, window, knowledge, air, water, holiday, damage, accommodation, scenery, pigeon, bread, mountain, luck, news, accident, laugh, flour, laughter.

Ex. 3. Underline the noun in each sentence and decide if it is countable or uncountable.

1. This is an excellent painting. 2. We’ve got plenty of coal. 3. Would you like some fish? 4. I don’t like milk. 5. Too much cake isn’t good for me. 6. Hope keeps me going. 7. How much flour did you buy? 8. He gave me some good advice. 9. Which aircraft has just landed? 10. Would you like an ice?

Ex. 4. Write out the nouns which are used only in the plural form.

Athletics, cattle, scissors, taxes, pyjamas, economics, police, news, means, goods, pants, subjects, billiards, darts, outskirts, premises, mechanics, spectacles, clothes, stairs, maths, shots, tights, gymnastics, congratulations, crossroads, patience, scales, lodgings, foundations, equipment, research, authorities, soap, contents, looks, countryside, traffic-lights, tongs, toothpaste, headphones, delays, binoculars, electronics, trousers.

Ex. 5. Fill in much or many.

1. advice; 2. homework; 3. deer; 4. information; 5. equipment; 6. jewellery; 7. geese; 8. knowledge; 9. evidence; 10. teeth; 11. fish; 12. money; 13. fruit; 14. mice; 15. furniture; 16. news; 17. means; 18. research; 19. goods; 20. sheep; 21. hair; 22. trout; 23. species; 24. gates

Ex. 6. Match the word on the left with the word with its partner on the right.

1. a lump a. lightening

2. a bit b. thunder

3. a flash c. clothing

4. a stroke d. air

5. a slice e. salt

6. a clap f. bread

7. a sum g. rain

8. an article h. milk

9. a loaf i. soap

10. a bar j. toothpaste

11. a spot k. cloth

12. a carton l. furniture

13. a tube m. paper

14. a puff n. cheese

15. an item o. money

16. a sheet p. luck

17. a strip q. ice

18. a grain r. sugar

19. a block s. information

20. a breath t. smoke

Ex. 7. Find the odd word in the chain of the nouns.

1. trousers-spectacles-scales-news

2. advice-knowledge-contents-progress

3. phonetics-vacation-goods-information

4. criteria-datum-oases-radii

5. mice-men-goats-geese

6. police-work-weather-furniture

7. congress-team-government-equipment

8. water-potato-milk-bread

9. time-business-stone-bird

10. means-species-crossroads-wolves

11. thanks-barracks-congratulations-authorities

12. diagnoses-roofs-cattle-accommodation

13. premises-mechanics-darts-laughter

14. success-research-applause-path

15. journey-voyage-travel-walk

Ex. 8. Give the plural of the following nouns.

a) toe, city, hero, piano, calf, cliff, proof, chief, stitch, bath, belief, life, shelf, berry, valley, roof, pen, window, wall, week, clock, ship, library, watch, dress, country, glass, day, party, play, bus, leaf, colony, fox, half, mass, eye, language, place, key, thief, ray, bush, mouth, journey, portfolio;

b) foot, boot, ox, fox, man, woman, month, means, mouse, degree, child, goose, deer, cheese, sheep;

c) crisis, phenomenon, datum, nucleus, basis, apparatus, criterion, analysis, formula;

d) room-mate, fellow-worker, court-martial, man-of-war, boy-messenger, onlooker, passer-by, sister-in-law, postman, son-in-law, fisherman, schoolgirl, text-book, pocket-knife, statesman, editor-in-chief, milk-tooth, hotel-manager, man-servant, grown-up.

Ex. 9. Make the plurals of the nouns in italic type where possible and make all other necessary changes.

1. Put the box on the shelf. 2. I was presented with a dozen handkerchiefs. 3. This is an English dictionary. 4. The hunter got a prize for killing the wolf that had caused much damage to the village flock. 5. The child was bitterly crying over the broken toy. 6. He showed me a photo of his country house. 7. The scout brought some valuable information. 8. I bought a pair of nylon gloves. 9. I saw a mouse in the kitchen. 10. The ox drove a cart of hay. 11. A very strange phenomenon was observed by astronomers yesterday. 12. Her hair was soft and curly. 13. The boy drove the sheep to the village. 14. I have hurt my foot. 15. This is a lady-bird. 16. Where is the knife? 17. This factory has a good laboratory. 18. The last leaf fell from the tree. 19. This story is very long. 20. The speech was very interesting. 21. He left the key on the table. 22. Where is the brush? 23. I like his new play. 24. The roof of the house was covered with snow. 25. The wife of the sailor stood on the shore. 26. My aunt has a goose.

Ex. 10. Make the singulars of the nouns in italic type where possible and make all other necessary changes.

1. The boy must have two teeth pulled out. 2. The mice live behind the stove. 3. The keys to the boxes were lost. 4. The wolves have been shot. 5. The fish were caught. 6. We have good postmen in our area. 7. The cargoes will be discharged tomorrow. 7. Women and children came to the shore. 8. These factories produce furniture. 9. Copies of these letters will be sent to Leningrad. 10. These scissors are sharp. 11. Men who drink and drive are criminals. 12. Hours had passed before the police came. 13. There are geese in the pond. 14. Housekeepers must be economical.

Ex. 11. Insert the appropriate noun.

1. Marge has got very long black … (hair / hairs). 2. We had … when we were on holiday (a very good weather / very good weather). 3. Sorry I’m late. I had … with the car this morning (trouble / troubles). 4. It’s very difficult to find a … at the moment (work / job). 5. The flat is empty. We haven’t got any … yet (furniture / furnitures). 6. I want something to read. I’m going to buy … (a paper / some paper). 7. I want to write some letters. I need … (a writing paper / writing paper). 8. Tom gave me … (some good advice / good advices).

Ex. 12. Complete the following sentences using the nouns given below.

Progress, advice, accommodation, hair, work, experience, information, paper, permission.

1. I haven’t got anywhere to live. We are looking for … . 2. I don’t think Ann will get the job. She hasn’t got … . 3. They’ll tell you all you want to know. They’ll give you plenty of … 4. You’ll easily recognize Alan. He’s got green … . 5. Carla’s English has improved. She has made … 6. I want to write down your address. Have you got …? 7. I didn’t know what to do. So I asked Jack for … . 8. George is unemployed at the moment. He is looking for … . 9. If you want to leave, you have to ask for … .

Ex. 13. Choose the appropriate noun for each sentence.

1. I must get my … cut. He has a few grey … (hairs / hair). 2. She doesn’t like the vase. The … is not transparent. Where have I put my …? I can’t read a thing. (glass / glasses). 3. We had a lot of interesting … during our holiday. You need … for this job. (experience / experiences). 4. There are pears, oranges and other … on the table. … is useful for our health. (fruit / fruits). 5. I like to read in train, so I bought … . I need … to write a report. (a paper / some paper). 6. When water freezes, it changes into … . Will you bring us two chocolate …? (ice / ices). 7. Three …, please. I like strong … (coffee / coffees). 8. Can you tell me how many thousands of … are produced at the plant every day? Our college was built of … (brick / bricks).

Ex. 14. Complete the following sentences with the following nouns ending in –s:

Scales, a means, glasses, some (a pair of) scissors, series, means, people, species, a series, shorts, pyjamas.

1. She can’t see very well. She needs … . 2. Footballers don’t wear trousers when they play. They wear … . 3. Kate is going to write … of articles for her local paper. 4. There are a lot of American television … on British television. 5. We need at least four … to play this game. 6. The bicycle is … of transport. 7. The bicycle and the car are … of transport. 8. While we were walking, we saw 23 different … of bird. 9. I want to cut this piece of material. I need … . 10. You’ll find your lean … in the cupboard. 11. Put the suitcase on the … so I can see how much it weighs.

Ex. 15. Choose the correct form.

1. Your advices are/advice is always welcome. 2. My sister is proud of her hair. It is/they are long & shining. 3. This money belongs/belong to him. 4. Fruit was/fruits were cheap last summer. 5. He used to give a lot of advice. Most of it was/them were helpful. 6. There were/there was more and more bad news coming from Iraq. 7. We are looking for the police. Where are they/is it? 8. I have much money. I don’t know how to use it/them. 9. The news was heard everywhere; they were/it was frightening. 10. I am not sure how many fruits/how much fruit will be enough to make a pie. 11. The situation was under control; the police was/were everywhere. 12. His hair has been/his hairs have been cut short, and he looked very neat.

Ex. 16. Choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural. Sometimes either a singular or a plural verb is possible.

1. Fortunately the news … as bad as we had expected. (wasn’t / weren’t). 2. The works … his country, his home, his reason for being. (was / were). 3. Three days … long enough for a good holiday. (isn’t / aren’t). 4. The baggage … apparatus and appliances. (contain / contains). 5. The sugar-tongs … too wide for one of her hands, and she had to use both in wielding them. (was / were). 6. The police … to interview Fred about the robbery. (want / wants). 7. Money … so scarce that it could fairly be said not to exist at all. (was / were). 8. I’m going to take a taxi. Six miles … too far for me to walk. (is / are). 9. Means … easily found. (was / were). 10. Where … your family live? (does / do).

Ex. 17. Supply the missing words.

1. How much … a good pair of trousers cost these days? 2. The stairs … worn by thousands of visitors. 3. Where … the scissors? – … are in the first drawer on the left. 4. The scales … broken. 5. How much did you pay for … trousers? – … were very expensive! 6. If your clothes … dirty, please put … in the laundry basket. 7. His old grandfather’s watch … made of gold. 8. All their belongings … been destroyed in the fire. 9. My earnings … not high, but at least they … regular. 10. These shorts … me at all! 11. The United States … smaller than Canada.

Ex. 18. Open the brackets & choose the proper form of the verb.

1. I feel that the jury already (have, has) thought that you are innocent. 2. The government (was, were) not able to pursue the policy which had been promised before the elections. 3. The police (is, are) investigating the case now. 4. The crew of the plane (consist, consists) of 4 people. 5. His company (was, were) founded in 1996. 6. The party (was, were) in full swing. The music was playing, the company (was, were) eating & drinking. 7. My family (is, are) early risers, so at 11 o’clock p.m. the family (is, are) always in bed. 8. The cattle (is, are) in the field now. 9. The committee (is, are) full of enthusiasm. 10. Such an organization as the board of directors (is, are) elected by stockholders. 11. The ship turned out to be a good ship, the crew (was, were) skilled seamen. 12. The government usually (consist, consists) of the prime minister & several ministers. 13. The average American family (have, has) 3 children. 14. The jury (is, are) represented by 12 people. 15. The crops (is, are) good this summer. 16. Look out! The stairs (is, are) very old. 17. In my opinion, looks (is, are) very important for an actor. 18. The police (is, are) responsible for these actions. 19. Criteria (is, are) changing. 20. The committee (was, were) set up several months ago. 21. The traffic (is, are) very heavy in this street. 22. When the traffic-lights (is, are) red, don’t cross the street. 23. The working wages (is, are) up. 24. The knowledge she had got at college (is, are) very deep. 25. The carrots (is, are) delicious. 26. The vacations (is, are) always fun. 27. The funeral (is, are) usually a sad occasion. 28. The evidence (is, are) against him. 29. The contents of the letter (is, are) made public. 30. The opera-glasses (is, are) out of focus. 31. The grapes (is, are) ripe. 32. Her clothes (is, are) very fashionable. 33. Your advice (is, are) always welcome. 34. The information he gave us (was, were) very useful. 35. A little money (is, are) better than nothing. 36. That species of spiders (is, are) commonly seen in deserts of North Africa. 37. I think her hair (is, are) dyed. 38. I don’t want to work here. The equipment (is, are) too complicated. 39. There (is, are) a lot of sheep in the field. 40. I think this (is, are) detailed research. 41. The cattle (is, are) up the hill. 42. Very few (was, were) strong enough to finish the race. 43. There (is, are) a pair of sunglasses lying on the floor. 44. Both my good trousers & my old jeans (was, were) at the laundry. 45. Many of you (are, is) going to win the race. 46. There (was, were) several letters on the top shelf of the bookcase. 47. That pair of Dior glasses (is, are) expensive. 48. When the bell rang, a few still (was, were) working on the test. 49. The screwdriver, along with the pliers, (were, was) left out in the rain. 50. The scissors (is, are) in the bottom drawer. 51. Politics usually (is, are) for ambitious people. 52. Two weeks (is, are) enough time for a camping. 53. According to the championship, one hundred pounds (is, are) easy to lift. 54. The Jaws, a movie about sharks, (is, are) very interesting. 55. The crew (are, is) asleep in their bunks down in the hold of the ship. 56. Several unusual species of birds (was, were) found in this area. 57. When a young deer (is, are) motionless, its colouring hides it well. 58. The committee (was, were) ready to make its recommendations public. 59. The family (is, are) fighting among themselves constantly. 60. The fish in the aquarium (was, were) waiting for their daily feeding. 61. Each of those species of birds (is, are) present in Texas. 62. All sheep (was, were) dipped in the spring to kill the parasites. 63. The press (is, are) requested to show their credentials to the guards. 64. Several of the fish (was, were) dying.

Ex. 19. Translate the words in brackets.

1. The (улики были) against him. 2. There (было мало работы) for them in the garden in autumn. 3. They needed (много оборудования) for their new laboratory. 4. I’m doing some (исследования) on the political situation in the Middle East. 5. (Часы) that I received for my birthday looked expensive. 6. His last (каникулы) ended on July 28^th. 7. (Знания) received at school will be useful for the rest of your life. 8. The officer noticed that the (ворота) had been open.

Ex. 20. Correct mistakes if necessary.

1. Would you like glass of milk? 2. The officer found a glass from the broken door on the floor. 3. His snow-white hair were parted neatly to the side. 4. There’s hair in my soup! 5. David had many work to do in the morning. 6. Shishkin’s works is really adorable. 7. She has gained a lot of experiences, which is useful for our company. 8. We had much exciting experiences on our journey through Australia. 9. Much paper carry reports on the situation in the Middle East. 10. A paper for notes should be of good quality & plain with no lines. 11. We had such a terrible weather that we left the hotel in the country (we didn’t have heatings there) & took an accommodation with a fire place in town instead. 12. Yesterday I got a permission to go there. What about you? Have you got your permits? 13. I love French impressionists but I would need an advice from a specialist before I bought any. My knowledges in that area are very poor. 14. Her works are definitely making great progresses these days. She has done a lot of researches lately. 15. Have you heard that Jack’s lodgings is on London, but on the outskirt of the city? These are interesting news, aren’t they? 16. The police is looking for the criminals who escaped last night. The informations about them were sent to all the police stations of the district. 17. Political & economic crises is frequent for Africa. 18. How many luggages are you taking? Oh, I think you won’t be able to cope with them. 19. Last week was awful for her. She had 2 tooth pulled out, her childs got ill & finally her husband lost moneys. 20. The tights is too loose for her.

Ex. 21. Translate into English.

1. Её волосы совсем тёмные. Они очень красивые. 2. Эти новости очень интересные. 3. Ваши деньги на столе. Возьмите их. 4. Она делает успехи в английском языке. 5. У неё достаточно знаний, чтобы выполнить эту работу. 6. Ваши брюки слишком длинные. 7. Мои очки на столе. Подайте их мне, пожалуйста. 8. В этом году фрукты очень дешёвые. 9. На столе бананы, виноград и другие фрукты. 10. Какие новости? – Я не удовлетворён своими успехами в английском языке. 11. Ваши советы очень полезные. 12. Математика – трудный предмет. 13. Лестница длинная и узкая. 14. Там очень много народу. 15. Её одежда грязная и мокрая. Постирай её, пожалуйста. 16. Его знания обширны. 17. Фрукты очень полезны. 18. Мои часы отстают, и я опаздываю. 19. Купи, пожалуйста, бутылку молока, буханку хлеба и пару пирожных. 20. На обед мы обычно едим мясо и рыбу. 21. Вчера шёл дождь и на улицах много воды. 22. Не стирай платье в горячей воде. 23. Мы строим новое здание из стекла и металла. 24. Я дам вам все сведения по этому вопросу. 25. Не можете ли вы мне дать какие-либо сведения об этом человеке. 26. Сегодня хорошие новости. 27. Он делает успехи в английском языке. 28. У меня мало денег, их не хватит, чтобы поехать поездом. 29. У неё длинные волосы, они закрывают уши. 30. Вот несколько интересных советов. 31. Позвольте мне дать вам один совет. 32. Моя одежда совсем промокла. 33. Эта лестница ведет к морю. 34. Он дал мне хороший совет. 35. Все сведения были очень важные. 36. Эти деньги не мои. 37. Какая интересная работа! 38. Я купил эти часы в Лондоне. Они очень хорошие. 39. Я не мог войти в сад, так как ворота были закрыты. 40. Какие из этих овец будут посланы на выставку? 41. Его одежда совсем новая. 42. Картофель очень хороший в этом году. 43. Фрукты в нашем саду уже созрели. 44. Его заработная плата очень высокая. 45. Фермеры довольны. Они вырастили много свиней и овец. 46. Содержание его письма было совсем неожиданным.