WEEK 3

NOUNS
I. Count and Non-count Nouns:
Type of noun Explanation Example
Count nouns Count nouns are things which can be counted. a cat → many cats
That means that can be more than one of a flower → many flowers
them. Also, when a count noun is singular a kid → many kids
and indefinite, the article “a/an” is often used a house → many houses
with it. (The real meaning of “a/an” is “one”) a person → many people
Noun-count Non-count nouns are often substances (such a little water → a lot of water
nouns as sand, water or rice), which cannot be a little space → a lot of space
counted easily; or they may be large abstract a little love → a lot of love
ideas such as “nature”, “space” or some rice → a lot of rice
“entertainment”. no money → a lot of money

II. Regular and irregular nouns

When we talk about regular and irregular nouns, we mention plural nouns only.
1. Regular nouns
To make regular noun plural, we add the suffix –s or –es.
E.g. book – books computer – computers magazine – magazines
bus – buses church – churches tomato – tomatoes
2. Irregular nouns
Noun type Forming the plural Example
Ends with –fe or –f Change -f or -fe to v then add –es Knife → knives
Half → halves
Ends with -us Change- us to –i Focus → foci
Nucleus → nuclei
Cactus → cacti
Ends with -is Change -is to –es Analysis → analyses
Crisis → crises
Thesis → theses
Ends with -on Change -on to -a Phenomenon → phenomena
Criterion → criteria
ALL KINDS Change the vowel Man → men
Or Foot → feet
 Change the word Child → children
Or Person → people
Add a different ending Tooth → teeth
Mouse → mice
Unchanging Singular and plural are the same Sheep
Deer
Fish (sometimes)
III. There is / There are + noun
* There is/There are is a common phrase in English, used to indicate that something "exists" or
is in a certain location. The main subject follows the verb when there is/are is used.

E.g. There is an apple on the table.

There are some apples on the table.

PRACTICE EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Fill in each blank with the correct form of the word in the brackets.
1. I want some ________________ (jam) on the bread, please.
2. The nurse gave the patient some ________________ (tablet).
3. You can clean the stain off with some ________________ (soap).
4. The ________________ (policeman) came and they asked us a few questions.
5. There is no more ________________ (ice) in the refrigerator.
6. The actress has such long lovely ________________ (hair).
7. He engaged a few ________________ (detective) to investigate the case.
8. She bought a few ________________ (cushion) at the sale last night.
9. You have made many ________________ (mistake) in your composition.
10. Several ________________ (passer-by) stopped to help him.
11. When it gets dark, the ________________ (mosquito) come out in large numbers.
12. It is ________________ (time) for the ________________ (baby) to have his milk.
13. One of the ________________ (thief) was caught by a ________________ (policeman).
14. Please wipe away the ________________ (dust) on those ________________ (shelf).
15. My ________________ (foot) are aching because my ________________ (shoe) are too
tight.
16. These ________________ (handkerchief) are made of ________________ (cotton).
17. Mr. Wilson has two ________________ (chef) and ten ________________ (servant).
18. The ________________ (fisherman) has caught two big ________________ (trout).
19. We must brush our ________________ (tooth) very carefully every ________________
(day).
20. Reading ________________ (book) will give us more ________________ (knowledge).
Exercise 2: Complete the passage by filling in each blank with the correct form of the
word in the brackets.
If you look carefully around you, you will find many types of ________________
(plant). ________________ (Plant) are very important living things. They can make food from
________________ (air), ________________ (water) and ________________ (sunlight) but
________________ (animal) and human beings cannot.
________________ (Plant) do not grow well when they are too close together. They
need room to spread their ________________ (root) and ________________ (leaf).
Exercise 3: Fill in each blank with a suitable preposition.
1. The chairman announced the results ________________ 5.00 p.m.
2. The skiing competition took place ________________ winter.
3. I have an appointment with the dentist ________________ nine o’clock.
4. We have not seen Mel ________________ three days.
5. She has not reported for work ________________ three days.
6. They jog in the park ________________ Sunday mornings.
7. George was born ________________ 1957.
8. The pupils will get their report cards ________________ Monday.
9. The baby usually sleeps ________________ four o’clock ________________ five o’clock.
10. They have been planning the farewell party ________________ Tuesday.
Exercise 4: Complete the passage by filling in each blank a suitable preposition.
Every year, Mike and Peter participate in a holiday camp ________________
November. They are there ________________ two weeks. Every morning, they have to get up
________________ six o’clock to get ready for the morning exercise ________________ half
past six. After that, they have breakfast which lasts ________________ half an hour.
After breakfast, they are taught a skill by the instructors. It starts ________________
eight and ends ________________ around ten. Once, they are taught how to put out a fire;
another time, they are taught how to save someone from drowning. ________________ the
afternoon, they play games ________________ five ________________ six o’clock.
________________ night, they are free to do whatever they like ________________ a few
hours.
However, they must go to bed ________________ ten.

GERERAL PRACTICE 3
PART I. PRONUNCIATION
Exercise 1: Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the rest.
1. A. gallery B. castle C. palace D. cafe
2. A. clothes B. Roses C. churches D. oranges
3. A. sports B. Banks C. shops D. clubs
4. A. store B. Shop C. resort D. sport
5. A. food B. pool C. good D. school
PART II. LEXICO-GRAMMAR
Exercise 1: Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
Katrina Norris is a police officer in Telford. She (1)_________
(love) her work. ‘It’s never boring,’ she (2)_________ (say). ‘I’m
usually here at eight in the morning. But sometimes my work
(3)_________ (start) at eight at night.’
Katrina (4)_________ (drive) around Telford in a police car. She
also (5)_________(use) a computer a lot. She often (6)_________
(work) at the weekends. It can be a problem. Her boyfriend, Andy,
is a sports teacher and he (7)_________ (not/work) at the
weekends. Sometimes Katrina can’t go out with him on Saturday
evenings.
1.__________ 2.____________ 3.___________ 4___________ 5.____________
6.__________ 7.____________ 8.___________ 9.___________
Katrina says, ‘Andy often (8)_________ (ask)10.___________
me: “Which
Exercise 2: Choose the best answer:
(9)_________
1. David and Mary __________ (you/prefer):
their teeth every evening. me or your job?” It’s a difficult
A. brushes B.question
wash C. brush
and I (10)_________ C. have the answer!’
(not/know)
2. This is __________ armchair.
A. a B. an C. the D. six
3. Those are __________.
A. a bookshelf B. bookshelfs C. bookshelfes D. bookshelves
4. How many __________ are there in the classroom.
A. student B. students C. a student D. class
5. __________ do you do every day?
A. Where B. What C. Which D. How
6. There is __________ opposite the drugstore.
A. the police station B. a police station C. police station D. police stations
7. Hoa’s father is an engineer and works __________ factory.
A. in B. on C. at D. from
8. How __________ must I wait? - Just about half an hour.
A. much B. long C. often D. many
9. - __________ do your parents take you out?
- They are very busy. They never take us out.
A. How long B. How C. How often D. How much
10. I’m going ………… vacation this summer.
A. on B. in C. at D. of
1.__________ 2.____________ 3.___________ 4___________ 5.____________
6.__________ 7.____________ 8.___________ 9.___________ 10.___________
Exercise 3: Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the words given
1. You must read the following ............................... precautions carefully. (safe)
2. You shouldn’t talk about her character only through her .......................... (appear)
3. We are waiting for the .............................. of our uncle’s train. (arrive)
4. We had a terrible trip because the weather was ............................. (please)
5. If you want to get more ................................, please contact Mr. Phong. (inform)
6. It’s a good restaurant; the food there is very ........................... (taste)
7. Don’t make a fire here. It’s very ...................... . (danger)
8. Air .................... is a big problem in many cities in the world. (pollute)
9. There are a lot of .................... mountains in VietNam. (beauty)
10. We must be ................... when we cross the road. (care)
1.__________ 2.____________ 3.___________ 4___________ 5.____________
6.__________ 7.____________ 8.___________ 9.___________ 10.___________
Exercise 4: Find the mistake in each sentence below then correct it.
1. Minh don’t work in a bank. ________________________________
2. We don’t live in a country. ________________________________
3. When this program finish? ________________________________
4. The bank doesn’t closes until 4.30. ________________________________
5. They like watch TV. ________________________________
6. Would you like go to the cinema tonight? ________________________________
7. He usually doesn’t come home late. ________________________________
8. He comes here with bicycle. ________________________________
9. Are you enjoy the party? ________________________________
10. Can you playing chess? ________________________________
PART III. READING
Exercise 1: Read the text quickly then answer the questions.
The coconut palm is a very useful tree. You can use the different parts of the tree for lots of things.

1. You can use the leaves of the coconut palm to make baskets, or
roofs for houses.
2. The stem of a tree is called the ‘trunk’. You can use the wood from
a coconut trunk to make furniture and boats.

3. A coconut is a seed. This seed has got lots of uses too. Inside the
seed, there is a solid white part. We can eat this, and we can use it
to make coconut milk. We use coconut milk to make cakes, and
some Indian food, like curry.
4. Inside the solid white part there is a liquid called coconut water.
We can drink coconut water. It’s very good for you, and it’s
delicious when the weather is hot!
5. The outside part of the coconut is hairy. You can use this hairy
part to make ropes and brushes.

6. The hard part of a coconut seed is called the shell. You can use coconut shells to make musical instruments.
If you bang two halves of a coconut shell together, it sounds like a horse’s feet!

Did you know?

You can use a root from the coconut palm as a toothbrush!

Task 1: Write the numbers next to the pictures.

Task 2: Read the text again and complete the sentences.
solid white part water hairy part leaves wood shells
1. You can make furniture out of the __________ from a coconut palm.
2. Coconut milk is made out of the __________ of the coconut.
3. You can make musical instruments out of coconut __________.
4. You can use the __________ of a coconut palm to make roofs.
5. The liquid inside a coconut is called coconut __________.
6. You make ropes and brushes out of the __________ of a coconut.
1. ______________________ 2. ______________________ 3. ______________________
4. ______________________ 5. ______________________ 6. ______________________
Task 3: Answer the questions.
1. Why is coconut palm a useful tree?
2. What are the uses of coconut milk?
3. How is the outside part of the coconut?
4. What sound does it make when you bang two halves of a coconut shell together?
5. What’s the use of the coconut palm roots?
Exercise 2: Decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits the space
I live in a house near the sea. It is ...(1)... old house, about 100 years old and...(2)... very small. There are two
bed rooms upstairs...(3)... no bathroom. The bathroom is down stairs ... (4)... the kitchen and there is a living
room where there is a lovely old fire place. There is a garden….(5)…... the house. The garden...(6)... down to
the beach and in spring and summer.....(7)….. flowers everywhere. I like being alone….(8)..... my dog, Reck,
but we have a lot of visitors. My city friends often stay with…..(9)…..
I love my house for.... (10).... reasons: the garden, the flowers in summer, the weather in fall, but the best thing
is the view from my bedroom window.
51. A. a B. an C. the D. any
52. A. It's B. It C. there's D. They're
53. A. and B. or C. but D. too
54. A. between B. next C. near to D. next to
55. A. in front B. front of C. of front in D. in front of
56. A. go B. going C. goes D. in goes
57. A. there are B. they are C. there are D. those are
58. A. for B. of C. on D. with
59. A. me B. I C. my D. I'm
60. A. a B. any C. many D. a lot
1.__________ 2.____________ 3.___________ 4___________ 5.____________
6.__________ 7.____________ 8.___________ 9.___________ 10.___________
Exercise 3: Read the passage then decide whether the statements (1-8) are true (T) or (F)
THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN ENGLAND?
A recent magazine survey found that the small town of Alnwick is the best place to live in England. It’s got
some beautiful historic buildings, including the castle that was used as Hogwart’s School in the Harry Potter
films. There are also lots of open spaces and not very much pollution. The public transport system is very
good, with regular buses in the town and also trains to nearby towns and cities. Although there are no security
cameras, people feel safe because there are a lot of street lights and there isn’t much crime.
Are there any problems, or is this the perfect town? Sam Fox, a teenager, says, ‘It all looks very pretty, but the
problem is that there isn’t anything for young people to do. Older people want the town to be perfect, so
they’re always telling us to get off our skateboards or slow down when we’re on our bikes. There are signs
telling us not to play football in the park. We’re not allowed to make too much noise. I think it’s perfect if
you’re fifty years old, but not if you’re fifteen!’
1. The castle in Alnwick is beautiful and modern.
2. Public transport is always available and comfortable in Alnwick.
3. People still feel safe though there are no security cameras.
4. There is no crime in Alnwick.
5. Both young and old people think they have a perfect town.
6. Playing football is not allowed in the parks.
7. The young people get bored with the town.
8. Sam is happy with the town because he is fifty.
1.____________ 2._____________ 3.___________ 4___________
5.____________ 6._____________ 7.____________ 8.___________
Exercise 4: Read the timetable then read the letter and write the missing word in each blank.
TIMETABLE
Time Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri
9.00 - 9.50 English Physics Biology English Spanish
9.50 - 10.40 Geography Physics Spanish Math Math
10.40-10.55 BREAK
10.55-11.45 Spanish History Math Chemistry English
11.45-12.35 Math English Spanish Chemistry History

Dear Alice
Today is Monday, the first day of the college term. I have just got my new time table. The first lesson (1)
……………... English. This lesson starts (2)……………… nine o’clock and ends at ten (3)……………… ten.
The next lesson is Geography and then we have a break. The break lasts (4)……………… twenty to eleven (5)
……………… five to eleven. The two lessons (6)……………......... the break are Spanish and Math.
Tomorrow we have Physics (7)……………… the break and then History and English.(8) …………….......
Thursday, we have my favorite subject (9)……………….. ten fifty-five and twelve thirty-five. There (10)
………………. twenty lessons each week but they all take place in the morning. We are all very tired by
lunchtime.
1.__________ 2.____________ 3.___________ 4___________ 5.____________
6.__________ 7.____________ 8.___________ 9.___________ 10.___________
PART IV. WRITING
Exercise 1: Rewrite the following sentences using the words given:
1. Keeping the environment clean is very important.
-> It’s ....................................................................................................................................
2. Having a vacation abroad is very interesting.
-> It is ...................................................................................................................................
3. A year has twelve months.
-> There are ..........................................................................................................................
4. Lan is more intelligent than her sister.
-> Lan’s sister isn’t ..............................................................................................................
5. Will you please look after the house while we are away?
-> Will you please take .......................................................................................................?
6. Vietnamese students have fewer vacations than American ones.
-> American students ...........................................................................................................
7. It takes me about two hours each day to do my homework.
-> I spend ..............................................................................................................................
8. Hoa is a good student.
-> Hoa studies .......................................................................................................................
Exercise 2: Write a complete sentence, using the words given
1. Minh/ live/ brother/ apartment/ town.
...............................................................................................................................................
2. Mrs. Lan/ and/ children/ travel/ London/ plane.
...............................................................................................................................................
3. There/ be/ any flowers/ your/ school/ yard?
...............................................................................................................................................
4. He/ not ride/ home/ but/ go/ taxi.
...............................................................................................................................................
5. Sister/ have/ bike/ and/ cycle/ work/ everyday.
...............................................................................................................................................
6. How much/ cost/ mail/ letter/ USA?
..............................................................................................................................................?