Every time you move you 4 ... exercising. The human body is designed to bend, stretch, run, jump and climb. The 5 ... it does, the stronger and fitter it will become. Best of 6 ..., exercise is fun. It's 7 ... your body likes doing most — keeping on the move.
Physical exercise is not only good 8 ... your body. People who take regular exercise are usually happier, more relaxed and more alert 9 ... people who sit around all day. Try an experiment — next time you're 10 ... a bad mood, go for a walk or play a ball game in the park. See how 11 ... better you feel after an hour.
A sense of achievement is yet 12 ... benefit of exercise. People feel good 13 ... themselves when they know they have improved 14 ... fitness. People who exercise regularly will 15 ... you that they find they have more energy to enjoy life. So have a go — you'll soon see and feel the benefits!
Key: 1 mean; 2 little; 3 have/develop; 4 are; 5 more; 6 all; 7 what;8 for; 9 than; 10 in; 11 much; 12 another; 13 about/in;14 their; 15 tell.
Read the text below. Use the word at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line. There is an example at the beginning 0. Write your word on the separate answer sheet.
Example: 0 scientists
A Risky Activity
According to some 0 ..., high-risk sports can science
be particularly 1 ... for certain types of people, value
Such activities help them to learn that being
2 ... doesn't mean that they have to lose control, fright
The recent fashion for jumping from bridges
attached to a 3 ... of elastic rope, known as "bungee long
jumping", has now been tried by over one million
people 4 ... , and interest in it is continuing to world
grow.
Before the special elastic rope 5 ... around them, tight
jumpers reach speeds of nearly 160 kph. First-timers
are usually too 6 ... to open their mouths, and terror
when they are finally 7 ... safely to the ground, low
they walk around with broad smiles on their faces,
saying 8 ... how amazing it was. However, for some repeat
people, it is only the 9 ... of refusing to jump at embarrass
the last minute that finally persuades them to
conquer their fear of 10 ... and push themselves high
off into space.
Key: 1 valuable; 2 frightened; 3 length; 4 worldwide; 5 tightens; 6 terrified; 7 lowered; 8 repeatedly; 9 embarrassment; 10 height.
Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space. There is an example at the beginning 0. Write your word on the separate answer sheet.
Example: 0 like
Electronic Intelligence
Science fiction films and books are full of robots that look, and even think, exactly 0 ... humans. Some people believe it will not be long 1 ... such machines become a reality. However, most advanced electronic machines still look 2 ... like people. These machines cannot yet think in the same way 3 ... a person; some say they never 4 ... . But they are able to make decisions and solve problems. An airliner's automatic pilot, for example, can control 5 ... plane, even during take-off and landing.
Computers issue detailed instructions in order 6 ... control the way robots act. The simplest robots just follow a set 7 ... instructions and repeat the same movements again and again. Many factories rely 8 ... such robots to carry out the sort of tasks that a human worker 9 ... certainly find very boring and they can do many jobs more rapidly and with great accuracy. Very advanced robots have sensors with 10 ... they can collect information 11 ... their surroundings. These robots can move 12 ... place to place, using tiny television cameras to find 13 ... way.
Many scientists are convinced that robots will soon be intelligent 14 ... to explore other planets more effectively 15 ... humans.
Key: 1 before/until; 2 nothing; 3 as; 4 will; 5 the/a; 6 to; 7 of; 8 on; 9 would/could; 10 which; 11 about; 12 from; 13 their; 14 enough; 15 than.
Number of nouns is another elementary topic of English grammar much disregarded in the EFL teaching. Teachers shouldn't confine themselves to saying that the plural number is formed by adding the -s inflexion to the singular form. In fact number of nouns constitutes a vast problem embracing such notions as policemy, transition of meaning, use of determiners, agreement between the subject-noun and the predicate-verb.
Number shows the difference between one and more than one. If one thing ("thing" in a wide sense of the word) is meant, we use the singular number, if more than one — we use the plural number. It is wrong to say that the plural expresses number, it does not, it signals the meaning of "not one."
More attention should be given to the formation of the plural number of nouns since it is far more difficult a problem than we think and it should be treated accordingly.
The plural number is formed with the help of the ending -s or -es.
bees dogs looks watches
days pencils maps boxes
flowers spoons seats wishes
In the following fourteen nouns the final -f is changed into -v and -es is added:
calf knife loaf shelf wharf
elf life seat thief wolf
half leaf self wife
E.g. calves, elves, halves.
All the others have -fs: proofs, cliffs, gulfs.
Some nouns may have either -ves or -fs in the plural number: scarf, dwarf, hoof.
If a noun ends in -o, -es is added in the plural number: tomatoes, potatoes, vetoes. Only -s is added if a noun ends in a vowel + o: bamboos, studios, zoos; in proper names: Romeos, Eskimos, Philipinos; in abbreviations: kilos, photos, pros (professionals); also: stereos, discos, videos, pianos, solos. Some other nouns take -s or -es: cargo, banjo, halo.
If a noun ends in -y, it is changed into -i- and -es is added: armies, duties, stories. If a vowel precedes -y, just -s is added: boys, keys, plays.
Some old English plural forms are still used:
man — men goose — geese child — children
woman — women louse — lice ox — oxen
foot — feet mouse — mice brother — brethren
tooth — teeth
Some English nouns keep foreign plurals, sometimes English and foreign plurals are used side by side:
alumna — alumnae
alumnus — alumni
formula — formulae, formulas
index — indices, indexes
crisis — crises
criterion — criteria
phenomenon — phenomena
datum — data
nucleus — nuclei
syllabus — syllabi, syllabuses
Compound nouns have three ways of spelling: two components are separated by a hyphen, written in one word or written separately. To form the plural of compound words spelled with a hyphen -s is added to the principal word:
daughters-in-law passersby
editors-in-chief girlfriends
lookers-on watchmakers
When compound singular nouns are spelled as one solid word, they are pluralized by adding -s to the last word:
airships bookcases
baseballs bywords
beefsteaks churchgoers
The plural of compound words with vowel-changing words in them will be:
airmen
mailmen
womendoctors
Compound nouns consisting of two separate components add -s for the plural number to the last component:
apple trees ocean liners
bank books post officers
car fares water jackets
leaf buds wind gauges
Note even: trouser pockets, pyjama jacket.
Proper names form their plurals by adding -s or -es: Adams, Georges, Henries, Dickenses. When a proper name is accompanied by a title, either the proper name or the title may be made plural:
Doctor Hills Mrs Thomases
Doctors Hill Mesdames Thomas
Letters, numerals and symbols are preferably pluralized by the addition of's:
three r's and four s's
my four's and five's
your etc.'s and i.e.'s
all M.P.'s
Some nouns have the same form for the singular and for the plural: cod, deer, grouse, sheep, trout, quail, aircraft;
dozen (twelve), score (twenty), stone (6,35 kg);
means, series, species, works, barracks, headquarters.
Some nouns have two plurals, each plural form differs in meaning from the other:
colour — цвет
colours — цвета
colours — флаг
cloth — ткань; лоскут
cloths — куски материи
clothes — платье, одежда
custom — обычай
customs — обычаи
customs — таможенные пошлины
die — штамп, матрица; игральная кость
dies — штампы, матрицы
dice — игральные кости/ АЕ игральная кость
genius — дух, гениальная личность
geniuses — гениальные личности
genii — гении, духи
penny — пенни
pennies — монеты
реnсе — сумма в несколько пенни
The irregularities of the formation of the plural number of English nouns are ridiculed in the following poem by an unknown author.
The English Language
We'll begin with box, and the plural is boxes.
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
The one fool is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of mouse should never be meese.
You may find one mouse, or a whole nest of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
The cow in the plural may be cows or kine,
But bow, if repeated, is never called bine
And the plural of vow is vows, never vine.
If I speak of a foot, and you show me your feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
If the singular is this and the plural is these,
Should the plural of kiss ever be nicknamed keese?
Then one may be that and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren,
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his,him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis, and shim!
So English, I think you all will agree,
Is the greatest language you ever did see.
Unknown
Sometimes the noun in the plural acquires a different meaning:
authority — власть, полномочие
authorities — начальство, руководство, власть
damage — вред, повреждение
damages — убытки, компенсация за убытки
development — развитие, эволюция, рост
developments — события
humanity — человечество
humanities — гуманитарные науки
power — сила, мощность, энергия
powers — полномочия, власть; державы
work — работа
works — собрание сочинений; промышленные здания, строительное сооружение
Nouns that can be either singular or plural are called countable. Some nouns can't be used in the singular and in the plural, they are called uncountable. There are uncountable nouns used only in the singular and uncountable nouns used only in the plural.
COUNTABLE NOUNS: UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS:
have singular and plural forms have only one form
take verbs in the singular or in take verbs only in the singular/
the plural only in the plural
can have "a," "an," or "one" cannot have "a," "an," or "one"
before them before them
can have "few," "many" as can have "little," "much" before
modifiers them as modifiers
can be modified by a numeral —
can be substituted by "one" —
can have "some" before them can have "some" before them
only in the plural
can have "number of" before can have "amount of" before them
them only in the plural
Certain kinds of nouns are usually countable.
1. Names of persons, animals, plants, insects, and the like, and their parts:
Persons Animals Plants Insects Parts
a boy a cat a cactus an ant an ankle
a girl a dog a bush a butterfly a bone
a man a horse a flower a caterpillar a face
a student a mouse an oak a fly a head
a teacher a tiger a potato a mite a nose
a wife a wolf a rose a tick an ear
a woman a zebra a tree a wasp a wing
2. Objects with a definite shape:
a ball a mountain
a building a street
a car a tent
a door a typewriter
a house an umbrella
3. Units of measurement (for length, area, weight, volume, temperature, pressure, speed and so on) and words of classification (often used as measurement and classification with uncountable nouns):
a basket a drop
a gram a degree
an inch a kind
a foot a type
a meter a piece
a pound a bit
a square foot, meter an item
a cubic inch, centimetre apart
4. Classifications in society:
a family a country a language
a clan a state a word
a tribe a city a phrase
5. Some abstract nouns:
a help a plan
a hindrance a rest
an idea a scheme
an invention a taboo
a nuisance
Certain kinds of nouns are uncountable.
1. Names of substances and materials:
Food Materials
bread copper
cake cotton
chocolate concrete
meat grass
spaghetti iron
spinach steel
butter wood
cheese wool
2. Names of liquids, gases, and substances made of many small particles:
Liquids Gases Grains and other solids made
of many small particles
coffee air barley
milk carbon dioxide rice
oil oxygen sugar
tea smoke popcorn
3. Names of languages: Arabic, English, Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Welsh.
4. Most nouns ending in -ing. Exceptions include "building," "feeling," "dealing," "wedding" and "helping" when it means a portion of food; "a saving" is economy, but "savings" is an amount of money;
"furnishings" is always plural.
camping parking
clothing shopping
dancing smoking
hiking studying
learning trying
lightning waiting
5. Many abstract nouns including those ending in -ness, -ance, -ence, -ity:
beauty peace
equality plenty
happiness sanity
ignorance serenity
importance selfishness
obsolescence verbosity
6. Names of branches of human learning ending in -ics:
acoustics politics
linguistics
mathematics physics
phonetics statistics
Another group of uncountable nouns occurs only in the plural form. They can take the definite article or no article at all in front of them; no numerals can be used with them. Here is a list of common plural nouns:
archives particulars
congratulations proceeds
contents remains
goods surroundings
odds thanks
outskirts whereabouts
Some plural nouns refer to items of clothing and other objects consisting of two parts:
braces binoculars
breeches glasses
jeans pincers
knickers pliers
leggins scales
pants scissors
pyjamas shears
shorts spectacles
tights tongs
trousers tweezers
"A pair of is used to show that one item is meant.
Many nouns are countable (C) in one meaning and are uncountable (U) in another.
paper n 1 U substance manufactured from wood fibre, etc.
2 С newspaper
3 U ~ money, banknotes
4 pi documents showing who sb is
5 С set of printed examination questions on a given subject
6 С essay, esp one to be read to a learned society
room n 1 С part of a house or a building enclosed by walls or partitions, floor, ceiling
2 pi apartments
3 U space that is or might be occupied
4 U scope, opportunity
language n 1 U human and noninstinctive method of communicating ideas