COMPREHENSION Based on the reading, write T for true or F for false. 1.
Cranberries grow in all parts of the United States.
2.
The Indians used cranberries for medicine.
3.
The Pilgrims learned about cranberries from the American Indians.
THINK ABOUT IT Discuss the questions with a partner or in a small group. 1. What is a typical fruit in your country? How do people eat it? 2. Describe your favorite recipe that has fruits from your country. How is the dish made? When do you eat it?
5.4 Count and Noncount Nouns A count noun is something we can count. It has a singular and plural form. A noncount noun has just one form. EXAMPLES
EXPLANATION
We used one apple in the recipe. We used two pears in the recipe.
We use a count noun in the singular form or plural form. We can put a, an, or a number before a count noun.
Boil water and add sugar.
We use a noncount noun in the singular form only. We don’t put a, an, or a number before a noncount noun.
There are several types of noncount nouns. GROUP A: NOUNS THAT HAVE NO DISTINCT, SEPARATE PARTS. WE LOOK AT THE WHOLE.
milk
coffee
yogurt
soup
butter
lightning
oil
tea
beef
bread
paper
thunder
water
juice
honey
meat
air
blood
GROUP B: NOUNS THAT HAVE PARTS THAT ARE TOO SMALL OR INSIGNIFICANT TO COUNT.
rice
hair
sand
salt
sugar
popcorn
grass
snow
GROUP C: NOUNS THAT ARE CLASSES OR CATEGORIES OF THINGS. THE MEMBERS OF THE CATEGORY ARE NOT THE SAME.
money or cash (nickels, dimes, dollars)
mail (letters, packages, postcards, flyers)
furniture (chairs, tables, beds)
homework (essays, exercises, readings)
clothing (sweaters, pants, dresses)
jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, rings)
fruit (apples, peaches, pears)
produce (oranges, apples, corn)
GROUP D: NOUNS THAT ARE ABSTRACTIONS.
love
happiness
nutrition
patience
work
nature
truth
education
intelligence
poverty
health
help
beauty
advice
(un)employment
music
fun
energy
luck/fortune
knowledge
pollution
art
information
friendship
GROUP E: SOME FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ARE USUALLY NONCOUNT NOUNS.
broccoli
celery
lettuce
kale
asparagus
spinach
corn
squash
cauliflower
grapefruit
cabbage
celery
Note: Count and noncount are grammatical terms, but they are not always logical. Rice and beans are both very small, but rice is a noncount noun and bean is a count noun. Nouns, There + Be, Quantity Words Copyright 2021 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
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