Английский язык. Экспресс-репетитор для подготовки к ЕГЭ. Грамматика и лексика. Е. С. Музланова

The most common uncountable nouns are:

      • Mass nouns: fluids (blood, tea, coffee, milk etc), solids (bread, butter, china, coal, food, fruit, glass, ice, iron, fish [meaning food], etc), gasses (air, oxygen, pollution, smoke, smog, etc), particles (corn, dust, flour, hair, pepper, rice, salt, sand, etc).

      • Subjects of study: chemistry, economics, literature, mathematics, physics, etc.

      • Languages: Chinese, English, French, etc.

      • Games: billiards, chess, golf, soccer, tennis, etc.

      • Diseases: flu, measles, mumps, etc.

      • Natural phenomena: darkness, hail, heat, rain (but: the rains = season of continuous rain in tropical countries), humidity, thunder, snow, etc.

      • Some abstract nouns: accommodation, advice, anger, applause, assistance, behaviour, business, chaos, countryside, courage, damage, dirt, education, evidence, housework, homework, information, intelligence, knowledge, luck, music, news, peace, progress, seaside, shopping, traffic, trouble, truth, wealth, work, etc.

      • Collective nouns: baggage, cutlery, furniture, jewellery, luggage, machinery, money, rubbish, stationery, etc.

      • Many uncountable nouns can be made countable by adding a partitive: a piece of paper/cake/advice/information/furniture; a slice/loaf of bread; a(n) item/piece of news, etc.

      • Some nouns take only a plural verb. These are objects consisting of two parts: garments (pyjamas, trousers, etc), tools (scissors, etc), instruments (binoculars, compasses, spectacles, etc), or nouns such as: arms, ashes, barracks, clothes, congratulations, earnings, (good) looks, outskirts, people, police, premises, riches, stairs, surroundings, wages, etc.

      • Group nouns refer to a group of people. These nouns can take either a singular or a plural verb depending on whether we see the group as a whole or as individuals. Such group nouns are: army, audience, class, club, committee, company, council, crew, crowd, headquarters, family, jury, government, press, public, staff, team, etc.

      The team was the best. (the team as a group)

      The team were all given medals. (each member separately as individuals)

      • With expressions of duration, distance or money meaning ‘a whole amount’ we use a singular verb: Two years is long to wait. Three miles is a long way to go. Nine thousand pounds is a high price to pay.

      Test 6. Fill in: is or are.

      1. Your trousers _____ in the wardrobe.

      2. Where______ his scissors?

      3. There_____ a lecture on history today.

      4. The shopping________ heavy.

      5. Where_____ my gloves?

      6. This information______ correct.

      7. His hair_____ brown.

      8. My socks_____ in the drawer.

      9. Our furniture_____ very cheap.

      10. His accommodation_____ luxurious.

      11. Evidence_____ needed before the trial can continue.

      12. The news_____ very exciting.

      13. Mumps_____ a common illness among children.

      14. My glasses_____ on the table.

      15. Chinese_____ difficult to learn.

      16. Where_____ the kitchen scales?

      17. Billiards_____ a popular game.

      18. His work_____ very interesting.

      19. People_____ starving in some countries.

      20. Education_____ the key to his success.

      Test 7. Fill in: is or are.

      1. Where_____ your trousers?

      2. Could you tell me where_____ the scissors?

      3. Tonight, there _____ athletics on TV.

      4. Money_____ easy to spend and difficult to save.

      5. Gloves_____ worn in cold weather.

      6. This student’s knowledge_____ amazing.

      7. Love_____ reason for much happiness.

      8. This bread_____ stale.

      9. Your jeans_____ on the chair.

      10. His baggage_____ too heavy to carry.

      11. Her advice _____ very interesting.

      12. Mathematics_____ his favourite subject.

      13. Measles_____ a common illness.

      14. The glasses_____ on the table.

      15. My sister’s hair_____ long.

      16. Their bathroom scales_____ quite accurate.

      17. Darts _____ a popular game in Britain.

      18. This work_____ too hard.

      19. People_____ unhappy with the new tax system.

      20. The police_____ near.

      Test 8. Choose the correct form of the verb.

      1. Economics (is/are) his favourite subject.

      2. The trousers he bought for her (doesn’t/don’t) fit her.

      3. The police (want/wants) to interview men about the robbery.

      4. Physics (was/were) my best subject at school.

      5. Can I borrow your scissors? Mine (isn’t/aren’t) sharp enough.

      6. The news (wasn’t/weren’t) as bad as we expected.

      7. Where (does/do) your family live?

      8. Four days (isn’t/aren’t) long enough for a good holiday.

      9. He can’t find his binoculars. Do you know where (it is/they are)?

      10. Do you think the people (is/are) happy with the government?

      11. (Does/Do) the police know how the accident happened?

      12. She doesn’t like hot weather. Twenty-eight degrees (is/are) too warm for her.

      13. The staff at school (is/are) not happy with their new working conditions.

      14. Thirty thousand pounds (was/were) stolen in the robbery.

      15. Two years (is/are) a long time to be without job.

      16. Five miles (is/are) a long way to walk every day.

      17. I need more money. Six pounds (is/are) not enough.

      18. These species (is/are) very rare.

      19. My hair (is/are) dark brown.

      20. His watch (need/needs) repairing.

      Test 9. Choose the correct form of the verb.

      1. All of her belongings (was/were) in a suitcase.

      2. Athletics (is/are) very popular nowadays.

      3. Aerobics (do/does) people