UNS: COUNT AND NONCOUh I

SINGULAR PLURAL

COUNT a book books A COUNT NOUN

NOUN one book two books
soma books
a lot of books
maw books one + noun
a few books

NONCOUNT m 0 ~ y A NONCOUNT NOUN

NOUN some money
a lot sfmoney (none)
much money Do not use a. A noncount noun does
a little money

COMMON NONCOUNT N O W S
advlce mail bread PWr
furniture money cheese rice
help
homework
informarion
music
Pew
tWFc
. wffe
fwd
hit
salt
soup
sugar
jewelv weather meat tea
luck work
' a milk warn

EXERCISE 13: Look at the italicized words. Underline the noun. Is the noun c o w
or NONCOUNT?
I.@ NONCOUNT He sits on a chpr.
2. COUNT He sits on-furnikure.
3. COUNT NONCOUNT She has a win.
4. COUNT NONCOUNT She has some money.
5 . COUNT NONCOUNT She has some letters.
6. COUNT NONCOUNT She has some mail.
7. COUNT NONCOUNT The street is full of @a&.
8. COUNT NONCOUNT There are a lot of cars in the street.
9. COUNT NONCOUNT I know a fact about bees.
10. COUNT NONCoUNT I have some information about bees.
11. COUNT NONCOUNT The teacher gives us homework.
 12. COUNT NONCOUNT We have an assignment.

13. COUNT NONCOUNT I like music.

14. COUNT NONCOUNT Would you like some coffee?

15. COUNT NONCOUNT Our school has a library.

16. COUNT NONCOUNT People want peace in the world.

17. COUNT NONCOUNT I need some advice.

18. COUNT NONCOUNT Tom has a good job.

19. COUNT NONCOUNT He likes his work. ' ,-7 .

20. COUNT NONCOUNT Would you like some water with your food?

- 21.coUNT NONCOUNT Maria wears a lot ofjewelry

22. COUNT NONCOUNT She wears earrings, rings, n e c k h s , and bracelets.

\

EXERCISE 14-ORAL: Most nouns are COUNT NOUNS. Complete the following by naming
things you see in the classroom.

1. Iseea whiteboard . I see a teacher

I see a marker and a pen

2. Iseetwo clocks

3. I see three I four / five / six I etc. chairs

4. I see some desks

5. Isee a lot of books

6. I seemany students
 USING AN vs. ,
--

(a) A dog is an animal. A and an are used in front of singular count nouns.
In (a): dog and animal are singular count nouns.

Use an in front of words that begin with the vowels a, e, i,

(b) I work in an o m . and o: an apartment, an elephant, an idea, an ocean.
In (c): Notice that an is used because the adjective (014
(c) hk.Lee is an old man. begins with a vowel and comes in front of a sin- count
noun (man).

(d) I have an uncle. Use an if a word that begins with "u" has a vowel sound:
COMPARE: an uncle, an ugly picture.
(e) He works at a uniwersity. Use a if a word that begins with "u" has a lyul sound: a
university, a usual event.

(f) I need an hour to f ~ s my

h work. In some words that begin with the "h" is not
pronounced. Instead, the word begins with a vowel sound
COMPARE: and an is used: an hour, an honor.
(g) I live in a house. He lives in a hotel. In most words that begin with "h," the "hh"ispronounced.
Use a if the "h" is pronounced.

EXERCISE 15: Complete the sentences. Use a or an.

1. Bob is eating an apple.

2. Tom is eating a banana.

3. Alice works in an office.

an
4. I have idea.

5. I have a good idea.

6. Sue is talking to a man.

7. Sue is talking to an old man.

. ."
.t+. < :;-,j::>..T t;.',
8. I need to see a doctor.

9. Cuba is an island.

10. Mary is reading an article in the newspaper.

11. Billis an uncle. He has a niece and two nephews.

12. an hour has sixty minutes.

13. a horse has hooves.

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS W 14

 .+',"
.
-,s-, * , .+. ~
1 :" :%'
,. 14. Miss Anderson has a
15. She has

16. A
a unusual job.
university is an
job.

educational institution.

EXERCISE 16: Complete the sentences. Use a or an.

1. Carolis a nurse.
.. ,
,-
s , , ,
an
2. Ilivein apartment building.
3. I live in a noisy apamnent building.
$ :!;ll.,< !,

4. Jake has an honest face.

5. Does Mark own a
..J

horse?
6. A fly is an insect.
7. Sonya's English class lasts an hour.
, :L.,!-..,!. 8. I h a d an interesting experience. I, ... I!, .

9. My father has an office downtown. It's an insurance office.

an argument in the cafeteria. It is an
10. Gary and Joel are having
unpleasant situation.
a
11. Areyou responsible person?
12. An angry woman is complaining to the store's manager.
:I '

13. A healthy person gets regular exercise.

'
j .'
14. Janet is an honorable person.
an
15. My uncle Jake has never said unkind word. He is a very special
man. ( 4 - 1 . ~

4-8 USING A/AN vS. SOME

( a ) I have a pen.

(b) I have some pens. ; -

A/An is used in front of singular count nouns.
In (a): the word pen is a singular count noun.
S o m e is used in front of plural count nouns.
I
In @): the word pens is a plural count noun.
7

(c) I have some rice. S o w is used in front of noncount nouns.*

In (c): the word rice is a noncount noun.
*Reminder: Noncount nouns do not have s plural form. Noncount nouna arc grpmmaticdly singular.

W CHAPTER4
EXERCISE 1 7: Use a/an or aoms with the COUNT NOUNS in the following sentences. Are the
nouns singular or plural?
1. Bob has 0 book on his desk. + book = a singular count noun
2. Bob has Some books on his desk. + books = a plural count noun
a
3. I see desk in this room. desk singular
4. I see some desks in this room. desks plural
5. Are some students standing in the front of the room? students plural

6. Is a student standing in the middle of the room?student singular

apple singular
7. I'm hungry. I would like an apple.

8. The children are hungry. They would like some apples. apples plural

9. Some children are playing in the street. children plural

10. A child is playing in the street. child singular

11. We are doing an exercise in class. I excercise singular

12. We are doing some exercises in class. plural

.*I,

EXERCISE 18: Use a,an, or some with the nouns in the following sentences. Are they
singular count nouns or noncount nouns?
1. I need Some money. -' money = a noncount noun
2. I need 0 ' dollar. + dollar = a singular count noun

3. Alice has some mail in her mailbox. some mail noncount

4. Alice has a letter in her mailbox.letter count

I .

some
5. I'm hungry. I would like fruit. fruit noncount
6. I would like an apple. apple count
7. Jane is hungry. She would like some food. food noncount

8. She wouldlike a sandwich. count

,
9. I'm thirsty. I'd like some
, ,
water. noncount

10. I'dlike a glass of water. count I ,C

11. Ann would like some milk. un count

12. I need some sugar for my coffee. Please hand me the sugar. Thanks.

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS .

 a
13. I wantto make sandwich.
some
14. I need bread and some cheese. bread non count .
cheese non count.
15. I'd like to have
a soup with my sandwich. soup count

EXERCISE 19: Use alan or s o m .

1. Sonya is wearing Some silver jewelry. She's wearing

Q necklace and Some earrings.

a a
2. We have table, sofa, and
some chairs in our living room.

3. We have some furniture in our living room.

4. Sue has a CD player. She is listening to some music.

5. I'm busy. I have a homework to do.

6 . Jane is very busy. She has some work to do.

7. Jane has a job. She is a teacher.

an
8. I'm hungry. I would like orange.

9. The children are hungry. They would like some oranges. They

would like a fruit.

10. I need some information about the bus schedule.

11. I'm confused. I need some advice.

12. I'm looking out the window. I see some cars, a

bus, and some trucks on the street. I see some traffic.

13. Bob is having some beans, some meat, and

a bowl of soup for dinner.

EXERCISE 20: Use the word in italics to complete the sentence. Add -s to a COUNT NOUN
(or give the irregular plural form). D o not add -s to a NONCOUNT NOUN.

1. money I need some MOneV .

2. desk I see some desks in this room.

3. man 8 ,,, ,, , Some men are working in the street.

 music
4 . music I want to listen to some
flowers
5. flower Don wants to buy some for his girlfriend.

6 . information I need some information

jewelry
7 . jewe1ry Fred wants to buy some

8. furniture We need to buy some furniture

chairs
9. chair We need to buy some

10. child Some children are playing in the park.

homework
11. homework I can't go to the movie because I have some to do.

12. adwice Could you please give me some advice ?

suggestions
13. suggestion I have some for you.

14. help I need some help with my homework.

15 tea I'm thirsty. I would like some tea

16. food I'm hungry. I would like some food

17. sandwich We're hungry. We want to make some sandwiches

18. animal I see some animals in the picture.

bananas
19. banana The monkeys are hungry. They would like some
 20, fruit I'm hungry. I would like some fruit
weather
21. weather We're having some hot right now.
pictures of my family in my wallet.
22, picture I have some
23. ria, bean I usually have some rice and
beans
for dinner.

EXERCISE 2 1 : Change the italicized noun to its PLURAL FORM if possible, changing a to
aome. Make other changes in the sentence as necessary.

1. T h a e is a chair in this room. PLURAL FORM + There are some chairs in this mom.

There is some furniture in this room. PLURAL FORM + (none)

I have a coin in my pocket. I have some coins in my pocket.

I have some monqy in my wallet.

There is some mail in my mailbox.

There is a letter in my mailbox. There are some letters in my mailbox.

There's a lot o f m & on Main Street.

There's a car on Main Street. There are cars on Main St.

. ,
Our teacher assigns a lot of homewrk.
; sx.4; , > L ~ , :;*'
,A> ' . :,-\- ,. \
I like rock music. -' .. . . +?tr
II '.
+..I
,. ::,
. '.
) I

' ,
4)
,.
,
i ' "~ ~

Hong Kong has hot weather. &, ' '

4
:: !.
I need some information and some advice from you.

There are some dictionaries on the shelf.

$4 3 '

I hope you do well on your exam. Good luck,

148 W CHAPTER 4
 EXERCISE 22-ORAL (BOOKS CLOSED): Use a, an, or some with the given word.
Example: book Example: books Example: money
Rarpanse: a book Response: some books Response: some money
1. desk 14. apple 27. window 40. bread
2. desks 15. man 28. horse 41. office
3. animal 16, oldman 29. hour 42. food
4. animals 17. men 30. dishes 43. table
5. chair 18. bananas 31. women 44. cheese
6. chairs 19. banana 32. oranges 45. matches
7. furniture 20. fruit 33. orange 46. adjective
8. child 21. island 34. place 47. advice
9. children 22. jewelry 35. places 48. house
10. music 23. university 36. water 49. people
1 1. homework 24. uncle 37. mail 50. potatoes
12. flower 25. rice 38. letter 51. potato
13. information 26, boys 39. letters 52. sugar

\
EXERCISE 23: Make the nouns PLURALwhere necessary..; .. ,& $. .
p:J.iu,.
,ds. . .:

.s
*' *
\
1. Toronto and Bangkok are big -e+ + cities

2. I need some information. + (no change)

3. Horse are large animals. Horses.

4. I like to listen to music when I study.

5. I have two small child. Chidren.

6. I like to tell them story. stories.

7. There are sixty minute in an hour. minutes.

8. Korea and Japan are counay in Asia. countries.

9. Children like to play with toy. toys

"-..
/---

1 n. Our teacher gives us a lot of homework

1 1. My bookcase has three shelf. shelves.

- 7

12. There are five woman and seven man in this class. women/men

13. Bangkok has a lot of hot weather.

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS 149

 14. Are you hungry? Could I get you some food?

15. Taiwan and Cuba are island. islands.

16. I drink eight glass of water every day. glasses.

17. Tomato are red when they are ripe. Tomatoes.

18. There is a lot of traffic at five o'clock.

19. Before dinner, I put dish, spoon, fork, knife, and napkin on the table. dishes/spoons
forks/knives/
napkins
20. I have many friend. I don't have many enemy. friends.

( a ) I'd like s o m e water. Units of measure are used with noncount nouns to express a
(b) I'd l i e a g l a s s o f water. specific quantity, for example: a glass of, a cup of, a piece of.
( c ) I'd like a c u p o f coffee. In (a): some water = an unspecific quantity.
(d) I'd like a piece offiuit. In @): a glass of water = a specific quantity.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS OF MEASURE

a bag of rice a bunch of b a n a m a jar of pickles
a bar of soap a can of corn* a loaf of bread
a bottle of beer a carton of milk a piece of cheese
a bowl of cereal a glass of water a sheet of paper
a box of candy a head of lettuce a tube of toothpaste

*In British English: a tin of corn.

baa bar bottle box

can carton jar tube bunch

EXERCISE 24: Complete the following. Use a piece of,a cup of,a glass of,or a bowl of.
You are hungry and thirsty. What would you like?
I. a cup of / a _alassof tea
2. a loaf of bread
3. a cup/glass of water
4. a cup of coffee
5. a piece of cheese
6. a bowl of soup
7. a pound of meat
a glass of
8. wine
9. a bunch of fruit
a bag of
10. rice

EXERCISE 25: Complete the sentences with NOUNS.

1. ~t the store, I bought a carton of orange juice / milk / etc.
2. I also bought a tube of tooth paste and two bars of
soap

3. I got a can of beans and a jar of honey

bread
4. I also got a loaf of and,a box of candy
5. I wanted to get a head of bananas ,but none of it looked fresh.
6. I got a couple of bottles of whiskey and a jar of
coffee

EXERCISE 26-ORAL (BOOKS CLOSED): Use I would like. Use alan or some.
Example: coffee
Response: I would like some coffee. OR: I would like a cup of coffee.
Example: new pen . / ; ,.1
i l

Response: I'd like a new pen.

1. coffee 9. apple 17. sandwich 25. new shirtblouse
2. money 10. oranges 18. meat 26. new shoes
3. dollar 1 1. water 19. roast beef 27. tea
4. paper 12. new pencil 20. soup 28. cheese
5. new book 13. information 21. salt 29. rice
6. new books 14. help 22. sugar 30. bread
7. fruit 15. advice 23. fish 31. chicken
8. banana 16. food 24. new car 32.

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS .

new furniture

151
EXERCISE 27-ORAL: Change a lot of to many or much in the following sentences. Use
many with COUNT NOUNS. Use much with NONCOUNT NOUNS.* .
(See Chart 4-6.) 8 I ' I

1. Idon't have a lot of money. + I don't haw much money.

2. Tom has a lot of problems. Tom has many problems.
3. I want to visit a lot of cities in the United States and Canada. I want to visit many cities...

4. I don't put a lot of sugar in my coffee. I don't put much sugar in my coffee.

5. I have a lot of questions to ask you. I have many questions to ask you.

6. Sue and John have a small apartment. They don't have a lot of furniture. They don't have
much furniture.
7. You can see a lot of people at the zoo on Sunday. You can see many peopleat the zoo...
Dick doesn't get much mail because he
8. Dick doesn't get a lot of mail because he doesn't write a lot of letters. doesn't write many letters.

Chicago has many skyscrapers.

9. Chicago has a lot of skyscrapers. Monueal has a lot of tall buildings too. Montreal has many tall buildings too.

Mary is lazy. She doesn't do much work.

10. Mary is lazy. She doesn't do a lot of work.
11. I don't drink a lot of coffee. I don't drink much coffee.
. , j .:;., 8 . ; .!,

12. Don is a friendly person. He has a lot of friends. He has many friends.
; li.. . ,. , ,

13. Do you usually buy a lot of fruit at the market? Do you usually buy much fruit at the market?
, .? .,'
if talking about different fruits: Do you usually buy many fruits at the market?
Does Don drink a bunch of coffee?
14. Does Don drink a lot of coffee?
Do you write many letters?
. --.15. Do you write a lot of letters?

EXERCISE 28: Complete the questions with many or much.

1. How much money do you have in your wallet?
2. How mQn,V roommates do you have?
3. How many languages do you speak?
much
4. How homework does your teacher usually assign?
5. How much tea do you drink in a day? , ( , \
~, ,..I,
, .
6. How much sugar do you put in your tea?
, ;,,.,,':7

r.x 7. How many sentences are there in this exercise? , ;, t I

I .
8. How much water is there in an Olympic-size swimming pool?

*Much is usually used only in negative sentences and in questions. Much is rarely used in statements.
W EXERCISE 29-ORAL: Ask questions with how many or how much and are there or
fs thew.
Example: students in this room
Question: How many students are there in this room?
Exampb: coffee in that pot
Questim: How much coffee is there in that pot?
restaurants in this city
1.
desks in this room
2.
3.
furniture in this room
letters in your mailbox today
4.
5. mail in your mailbox today
6. cheese in the refrigerator
7. bridges in this city
8. traffic on the street right now
9, cars on the street
10, people in this room

W EXERCISE 30: Change some to a&w or a little. Use afsw with c o w NOUNS. Use a
littCe with N O N C O w NOUNS. (See Chart 4-6.)
1. I need some paper. + I need a little paper.

2. I usually add some salt to my food. I usually add a little salt to my food.
3. I have some questions to ask you. I have a few questions to ask you.

4. Bob needs some help. He has some problems. He needs some advice. Bob needs a little help. he has a few
problems. He needs a little advice.

5. I need to buy some clothes. I need to buy a few clothes.

, ,
I have a little homework to do tonight
6. I have some homework to do tonight.
I ususally get a little mail every day.
7. I usually get some mail every day.

8. 1usually get some letters every day. I usually get a few letters every day.

9. When I'm hungry in the evening, I usually eat some cheese.When I'm hungry in the evening, I usually eat a little cheese.
- 1
% , I . .
10. We usually do some oral exercises in class every day. We usually do a few oral excercises in class every day.
EXERCISE 31: Use these words in the sentences. If necessary, use the plural form. Use each
word only once.

bush foot information page

child fiuit knife paper
&J furniture (/ match piece
country help mow sex
edge homework monkey traffzc

1. 1want to light a candle. I need some matches

money
2. I have a lot of in my wallet. I'm rich.

3. There are two sexes. : male and female.

4. I would like to visit many cities in the United States. I'd like to
visit Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, and some others.

5. There are some knives ,forks, and spoons on the table.

6 . I want to take the bus downtown, but I don't know the bus schedule. I need some
information about the bus schedule. ..\

7. I want to write a letter. I have a pen, but I need some paper

8. There are three countries in North America: Canada, the

United States, and Mexico.
bushes
9. There are a lot of trees and in the park.

10. Bob is studying. He has a lot of homework to do.

11. I like to go to the zoo. I like to watch animals. I like to watch elephants, tigers, and
monkeys

12. There is a lot of traffic on the street during rush hour.

13. My dictionary has 437 pages

14. This puzzle has 200 pieces

 Barbara has four suitcases. She can't carry all of them. She ,

needs some help 4

/
Susie and Bobby are seven years old. They aren't adults.
children
They're

A piece of paper has four edges

We need a new bed, a new sofa, and some new chairs.

furniture
We need some new
feet
People wear shoes on their

20. I like apples, oranges, and bananas. I eat a lot of food

EXERCISE 32: Use these words in the sentences. Use the plural form if necessary.
advice i?hs potato tmy
centimeter horse sentence valley
dish inch size weather
fish leaf stmwberry woman
foot man thief work

.. Leaves fall from the trees in autumn.

2. Sometimes I have a steak, a salad, and French-fried potatoes

for dinner.

3. When the temperature is around 3 5 ' ~( 7 7 O J 3 , I'm comfortable. But I don't like

very hot weather

4. Cowboys ride horses

dishes
5. Plates and bowls are called
6. Married women are called wives.

7. Thieves steal things: money, jewelry, cars, etc.

Strawberries
8. are small, red, sweet, and delicious.

9. People carry their food on trays at a cafeteria.

10. I'm not busy today. I don't have much work to do.

11. Sweaters in a store often have four sizes : small, medium,

large, and extra large.

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS W 155

 advice
12. 1have a problem. I need your help. I need some from you.
men
13. Some have mustaches.

,l4. Mountains are high, and valleys are low.

v
fish
I.
15. Annhas five in her aquarium.
,"1
n; - 716. In some countries, people use cups for their tea. In other countries, they usually use
glass
for their tea.
centimeters
17. There are 100 in a meter.
inches
18. There are 12 in a foot.*
. - inches
19. There are 3 in a yard.* .,:

20. There are twenty-five sentences in this exercise. ,.. - , . . A

4-10 USING THE

( a ) A: Whm's David? A speaker uses tho when the speaker and the listener
B: He's in the kitchen. have the same thing or person in mind. The shows that
a noun is specific.
(b) A: I have two pieces of fruit for us, In (a): Both A and B have the same kitchen in mind.
an apple and a banana. Which do In (b): When B says "the apple," both A and B have the
you want? same apple in mind.
B: I'd like the apple, thank you.

(c) A: It's a nice summer day today. In (c): Both A and B are thinking of the same sky (there
The sky is blue. l k sun is hot. is only one sky for them to think of) and the same sun
B: Yes, I really like summer. (there is only one sun for them to think of).

(d) Mike has a pen and a pencil, The is used with:

The pen is blue. singular count nouns, as in (d).
The pendl is yellow. plural count nouns, as in (e).
noncount nouns, as in (f).
( e) Mike has soma pens and p d . In other words, the is used with each of the three kinds of
The pens are blue. nouns.
The pencils are yellow.

( f ) Mike has 80?m rice and some cheese. Notice in the examples: the speaker is using the for the
The rics is white. second mention of a noun. When the speaker mentions
The cheese is yellow. a noun for a second time, both the speaker and listener
are now thinking about the same thing.
First mention: I have a pen.
Second mention: The pen is blue.

*1 inch = 2.54 centimetern. 1 foot = 30.49 ccntimcters. 1 yard = 0.91 mems.

H EXERCISE 33: Complete the sentences with rhs or alan.
a The
1. I have Q notebook and grammar book. note-
The
book is brown. grammar book is red.
a
2. Right now Pablo is sitting in class. He's sitting between woman and
a The
man. woman is Graciela. The man is Mustafa.
a a The
3. Susan is wearing ring and necklace. ring is
. on her left hand.
a
4. Tony and Sara are waiting for their plane to depart. Tony is reading
a the
magazine. Sara is reading newspaper. When Sara finishes
the
newspaper and Tony finishes magazine, they will trade.
a a
5. In the picture below, there are four figures: circle, triangle,
a a The
square, and rectangle. circle is next to
the The the
triangle. square is between triangle and
the rectangle.

circle triangle square rectangle

an an
6. Linda and Anne live in apartment in old building. They

like the apartment because it is big. The building is very old. It

was built more than one hundred years ago.
a a
7. I gave my friend card and flower for her birthday.
The the
card wished her "Happy Birthday." She liked both card

and the flower.

the The
8. We stayed at hotel in New York. hotel was very expensive.

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS m 157

EXERCISE 34: Complete the sentences with the or a/an.

(1) A: Look at the picture on this page of your grammar book. What do you see?
a a a a
(2) B: Isee chair, desk, window,
plant.
the
(3) A: Where is chair?
The
(4) B: chair is under the window.
the
(5) A: Where is plant?
The the
(6) B: plant is beside chair.

(7) A: Do you see any people?

a a The
(8) B: Yes. I see man and woman. man is
The
standing. woman is simng down.

(9) A: Do you see any animals?

a a a a
(10) B: Yes. Isee dog, cat, and bird in
cage.
the
(11) A: What is dog doing?

(12) B: It's sleeping.

(13) A: How about the cat?

The the
(14) B: cat is watching bird.
EXERCISE 35: Complete the sentences with the or alan.
a
1. A: I need to go shopping. I need to buy coat.
an
B: I'll go with you. I need to get umbrella.

2. A: Hi! Come in!

B: Hi! The weather is terrible today! It's cold and wet outside.
A: Well, it's warm in here.
B: What should I do with my coat and umbrella?
the the
A: You can put coat in that closet. I'll take umbrella and

put it in the kitchen where it can dry.

3. My cousin Jane has a good job. She works in an office. She

uses a computer.
the
4. A: How much longer do you need to use -computer?
B: Why?
A: I need to use it too.
B: Just five more minutes, then you can have it.

5. A: I need a stamp for this letter. Do you have one?

B: Yes. Here.
A: Thanks.
an
6 . A: Would you like egg for breakfast?

B: No thanks. I'll just have a glass of juice and some toast.

7. A: Do you see my pen? I can't find it.

B: There it is. It's on the floor.

A: Oh. I see it. Thanks.
the
8. A: Be sure to look at moon tonight.
B: Why?
The
A: moon is full now, and it's beautiful.

9. A: Can I call you tonight?

B: No. I don't have a telephone in my aparment yet. I just moved in

yesterday.
the
10. A: Could you answer telephone? Thanks.
B: Hello?

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS W 159

1 4-1 1 USING 0 (NO ARTICLE) TO MAKE GENERALIZATIONS

(a) 0 Apples are good for you. No article (symbolized by 0 ) is used to make
(b) 0 Students use 0 pens and 0 pencils. generalizations with:
(c) I like to listen to 0 music. plural count nouns, as in (a) and (b), and
(d) 0 Rice is good for you. noncount nouns, as in (c) and (d).

( e ) Tom and Ann ate some fruit. COMPARE: In (a), the word apples is general. It refers to all
The apples were very good, but apples, any apples. No article (0) is used.
the bananas were too ripe. In (e), the word apples is specific, so the is used in front of
it. It refers to the specific apples that Tom and Ann ate.
( f ) We went to a concert last night. The COMPARE: In (c), music is general. In (f), the music is
music was very good. specific.

EXERCISE 36: Complete the sentences with the or 0 (no article).

1. 0 sugar is sweet.

2. could you please pass me the sugar?

3. Oranges are orange, and bananas are yellow.

the
4. There was some fruit on the table. I didn't eat bananas because they
were soft and brown.

5. Everybody needs food to live.

the
6. We ate at a good restaurant last night. food was excellent.

7. salt tastes salty, and pepper tastes hot.

the
8. Could you please pass me salt? Thanks. And could I have
the
pepper too?

9. coffee is brown.

10. Steven made some coffee and some tea. The coffee was very good. I

didn't taste the tea.

11. Ilike fruit. I also like vegetables.

12. There was some food on the table. The children ate the fruit, but they
the
didn't want vegetables.

13. The pages in this book are full of grammar exercises.

14. books consist of pages.