Choose two of the words below as the most likely ways of completing each sentence. For one answer you will need to make the word plural, and for the other you will need to make no change. (B)
accommodation bag equipment house jewellery job luggage painting shower sunshine tool work
1. On the weather forecast they said there would be…….this afternoon.
2. The waiting room was so full of people and their……., there was nowhere to sit.
3. Repairing car engines is easy if you've got the right…….
4. In Stockholm at the moment there's a fascinating exhibition of…….from 19th century Sweden.
5. Both my brothers are looking for…….
6. The price of…….has increased by 12% this year alone.
EXERCISES 2
Choose from the words below to complete each sentence. Decide if the word should be countable or uncountable. If the word is countable, add a/an or make it plural as appropriate. (C)
chicken dislike improvement language life success
1. Mary used to keep…….in her garden until they started to get out.
2. A score of 40% may not be very good but it's certainly…….on her last mark.
3. After so many previous……., it was inevitable that one of his films would be unpopular.
4. …….is too short to worry about keeping your house spotlessly clean.
5. I've had……. of green vegetables ever since I was a child.
6. Our students study both…….and literature in their English degree.
EXERCISES 3
Choose from the words below to complete each pair of sentences. Use the same word in (a) and (b). Decide if the word should be countable or uncountable. If the word is countable, add a/an at an appropriate point in the sentence or make it plural. (D & E)
damage education traffic paper resistance speech
1)
— a. I had to go through a, very strict and traditional .education.....
— b. …… has been hit once again in the government's spending cuts.
2)
— a. …… was building up on the motorway as the fog got thicker.
— b. Since the war, illegal…….in weapons has grown.
3)
— a. Outnumbered by at least three to one, he knew that…….was useless.
— b. After a while we seemed to build up…….to mosquitoes.
4)
— a. The judge awarded Mr Sinclair…….of nearly £50,000.
— b. The accident caused some……. to my car but it wasn't worth getting it repaired.
5)
— a. Muriel gave……. at the conference on the psychological effects of divorce.
— b. The use of recycled……… is saving thousands of trees from being cut down each year.
6)
— a. It is said to be……… that distinguishes us from the other animals.
— b. We had to listen to some long and boring…………. after the meal
The most likely answers aregiven. Other possibilities are given in brackets.
1
1. sunshine / showers
2. luggage (equipment) / bags
3. equipment / tools
4. jewellery (equipment) / paintings
5. work / jobs
6. accommodation (equipment) / houses
2
1. chickens
2. an improvement
3. successes
4. Life
5. a dislike
6. language
3
1)
— a. through a very strict and traditional education;
— b. Education has been hit
2)
— a. Traffic was building up;
— b. war, an illegal traffic in ('war, illegal traffic in' is also possible)
3)
— a. he knew that resistance was useless;
— b. to build up a resistance to mosquitoes.
4)
— a. Mr Sinclair damages of nearly;
— b. caused some damage to my car
5)
— a. Muriel gave a paper at the conference;
— b. The use of recycled paper is saving
6)
— a. to be speech that distinguishes;
— b. long and boring speeches after