Countable nouns are easy to recognize. They are things that we can count. For example: “pen”. We can count pens. We can have one, two, three or more pens. Here are some more countable nouns:

• dog, cat, animal, man, person
• bottle, box, litre
• coin, note, dollar
• cup, plate, fork
• table, chair, suitcase, bag

Countable nouns can be singular or plural:

• My dog is playing.
• My dogs are hungry.

We can use the indefinite article a/an with countable nouns:

• A dog is an animal.

When a countable noun is singular, we must use a word like a/the/my/this with it:

• I want an orange. (not I want orange.)
• Where is my bottle? (not Where is bottle?)

When a countable noun is plural, we can use it alone:

• I like oranges.
• Bottles can break.

We can use some and any with countable nouns:

• I’ve got some dollars.
• Have you got any pens?

We can use a few and many with countable nouns:

• I’ve got a few dollars.
• I haven’t got many pens.

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are substances, concepts etc that we cannot divide into separate elements. We cannot “count” them. For example, we cannot count “milk”. We can count “bottles of milk” or “litres of milk”, but we cannot count “milk” itself. Here are some more uncountable nouns:

• music, art, love, happiness
• advice, information, news
• furniture, luggage
• rice, sugar, butter, water
• electricity, gas, power
• money, currency

We usually treat uncountable nouns as singular. We use a singular verb. For example:

• This news is very important.
• Your luggage looks heavy.

We do not usually use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns. We cannot say “an information” or “a music”. But we can say a something of:

• a piece of news
• a bottle of water
• a grain of rice

We can use some and any with uncountable nouns:

• I’ve got some money.
• Have you got any rice?

We can use a little and much with uncountable nouns:

• I’ve got a little money.
• I haven’t got much rice.

Here are some more examples of countable and uncountable nouns:

Nouns that can be Countable and Uncountable

Sometimes, the same noun can be countable and uncountable, often with a change of meaning.

that is to say, some-, in affirmative sentences and, any-,

in negatives and questions, although we use some-

in the interrogative to offer something, to ask for something or when we expect a positive response, as we saw in the previous unit.

Examples:I saw somebody there.

I did not see anybody there.

Did you see anybody there?

Would you like something better?

Instead of I did not see anybody there, we can say I saw nobody there, but we cannot use two negative words: *I did not see nobody there.

Anybody, nobody and somebody mean the same as anyone, no-one andnobody respectively. No-one can also be written no one.

Any can also mean “every” or “it does not matter which / who”:

You can take any pencil.

Anybody can do it. It’s very easy.

Let’s see the following examples to end with:

Somebody told me you were abroad.

Nobody came to the meeting.

Was there anybody in the house?

I want something to eat.

I don’t need anything.

I need nothing.

Would you like something to drink?

Is there anything in that drawer?

I want to go somewhere else.

I didn’t go anywhere.

I went nowhere.

Have you seen my car keys anywhere?

exercise one

two

three  practice with a letter

When the relative pronoun is an object, it can be omitted.

To practise go to:

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/relative-clauses/exercises?02

exercises one two to see if we can omite the relative pronoum go here three

The table below will help clarify the meaning and use of vocabulary related to travel.

HAVE/ GET SOMETHING DONE

To have something done

Take care not to confuse to have done something with to have something done. This structure (have + object + past participle) is used to talk about arranging for other people to do things for us and has the same sort of meaning as a passive sentence. Compare the following:

• We had this piece of furniture made specially so that it fits into the corner. It was madeby John Lawrence, the antique furniture restorer. 
• Why did you take your car to the garage? ~ To have it serviced. ~ When my car needs to be serviced, I just hand it over to Michael. 

  Note that in informal English, we sometimes talk about getting things done, rather than having them done: 

• I must get my watch repaired. It’s so inconvenient being without one.
  When are you going to get your hair cut? ~ I’m not going to get it cut. I’m going to let it grow.

Have something done

and

Get something done

are both used to refer to actions which are done for the subject rather than by the subject. Causative verbs are used instead of passive verbs to show that the subject causes the action to be done.

1. Have something done

I don´t know how to repair cars, so I´m having mine repaired  at the garage round the corner.

2.   Get something done

I really must get my eyes tested . I´m sure I need glasses. 

Get your hair cut

NOTE

The differences between have and get something done are that have is slightly more formal than  get  , and that get   is more frequent than have in the imperative form.

NON-CAUSATIVE USES OF

HAVE AND GET 

Have  and get 

are also used to refer to events which happened to someone, but were outside their control. After being late for work every day for two weeks, Billy had his pay reduced .I stood so close to the fire that I  got my legs burnt

EXERCISE  1

Rewrite these sentences using

have or get

1. The mechanic changed the oil in my car.___________________________________________________________________

2. The hairdresser cut my hair in a completely different style.__________________________________________________________________

3. A decorator has repainted our house.___________________________________________________________________

4-A friend of mine, who´s an electrician, is going to repair my DVD player next week.__________________________________________________________________

5. My jacket is being cleaned at a specialist cleaner´s.______________________________________________________________

6. The town hall has just been rebuilt for the council……………………………………………………………………………………………..

exercise one

Punky en français

exercise one

alone to South America.
2.Maria did not get a promotion______________ her qualifications.
3.Zambia is a land- locked country,____________ Kenya has a coastline.