Page 60 - English Vocabulary In Use upper intermediet and advance

Exercises

Say whether these sentences need a(n) or not. Some of the nouns are not on the left-hand
page. Use a dictionary that tells you whether the nouns are uncountable.
1 He gave us all ........ advice on what to take with us.
2 I'm sorry. I can't come. I have ........ homework to do.
3 She's doing . . . . . . . . investigation of teenage slang in English for her university project.
4 You'll need ........ rice if you want to make a Chinese meal.
5 Paula getting divorced? That's . . . . . . . . interesting news!
6 I have to buy . . . . . . . . film for the holiday. I think I'll get about five rolls.
7 We saw . . .. . .. beautiful silk and .. . .. .. . cotton in Thailand.

Sort these words into two columns side by side, one for uncountables and one for
countables. Then join the words which have similar meaning.
tip clothing case information job advice travel garment
trip work baggage fact

Imagine you are going away for a week's holiday and you pack a suitcase with a number of
things. Make a list of what you would pack and consider how many of the items on your list
are uncountable nouns in English.

Correct the mistakes in these sentences.
1 We had such a terrible weather that we left the camp-site and got an accommodation in
town instead.
2 In the North of England, most houses are made of stones, but in the South, bricks are
more common.
3 I love antique furnitures, but I would need an advice from a specialist before I bought any.
My knowledges in that area are very poor.
4 Her researches are definitely making great progresses these days. She has done a lot of
original works recently.

Another area that has a number of uncountable words is personal qualities and skills. For
example, we might say that a secretary should have intelligence, reliability, charm and
enthusiasm. These are all uncountable nouns. Choose from the list and say what qualities
these people should have. Say whether they need some, a lot or a bit of the quality. Use a
dictionary for any difficult words.
Jobs: soldier nurse teacher explorer actor athlete writer
surgeon receptionist
Qualities: patience courage determination goodwill charm
stamina reliability loyalty energy experience commitment
talent creativity intelligence training

Could I have ... ? Practise asking for these everyday items and decide whether you must say a
or some.
vinegar duster needle thread selIotape tea-bag polish

English Vocabulary in Use 53