UNIT 69     Uncountable nouns {gold, music, advice etc.)
Nouns can be countable or uncountable. For countable nouns see Unit 70.
a)    Uncountable nouns are, for example:
gold        music        blood        excitement Uncountable nouns are things we cannot count. They have no plural. You cannot say 'musics', 'bloods' or 'excitements'.
b)    Before uncountable nouns you can say the/so me/an y/much/1 his/hi s etc.:
the music        some gold        much excitement        his blood But you cannot use a/an before an uncountable noun. So you cannot say 'a music', 'an excitement' or 'a blood'. You can also use uncountable nouns alone, with no article (see Unit 74):
—  This ring is made of gold.       - Blood is red.
C)   Many nouns can be used as countable or as uncountable nouns. Usually there is a difference in meaning. For example: paper                 I bought a paper. (= a newspaper - countable)
I bought some paper. (= material for writing on -uncountable) hair                   There's a hair in my soup! (= one single haic - countable)
She has beautiful hair. (= hair on her head- uncountable) experience         We bad many interesting experiences during our holiday. (= things that
happened to us - countable) You need experience for this job. (== knowledge of something because you have done it before - uncountable)
d)   Some nouns are usually uncountable in English but often countable in other languages. Here are the most important of these:
accommodation    behaviour        furniture             news                 scenery         trouble
advice                    bread               information        permission        traffic           weather
baggage                 chaos               luggage               progress            travel           work
These nouns are uncountable, so (i) you cannot use a/an before them; and (ii) they cannot be plural:
—  I'm looking for accommodation, (not 'an accommodation')
—  I'm going to buy some bread, (or'a loaf of bread'; but not 'a bread')
—  Tom gave me some good advice, [not 'some good advices')
—   Where are you going to put all your furniture? {not 'furnitures') Remember that news is not plural:
—  The news is very depressing today, (hoi 'The news are ...') Do not use travel to mean journey/trip:
—  We had a good journey, (not 'a good travel') Note these pairs of countable (C) and uncountable (UNC) nouns:
—  I'm looking for a [ob. (C)    but    I'm looking for work, (UNC)
—   What a lovely view! (C)       but    What lovely scenery! (UNC)
138
UNIT 69    Exercises
69.1   Which of the underlined parts of these sentences is right'
Example: Sue was very helpful. She gave me some good advice /ach^gs.    ('advice'is right)
1   Margaret has got very long black hair/ hairs.
2   We had a very good weather / very good weather ". hen we were on holiday.
3   Sorry I'm late. I had trouble / troubles with the car this morning.
4   I want something to read. I'm going to buy a / some paper.
5   ! want to write some letters. I need a / some writing paper.
6   It's very difficult to rind a work I job at the moment.
7   Bad news don't/doesn't make people happy.
8   Our travel / journey from London to Istanbul by train was very interesting.
9   The flat is empty. We haven't got any furnitures / furniture yet.
10   When the fire alarm rang, there was a complete chaos / complete chaos.
11   1 had to buy a/ some bread because I wanted to make some sandwiches.
12   Aftet spending most of his life travelling round the world, he is now writing a book about his experience / experiences.
69.2 Now you have to complete these sentences using these words:
progress        advice        accojjunodation        hair        work        experience
information        paper        permission
Example: We haven't got anywhere to live. We're looking
1   I don't think Ann will get the job. She hasn't got  ...................................................................
2   They'll tell you all you want to know. They'll give you plenty of .............._......................
3   You'll easily recognise Alan. He's got green .............................................................................
4   Carla's English has improved. She has made ........................................................................
5   I want to write down your address. Have you got ..................................................................
6   If you want to leave early, you have to ask for  ...................................................................
7   George is unemployed at the moment. He is looking for .....................................................
8   I didn't know what to do. So I asked Jack for ..........................................................................
69.3  In this exercise you have to write what you would say in these situations. Each time begin in the way shown and use one of the words in section d of this unit.
Example: Your friends have just arrived at the station. You can't see any suitcases or bags. You say:  Have you got  9$£.]i*$$)!Qß_..............................................'.................................. >
1   You t_o into the tourist office. You want to know about places to see in the town. You say:  I'd like  .................................................................................................................................................
2   The weather is beautiful. You say:  What  .........................................................................................!
3   You are a pupil at school. You want your teacher to advise you about which examinations to take. You say:  Can you give me ..................................................................................................... ?
4   You want to watch the news on television but you don't know what time it is on. You ask your friend: What time......................................................................................................................... ?
5   You are standing at the top of a mountain. You can see a very long wav. It is beautiful. You say:  What  ..........................................................................................................'...............................!
139
UNIT 70     Countable nouns with a/an and some
Nouns can be countable or uncountable. For uncountable nouns see Unit 69.
a)    Countable nouns are, for example:
dog        umbrella        job        suggestion        girt Countable nouns are things we can count. We can make them plural: two dogs       six jobs       some girls       many suggestions
b)    Before singular countable nouns you can use a/an:
-  That's a good suggestion,
-  Do you need an umbrella?
You cannot use singular countable nouns alone (without a/the/my etc.):
-  I'm looking for a job, (nor 'I'm looking for job']
-   Be careful of the dog. (nor 'Be careful of dog')
-   I've got a headache.
-   Would you like a cigarette? For a/an and the see Unit 71.
c)    We often use a/an + noun when we say what some thing/someone is, or what something' someone is like:
-   A dog is an animal.                           - Tom is a vety nice person.
-  This is a really beautiful house.        - Jack has got a big nose.
-  What a lovely dress! Remember to use a/an for jobs:
-  Tom's father is a doctor, {not 'Tom's father is doctor')
-  I wouldn't like to be an English teacher.
In sentences like these, we use plural countable nouns alone (nor with some):
-  Tom's parents ate very nice people.        - What awful shoes! (not 'some very nice people')                   - Dogs are animals.
-  Ann has got blue eyes.                              — Are most of your friends students?
d)   We also use some with plural countable nouns. Some = a numbet of / a few of (but we don't know ot say exactly how many):
-   I've seen some good films recently, {not 'I've seen good films')
-  Some friends of mine are coming to stay ar the week-end. Do not use some when you are talking about things in genetal:
-   I love bananas, {not 'some bananas') Sometimes you can use some ot leave it out:
-  Thete are (some) eggs in the fridge if you're hungry. For some and any see Unit 84.
e)    You have to use some when you mean some but not ail I not many etc.
-  Some children leatn very quickly, (but not all children)
-  Some policemen in Britain carty guns but most of them don't.
For plural countable nouns see also Unit 74.
140
UNIT 70    Exercises
70.1   What are these things? Try and find out if you don't know.
Example: an ant?   \tW.Wm>£.:........................       ants? bees?    l*<tyQtt,W$.<&$,....................
1   a cauliflowet?    It's ............................       5  Faith? Mats? Venus? Jupiter?    They   ............
2   a pigeon?    It ........................................            .........................................................................................
3,a dandelion?     ......................................       6 the Rhine? the Nile? the Mississippi?............
4 a skyscrapei?     ....................................            .........................................................................................
And who were these people?
Example: Beethoven?    Ht.iVlW..*..^?.(?.9Sef;.   Beethoven? Bach?    JhO) WOfC.COm^CSOZ.,..
~i Pele?    He was ......................................       1Í Kennedy? Johnson? Nixon?   They ..............
8   Shakespeare?    He  ..............................             .......................................................................................
9   Einstein?     .............................................        12  Elvis Presley? John Lennon?     .........................
10 Matilyn Monroe?............................             .......................................................................................
70.2  How you have to read about someone's job and then write what his or her job is. Example: Ron flies aeroplanes.     He.S.a pi(ot..........................................................
1   Vera types lettets etc. in an office.   She is......................................................................................
2   Tim arranges people's holidays for them.    He................................................................................
3   Stella looks after patients in hospital.    She .....................................................................................
4   Mary teaches mathematics..................................................................................................................
5   Martha ditects films.................................................................................................................................
6  John translates what people are saying from one language into another so that they can understand each other.     ............................................................................................................................
70.3  Now you have to put in a/an or some or leave a space (ivithout a word}.
Examples: I've seen .....S?fl(!£.... good films recently.        Have you got........Or.......headache?
Ate most of your ftiends........r^?.....students?
1   Have you f 't....................camera?               11   You need...............visa to visit...............
2   Would you .ike to be....................actor?            foreign countries, but not all of them.
3   Bill's got....................bigfeet.                       12  I'm going shopping. I'm going to get
4   Do you collect....................stamps?                    ....................new clothes.
5   Tom always gives Ann...................              13  Jane is....................teacher. Her patents
flowers on her birthday.                                   were...................teachers too.
6   Those are....................really nice                  14  When we reached the city centre,
trousers. Where did you get them?                   ...................shops were still open but
7   What....................beautiful gatden!                    most of them were already closed,
8   What....................lovely children!                15  Do you enjoy going to....................
9    -.................birds, for example the                      concerts?
penguin, cannot fly.                                    16  When 1 was...................child, I used to
10 Jack has got....................very long legs,              be very shy.
so he's....................fast runner.
141
UNIT 71     A/an and the
a)   Study this example:
For lunch 1 had fjf] sandwich and
i
I an | apple.[The!
sandwich wasn't verv nice.
The speaker says 'a sandwich / an apple' because this is the first time he talks about them.
The speaker says 'the sandwich' because the listener now knows which sandwich he means - the sandwich he had for lunch.
Here are some more examples:
-   There was a man talking to a woman outside my house. The nun looked English but I think the woman was ioteign.
-  When we were on holiday, we stayed at a hotel. In the evenings, sometimes we had dinner at the hotel and sometimes in a restaurant,
-   I saw a film last night. The film was abour a soldier and a beautiful girl. The soldier was in love with the girl but the girl was in love with a teacher. So the soldier shot the teacher and married the girl.
b)   We use a/an when the listener doesn't know which thing we mean. We use the when it is clear which thing we mean:
-  Tom sat down on a chair, (we don't know which chair)
Tom sat down on the chair nearest the door, (we know which chair)
-   Ann is looking for a job. (not a patticular job)
Did Ann get the job she applied for? (a particular job)
-   Have you got a cat? (not a particular car)
I cleaned the car yesterday, (a particular car, my car)
c)    We use the when it is clear in the situation which thing or petson we mean. For example, in a room we talk about'the light/ the floor/the ceiling/the door/the carpet'etc. Study these examples:
-   Can you tum off (he light, please? (= the light in this room)
-   Where is the toilet, please? (= the toilet in this building/house)
-  The postman was late this morning. (= our usual postman)
-   I took a taxi to the station. {= the Station of that town)
-   We got to the airport just in time for our flight. Also: the police / the fire-brigade / the army.
We also say the bank, the post office:
-   I must go to the bank to change some money and then I'm going to the post office to buy some stamps. (The speaker is usually thinking of a particular bank or post office.)
We also say the doctor, the dentist:
-  John isn't very well. He ha* gone to the doctor. (= his doctor) For the see also Units 72-7.
142
UNIT 71    Exercises
71.1   In this exercise you have to put in a/an or the.
Example: There was........ft.......man and........ft--......woman in the room.......jhP..... man
was English but.....y*^r....... woman looked foreign. She was wearing......9r.........
fur coat.
1, This morning 1 bought....................newspaper and....................magazine.....................
newspaper is in my bag but I don't know where....................magazine is.
2   My parents have....................cat and...................dog....................dog never bites...................
cat but....................cat often scratches..................-dog.
3   I saw....................accident this morning....................car crashed into....................wall.
...................driver of................... car was not hurt but....................car was quite badly damaged.
4   When you turn into Lipson Road, you will see three houses:....................redone,....................
blue one and.................... white one. I live in....................white one,
5   We live in....................old house in....................middle of the village. Thete is....................
beautiful gatden behind.............,......house.....................toof of....................house is in very
bad condition.
71.2   Here again you have to pul in a/an or the.
Examples: I'm looking for......&r........job.        Did Ann get......th&.....job she applied rot?
1   Would you like....................apple?
2   Could you close....................door, please?
3   We live in....................small flat near...................centte of the city.
4   Have you finished with....................book 1 lent you last week?
5   We went out for....................meal last night.....................restaurant we went to was
excellent.
6   Did....................police find....................person who stole your bicycle?
7   This is a nice house. Has it got....................garden?
8   It was warm and sunny, so we decided to sit in....................gatden,
9   This morning I had....................boiled egg and toast for breakfast.
10 ....................President of the United States is elected every fout years.
11   As I was walking along the street, I saw.................... £10 note on................... pavement.
12   I went into the shop and asked to speak to....................managet.
13   'Have you got....................cat?'    'No, I've nevet had....................car in my life.'
14   There's no need to buy any milk..................... milkman brings it every morning.
71.3  Now you have to complete these sentence - using the + noun. Example: It was getting datk in the toom, s   I turned on
1   Thete were no chairs so we all had to sit on........................................................................
2   As soon as [ saw the fire, I called..........................................................................................
3   We didn't have any stamps, so we had to go to...................................................................
4   I had a toothache, so I made an appointment with.........................................................
5   Ann had to catch a train, so 1 took her to...............................................................................
6   When we found that someone had broken into our house, we called .......................
7   Bill wasn't feeling well, so he went to ........................................................................
8   We didn't have any money, so "e h.'.d m ;;n tc             ..........           .   ..
9   The plane was delayed, so u e had to «an a:........................................;„ ľ tii <■<.>.■
143
UNIT 72   The(i)
For che difference between the and a/an see Unit 71.
a)    We say the ... when there is only one of something:
-   What is the longest river in the world? (There is onlv one longest river in the world.]
-  We went to the most expensive restaurant in town.
-  The only television programme he watches is the news.
-   Paris is the capital of France.
-   Everybody- left at the end of the meeting.
-  The earth goes round the sun. (Also: '(he moon / the world / the universe'.)
b)    We say:     the sea    the sky    the ground    the countryside / the country
-   Would you rather live in a town or in the country?
-   Don't sit on the ground! It's wet.
-  We looked up at all the stars in the sky.
We say go to sea / be at sea (without the) when the meaning is go/be on a voyage:
-   Ken is a seaman. He spends most of his life at sea. but: 1 would love to live near the sea. (not 'near sea')
We say space (not 'the space') when we mean space in the universe:
-  There are millions of stars in space, (nor 'in the space") but: He tried to park his car but the space wasn't big enough.
c)    Cinema    theatre    radio    television We say the cinema / the theatre:
-   We went to the cinema last night.
-   Do you often go to the theatre?
Note that when we say 'the cinema / the theatre', we do not necessarily mean one particular
cinema or theatre.
We usually say the radio:
-  We often listen to the radio.        - 1 heard the news on the radio. But we usually say television (without the):
-   We often watch television,
-   1 watched the news on television.
but: Can you turn off the television, please? (= the television set)
d)    AJťd/í.- We do nor normally use the with the names of meals:
-   What time is lunch?
-  W'e had dinner in a restaurant.
-   W'hat did you have for breakfast?
-   Ann incited me to (or for) dinner. But we say a meal:
-  We had a meal in a restaurant.
We also say a when there is an adjective before lunch/breakfast etc.
-  Th jnk you. That was a very nice lunch, (not 'that was very nice lunch') For more information about the see Units 71, 73-7.
144
UNIT 72    Exercises
72.1   Answer these questions in the way shown.
Example: 'Was it a good film?'    'Yes, it was ..                                        ve ever seen.'
1   'Is it a big horel?'    'Yes, it is..........................................in the city.'
2   'Is he a rich man?'    'Yes, he is......................................I've ever met.'
3   'Was it a bad accident?'    'Yes, it was..........................................I've ever seen.'
'4   'Is It a cheap restaurant?'    'Well, it is..........................................you will find.'
5   'It's hot today, isn't it?'    'Yes, it is.........................................day of the year.'
72.2   In this exercise you have to put in a/an or the. Sometimes you don't need either word -you leave it blank. (I f necessary see Unit 71 for a/an and the.J
Examples: We went to.......Wl&.....most expensive restaurant in town.
Do you want to watch.......r^r.......television this evening?
Last night we went out for........&-.........meal in.........<h.......restaurant,
1   I wrote my name at....................top of the page.
2   ....................moon goes round...................earth every 27 days.
3   The Soviet Union was....................first country to send a man into....................space,
4   Did you see the film on....................television or at....................cinema?
5   After....................lunch, we went fora walk by....................sea.
6   I'm not very hungry. 1 had....................big breakfast.
7  John was....................only person I talked to at the party.
8   Tim lives in....................small village in....................country,
9   Peru is....................country in South America.....................capital is Lima,
10   í never listen to....................radio. In fact I haven't got....................radio.
11   It was....................beautiful day.....................sun shone brightly in ..'..................sky.
12   I've invited Tom to....................dinner next Wednesday.
13   What is....................highest mountain in....................world?
14   We don't go to....................theatre very much these days. In fact, in....................town where
we live there isn't....................theatre.
15   It was a long voyage. W'e were at...................sea for four weeks,
16   I prefer swimming in....................sea to swimming in pools.
17   Can you turn....................television down, please? It's a bit loud.
72.3   Here are some things Tom did yesterday. Write a sentence for each.
Morning:    8.00 breakfast        8.30-9.00 radio        9.  0 walk/country Afternoon: 1.00 lunch              2.30 cinema
Evening:    6.30 dinner             8.00-10.00 television
i  MS.ofeU^.M.K<?Ä.fe!Sa!ííflSfc.............................................................................
2   From 8.30 until 9.00 he listened............................................................................
3   At 9.30 he went for a walk in.................................................................................
4   At 1.00 he........................................................................................................................
5   At 2.30..............................................................................................................................
6   At 6.30..............................................................................................................................
7   From..................................................................................................................................
145
UNIT 73     The (2)
3)   Study these sentences:
-  The rose is my favourite flower.
-  The giraffe is the tallest of all animals.
In these examples the ... doesn't mean one particulat thing. The rose = roses in general, the giraffe = giraffes in general. We use the + a singular countable noun in this way co talk about a type of plant, animal etc. Note that you can also use a plural noun without the:
-  Roses are my favourite flowers, (but not The roses ...' - see Unit 74) we also use the + a singular countable noun when we talk about a rype of machine, an invention etc. For example:
-   When was the telephone invented?
-  The bicycle is an excellent means of transport. We also use (he for musical instruments:
-  Can you play the guitar? {not 'Can you play guitat?')
-  The piano is my favourite insttument.
b)  The + adjective
We use (he with some adjectives (without a noun). The meaning is always plural. For example, the rich = rich people in general:
-  Do you think the rich should pay more taxes? We use the especially with these adjectives:
the rich       the old             the blind       the sick        the disabled              the injured
the poor       the young        the deaf         the dead        the unemployed
-  That man over there is collecting money for the blind.
-  Why doesn't the governmenr do more to help the unemployed?
These exptessions are always plural. You cannot say 'a blind' ot 'an unemployed'. You have to say 'a blind man', 'an unemployed woman' etc.
CJ   The + nationality words
You can use the with some nationality adjectives when you mean 'the people of that country'. For example:
-  The French are famous for their food. (= the Ftench people)
-  Why do the English think they are so wondetful? (= the English people) Vou can use the in this way with these nationality words:
the British       the Welsh       the Spanish       the Dutch the English       the Irish           the French         the Swiss
Also with nationality words ending in -ese (the Japanese / the Chinese etc.) With other nationalities you have to use a plural noun ending in -s: (the) Russians    (the) Italians    (the) Arabs    (the) Scots    (the) Tutks
For the see also Units 71, 72 and 74-7.
146
UNIT 73    Exercises
73.1   Answer these questions about yourself and your favourite things. Use a dictionary if you don't know the English words you need.
Example: What is your favourite flower?     thft.riSfc..........................................................................
1   What isyout favourite tree?     ..................................................................................................................
2   Which bird do you like most?    .................................,.............................................................................
3   What is yout favourite cat?     ...................................................................................................................
4   What is yout favourite musical instrument?     ...................................,...............................................
73.2   Now you have to make sentences from the words in brackets-Example: (Mary / play / piano very well)     Mfti&.P.^.:fe.í^G. v£^ M&.:......................
1   (Jack / play / guitar very badly)    Jack plays.......................................................................................
2   (Jill / play / violin in an orchestra)     .......................................................................................................
3   (I'd like/ learn / play/piano)      ................................................................................................................
4   (you / play / guitar?)..................................................................................................................................
73.3   This time you have to complete these sentences about animals. Choose one of the words in brackets. Use a dictionary if you don't know these words.
Examp/ŕ.-l^.^irsŕfe.........is the tallest of all animals,    (elephant/lion/giraffe)
1   .................................is the fastest of all animals,    (tiget/cheetah/elephant)
2  .................................is a mammal but it lives in the sea.    (oct o p us/elephant/whale)
3  .................................is the largest living bird.    (eagle/sparrow/osttich)
73.4   Complete these sentences using the with these adjectives:
rich        sick        bjitltf       poor        injured        unemployed        dead Example: Braille is a system of reading and writing by touch
1   Many people were killed in the plane crash. The bodies of.................................were taken
away..................................were taken to hospital.
2   Every English child knows the story of Robin Hood. It is said that he robbed .................................and gave the money to..............................
3   Those people with jobs have enough money but life .  not so easy for..................................
4   Agnes has been a nurse all her life. She has spent her life caring for..................................
73.5   What do you call the people of these countries?
Examples: England? .öi&.&yWijh......................        Russia? ^BwSSlflMS...............................
1   Britain?  ..................        6  France?........................      10 Switzerland?   ...........
2   Ireland? ..................        7 Japan?  ..........................      II  America (the US) ?
3   Wales?  ....................        8  Germany?  ...................      12  the Netherlands?  ...
4   Scotland? ...............        9 China? .........................      13 and your country?
5  Spain? .....................
147
UNIT 74     Plural and uncountable nouns with and without the (flowers / the flowers,    music / the music)
a)    We don't use the before a noun when we mean something it general:
-  I love flowers, {not 'the flowers')
(flowers = flowers in general, not a particular group of flowers)
-   I'm afraid of dogs.
-   Doctors are paid more than teachers.
-   Crime is a problem in most big cities, (not 'the crime")
-   Life has changed a lot since I was a boy. (not 'the liie'y
-   1 prefer classical music to pop music, (not "the classical/pop music')
-   Do you like English food / French cheese / Swiss chocolate? («of "the ...')
-   My favourite subject at school was history/physics/English.
-   I like rootball/athlecics/sküng/cheis.
-   Do you collecc stamps?
We say most people / most dogs etc. (not 'the most...'):
-   Most people like Geotge. (not 'the most people' - see also Unit 82)
b)    We say the ... when we mean something in particular.
-   1 like your garden. The flowers are beautiful, (not 'Flowers are —') (the flowers = the flowers in your garden, not flowers in general)
-   Children learn a lot from playing. (= children in general)
but: We took the children to the zoo. (= a particular group of children, perhaps the speaker's own children)
-  Salt is used to flavour food.
but: Can you pass the salt, please? (= the salt on the table)
-   I often listen to music.
but: The film wasn't very good but I liked the music. (= the music in the film)
-   All cars have wheels.
but: All the students in the class like their teacher.
-   Are English people friendly? (= English people in general)
but: Are the English people you know friendly? (= only the English people you know, not English people in general)
c)   The difference between 'something in general' and 'something in particular' is nor always very clear. Study these sentences:
-  I like working with people. (= people in general)
-   1 like working wirh people who are lively, (not all people, but people who are lively is still a general idea)
but: I like the people f work with. (= a particular group of people)
-   Do you like coffee? (= coffee in general)
-   Do you like strong black coffee? (not all coffee, but strong black coffee is still a genetal idea)
but: Did you like the coffee we had with our meal last night? (= particular coffee)
148
UNIT 74    Exercises
74.1  In this exercise you have to write whether you like or dislike something. Begin your
sentences with: I like... /1 don't like ... / 1 love ... /1 hate ... /1 don't mind ... / I'm (not)
interested in .../1 have no opinion abput ...
Example: (very hot weather)     LmtM&XityM.MQm*,.................................................
1   (football)     ................................................................................................................................................
'2   (small children)     ...................................................................................................................................-
3   (cats)     .........................................................................................................................................................
4   (modern art)..........................................................................................................................................
5   (horror films)     ........................................................................................................................................
74.2   What do you think about these things? Write a sentence about each one. Begin with: In my opinion... /1 think... /1 don't think... /1 don't agree with... / I'm against... / I'm in favour of...                                 ., Example: (divorce)     !.^.^K^P)^.LS.S?iilřfi^.^.A4«S5|3^:...........................................
1   (terrorism)     ..............................................................................................................................................
2   (smoking)     ...............................................................................................................................................
3   (examinations)     ____.............................................................................................................■■.............
4   (capiral punishmenr)    -............... ......................................................-----........................-—.............
5   (nuclear power)    .......,............................................................................................................................
74.3  In this exercise you have to choose the correct form, with or without the.
Examples: I'm afraid of dogs / cTfedtijis        Can you pass s>^ / the salt, please?
1   Apples / The apples are good for you.
2   Look ac apples / the apples on char tree! They're very large.
3   Women / The women are ofren bettet teachers than men / the men.
4   In Britain coffee / the coffee is more expensive than tea / the tea.
5   We had a very nice meal in that restaurant. Cheese / The cheese was especially good.
6   Most people / The most people still believe chat marriage / the marriage and family life /the family life are the basis of oar society.
7   They got married but marriage/ the marriage wasn't successful.
8   I know someone who wrote a book about life/the life of Gandhi.
9   Lire/The life would be very difficult withou' electricity / the electricity.
10   Skiing/ the skiing is my favourite sport but ■ also like swimming / the swimming.
11   Second Wotld War / The Second World War ended in 1945.
12   Do you know people / the people who live next door?
13   Are vou interested in art/ the ait ot architecture /the architecture?
14   AH books / All the books on the top shelf belong to me.
15   Don't stay in that hotel. Beds /The beds are very uncomfortable.
16   Two of the biggest problems facing our society are crime / the crime and unemployment / the unemployment.
17   I hate violence I the violence.
149
UNIT 75     Hospital / the hospital,    school / the school etc.
a)   Study this example situation with hospital:
Jack had an accident a few days ago.
He had to go to hospital.
He is still in hospital now.
Jill went to the hospital to visit him.
She is at the hospital now.
Someone goes to hospital or is in hospital if he is ill or injured. We are not necessarily thinking of a particular hospital; we are thinking of the idea of hospital.
But Jill is not ill or injured. She is not 'in hospital'. She went there as a visitot. We say 'Jill went to the hospital/Jill is at the hospital' because we mean a particular hospital, the one where Jack is.
b)
c)
Prison    school    university    college    church
We say a criminal goes to prison (not 'to the prison']; a'child goes to school; a student goes to university/college. We do not use the when we are thinking of the idea of these places and what they are used for:
-   After 1 leave school, I want to go to univetsity. (as a pupil/student)
-   Why aren't the children at school today? (as pupils}
-   Mrs Kelly goes to church every Sunday, (for a religious service]
-   Ken's brother is in prison for robbery, (he is a prisoner)
We say 'be in prison', but usually 'be at school/university /col lege'. 'In church' and 'at church' are both possible.
Now study these sentences with the:
-   Mr Kelly went to the school to meet his daughter's teachet. (He didn't go there as a pupil.|
-   Excuse me, where is the university, please? (a particular building]
-  The workmen went to the church to repair the roof. (They didn't go to a religious service.)
-   Ken went to the prison to visit his brother. (He went as a visitor, not as a prisoner; he went to the prison where his brother was.)
bed    work    home
We say: "go to bed / be in bed' etc. {not 'the bed'):
-  It's time to go to bed now.       - Is Tom still in bed? 'Go to work / be at work / start work / finish work' etc. (řioí 'the work'):
-  Why isn'tAnnatworktoday?       - What time do you finish work? 'Go home/come home / be at home / stay at home'etc. (not 'the home'):
-   Come on! Let's go home.        — Will you be at home tomorrow? There is no preposition with go/come/get/arrive home, (not 'to home')
150
UNIT 75   Exercises
75.1  Complete these sentences using the words in this unit.
Example: Two people were injured in the accident and were taken   1S.WoSpJ.tili..
1   I was very tired and it was very late, so I went ............................................................
2   Fred robbed a bank but was caught by the police. He was sent .........,.................
3   Tom doesn't often go out in the evenings. He usually stay;  ...................................
4  Jill isn't a religious person. She never goes.....................................................................
5   In Britain, children from the age of five have to go ....................................................
6   Children sometimes get into trouble if they are late for...........................................
7   There is a lot of traffic in the morning when everybody is going.........................
8   Mrs Grimes has just had an operation. She is still......................................................
9   When David leaves school, he wants to study economics ........................................
10  Bill never gets up before 9 o'clock. It's 8.30 now, so he is still   .............................
75.2   Write short answers to these questions-Example: If you wanted to meet your children's teachers, where would you go?
ÍQ..)M.$&ogL...........................................................................................................................
1   A friend of yours is in hospital. Where would you go to visit him?  .........................................
2   A friend of yours is in prison. Where would you go to visit him?.............................................
3   A friend of yours is at church. If you wanted to meet him immediately after the service, where would you go?.................................................................................................................................
75.3  This time you have to choose the correct form, with or without the.
Example: Ken's brother is in prison / tfepwS&n for robbery,  ('prison' is correct)
1   Some children hate school / the school.
2   What time do your children finish school / the school?
3   After leaving school/the school, Nora worked as a cleaner in hospital / at the hospital.
4   My brother is very ill in hospital / the hospital.
5   Ali over the world, people are in prison / the prison because of their political beliefs.
6   The other day the fire-brigade had to go to prison / the prison to put out a fire.
7   On the way to London we passed through a small village with an old church. We stopped to visit church/the church. It was a beautiful building.
8   John's mother is a regular churchgoer. Sh<- goes to church / the church every Sunday. John himself doesn't go to church / the cl irch.
9   Every term parents are invited to school / ihe school to meet the teachers.
10   After work / the work. Ann usually goes home / to home.
11   Tom left university / the university without doing his examinations.
12   When Ann was ill, we all went to hospital / the hospital to visit her.
13   1 like to read in bed / the bed before going to sleep.
14   What time do you have to start work / the work tomorrow morning?
15   How many people go to university / the university in your country?
»
151
UNIT 76     Geographical names with and without the
a)    Continents:   We do not say the with the names of continents:
Africa (not 'the Africa')    Asia    Europe   South America
b)    Countries and states:    We do not usually say the with the names of countries and states:
France («of 'the France'!   Japan    West Germany   Nigeria   Texas But we say the with names which include words like 'republic', 'union', 'kingdom', 'states':
the German Federal Republic                the Soviet Union                    the United States (of
(usually called 'West Germany')              the United Kingdom              America)
the Republic of Ireland                                                                        the United Arab Emirates We also use the with plural names: the Netherlands    the Philippines
C)   Cities:    We do not use the with the names of cities/towns/villages: Cairo [not 'the Cairo')    New York    Glasgow    Madrid Exception: The Hague (in the Netherlands)
d)    Islands:    Island groups usually have plural names with the:
the Bahamas    the Canaries / the Canary islands    the British Isles Individual islands usually have singular names without the: Corfu   Sicily   Bermuda   Easter Island
e)    Regions:    We say: the Middle East   the Far East the north of England    the south of Spain    the west of Canada
[but: northern England / southern Spain / western Canada — without the)
Mountains:    Mountain ranges usually have plural name* with the:
the Rocky Mountains / the Rockies   the Andes    the Alps But individual mountains usually have names without the:
(Mount) Everest    Ben Nevis (in Scotland)    (Mount) Etna
g)   Lakes:    Lakes usually have names without the: Lake Superior    Lake Constance
h)   Names of oceanslseaslrivers!'canals have the: the Atlantic (Ocean)    the Indian Ocean
the Mediterranean (Sea)    the Red Sea    the (English) Channel the Nile    the Amazon    the Thames    the Rhine the Suez Canal    the Panama Canal Note: On maps the is not usually included in the name.
152
UNIT 76   Exercises
76.1  Read these sentences carefully. Some are correct, but some need the (perhaps more than once). Correct the sentences where necessary. Examples: Everest was first climbed in 1953.        S53ÍÍ.X
Milan is in north of Italy.                     WRß!*S -the iwtti cf Italy
1, Last year we visited Canada and United States.                                       ...............
2   Africa is much larger than Europe.                                                          ...............
3   South of England is warmer than north.                                                  ...............
4   We went to Spain fot our holidays and swam in Mediterranean.
5   Tom has visited most countries in western Europe.                                ...............
6   A friend of mine used to work as a reporter in Middle East.                 ...............
7   Next year we are going skiing in Swiss Alps.                                           ...............
8   Malta has been a republic since 1974.                                                     ...............
9   Nile is longest river in Africa.                                                                  ..............
10 United Kingdom consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
76.2  Here are some geography questions. You haue to choose the right answer. Sometimes you need the, sometimes not. Try and find out the answers if you don't know them. Example: What is the longest river in the world? (Amazon I Rhine / Nile)        ä!.í.«(t!i&W.O.-
1   Where is Bolivia? (Africa / South America / North America).....................
2   Where is Ethiopia? (Asia / South America / Africa)........................................
3   Of which country is Manila the capital? (Indonesia ' Philippines /Japan)
4   Of which country is Stockholm the capital?
(Norway / Denmark / Sweden)..............................................................................
5   Which country lies between Mexico and Canada?
(Venezuela / El Salvador/ United States).........................................................
6   Which is the largest country in the world?
(United States / China / Soviet Union)     ...................................................................
7   Which is the largest continent? (Africa/South America / Asia) ......................
8   What is the name of the mountain range in the west of North America? (Rocky Mountains / Andes / Alps).........................................................................
9   What is the name of the ocean between America and Asia?
(Atlantic / Pacific / Indian Ocean)...........................................................................
10   What is the name of the ocean between Africa and Australia? (Atlantic / Pacific / Indian Ocean).....................................................................
11   What is the name of the sea between England .   d France? (Mediterranean Sea / English Channel/ French Sea)......................................
12   What is the name of the sea between Africa and Europe?
(Black Sea / Red Sea / Mediterranean Sea)..........................................................
13   What is the name of the sea between Britain and Norway? (Norwegian Sea / English Channel / North Sea)...............................................
14   Which river flows through Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade?
(Rhine / Danube / Volga)...........................................................................................
15   What joins the Atlantic and Pacific oceans?
(Suez Canal / Panama Canal)  ...............................«.....................................................
153
UNIT n     Names of streets, buildings etc. with and without the
a)    We do not normally use the with names of screets/roads/squares etc.:
Regent Street [not 'the...')              Fifth Avenue                     Piccadilly Circus
Cromwell Road                               Broadway                         Red Square
There are some exceptions (for example: 'The Mall' in London).
b)   Many names (for example, of airports or universities) are two words:
Kennedy Airport        Cambridge University The first word is usually the name of a person ('Kennedy'] or a place ('Cambridge'). We do not usually say the with names like these:
Victoria Station (nor 'the...')          Edinburgh Castle              Hyde Park
Westminster Abbey                         Buckingham Palace          London Zoo
Canterbury Cathedral
But we say "the White House', 'the Royal Palace' because 'white' and "royal' are not names. This is only a general rule. There are exceptions. See section c for hotels etc. and section e for names with of.
c)    We usually say the before the names of these places:
hotels                       (he Hilton (Hotel), the Station Hotel
restaurants/pubs      the Bombay Restaurant, (he Red Lion (pub)
theatres                    the Palace Theatre, the National Theatre
cinemas                    the ABC, the Odeon, the Classic
museums!'galleries    the British Museum, the Tate Gallery
Again there are exceptions. See also section d of this unit.
d)    Many shops, restaurants, hotels, banks etc. are named after the people who started them. These names end in s or 's. We do not use the with these names:
shops             Selfridges (not 'the Selfridges'), Harrods
restaurants    Maxim's, Macdonalds, Luigi's Italian Restaurant
hotels            CI a ridge's
banks             Barclays Bank, Lloyds Bank
Churches are usually named after saints (St = saint]: St John's Church        St Paul's Cathedral
e)    We say the before the names of places, buildings etc. with of:
the Bank of England {not 'Bank of England')           the Great Wall of China
the Houses of Parliament                                          the Museum of Modern Art
the Tower of London
f)     We say the with the names of newspapers:
the Times        the Washington Post       the Evening Standard
154
UNIT 77    Exercises
77.1   Lie the map to answer the questions in the way shown. Write the name of the place and the street it is in. On maps we don't normally use the; in your sentences, use the if necessary.
Example: 'Is there a cinema near here ?'    'Yes, &$D6£Gft^&<^£s3<XS£t.,................'
1   'Is there a supermarket near here?'   'Yes,......................................in
2   'Is there a hotel near here?'   'Yes,........................................in...............
3   'Is there a bank near here?'    'Yes,........................................in...............
4   'Is there a restaurant near here?'    'Yes,.......................................in ....
5   'Is there a church near here?'    'Yes, ....................................................
6   'Is there a pub near here?'    'Yes, ..........................................................
7   'Is there a museum near here?'    'Yes,  .................................................
8   'Is there a park near here?"    'Yes,...................................a t the end of
77.2  In this exercise you have to choose the correct form, with oru/ithout the.
Example: When we were in London, we visited Nä*g&»«ttGallery / the National Gallery.
1   The British Prime Minister lives in Downing Street / the Downing Street.
2   One of the nicest parks in London is St [ames's Park / theSt lames's Park, which is very near Buckingham Palace / the Buckingham Palace.
3   Frank is a student at Liverpool University / the Liverpool University.
4   Mr Jenkins reads Daily Telegraph I the Daily Telegraph but his wife reads Times /the Times.
5   If you want to buy some new clothes, the i  op i would recommend is Harrison's /the Harrison's.
6   We flew from London to Orly Airport / the Orly Airport in Paris.
7   Tate Gallery / The Tate Gallery is the main modern art museum in London.
8   My local pub is called Prince or W-iSes / the Prince of Wales.
9   Have you ever visited Tower of London / the Tower of London ?
10   'Which hotel are you staying at?'    'At Sheraton / the Sheraton.'
11    Diana and George got married in St Matthew's Church / the St Matthew's Church.
12   You must visit Science Museum / the Science Museum when you are in London.
13   Did you see the film at Classic/the Classic ^cinema]?
155
UNIT 78     Singular or plural?
a)    We use some nouns only in the plum!. For example:
trousers    jeans    shorts    pyjamas    rights    scissors    glasses'spectacles You can also use a pair of... with these words:
-  I need some new trousers,    or    I need a neu pair of trousers.
b)   We do not often use the plural of person (-persons'). Instead we use people:
-  He is a nice person.        - They are nice people.
C)   These nouns end in -s but they are not usually plural:
mathematics    physics    economics    athletics    gymnastics    news
-   Athletics is my favourite sport.
-  What time is the news on television? (See also Unit 69d.) These words end in -s and can be singular or plural:
means       a means of transport         many means of transport
series         a television series              iwo television series
species      a species of bird                 200 species of bird
d)   Some singular nouns are often used with a plural verb. For example:
government    staff   learn    family    audience    committee We often chink of these things as a number of people ('they'), not as one thing ('it')  So we often use a plural verb:
-   The government (= they) want to reduce taxes.
-  The staff (= they) aren't happy with their new working conditions. A singular verb (The government wants ..,') is also possible.
Note thai we normally use a plural verb with the names of sports teams:
-   Scotland are playing France in a football march next week.
We always use a plural verb with the police:
-  The police have arrested Tom.
-  Are the police well-paid?
e)    Sometimes we use a plural noun with a singular verb. We do this when we talk about a sum of money, a period of time, a distance etc.:
-   Five thousand pounds (= it) was stolen in the robbery, (not 'were stolen')
-  Three years (= it) is a long time to be without a job. (not 'ar
are
f)    We say 'a holiday of three weeks' but 'a three-week holiday':
- I've got a three-week holiday in July, {not 'a three-weeks holiday') Here, three-week is used as an adjective before 'holiday'. When we use 'three-weeks' as an adiective, it loses the s. So we say:
a ten-pound note (not 'pounds')          two 14-year-old girls
a four-week English course                 a six-hour journey
You can also say 'I've got three weeks' holiday'. See Unit 79d.
156
UNIT 78    Exercises
78.1   In this exercise you have to complete the sentences with words from sections a, b and c. Sometimes you need a or some.
Examples: She can't see very well. She needs $Qg^£or.£pectzul&). This plane is.....ň*.... very rare Species,.,............
1   Footballers don'r wear trousers when they play. They wear .................................
2   The bicycle is.............................. ot transport.
3   The bicycle and the car are..............................of transport.
4   I want to cut this piece of material. I need.................................
5   Ann is going to write.................................of articles for her local newspaper.
6   There are a lot of American television...............................on British television.
7   While we were out walking, we saw 25 different...............................of bird.
8   We need at least four..............................to play this game.
78.2   This time you have to choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural. Sometimes either a singular or a plural verb is possible. Example: Gymnastics is/^mv favourite sport, ('is' is correct)
1   The trousers you bought for me doesn't/don't fit me.
2   Physics was ■■' were my best subject at school.
3   Fortunately the news wasn't.' weren't as bad as we had expected.
4   The police wants/ want to interview Fred about a robbery.
5   Three days isn't I aren't long enough for a good holiday.
6   Where does / do your family live?
7   England has/ have lost all their football matches this season.
8   Does / Do the police know about the stolen money?
9   Can I borrow your scissors? Mine isn't /aren't sharp enough. 10   I'm going to take a taxi. Six miles is / a re too far for me to walk.
78.3   Í« fries exercise you have to use the structure in section f. Examples: Our holiday lasted three weeks.    It was
The girls were 14 years old.    They were 1f^^SHfrOM,.$jň&...................................
1   The woman was 27.    She was a......................................................................................................
2   The flight lasted three hours.    It was a  ............................................................................................
3   The strike lasted four days.    It was a ................................................................................................
4   The book has 200 pages.    It is a.........................................................................................................
5   The boys were ten years old.    They were  ........................................................................................
6   The Television series has ten parts.    It is...........................................................................................
7   The bottle holds two litres,    it is ..........................*............................................................................
8   Each of the tickets cost ten pounds.    They were............................................................,..............
9   The building has ten storeys (= floors).    It is................................................................................
10   This bag of potatoes weighs five kilos.    It is  ..................................................................................
11   We walked for five miles.    It was  .....................................................................................................
157