Grammar summary  | Unit 3

Countable and uncountable nouns Expressions of quantity: much,

many, a lot of, a few, a little
Form and use
Countable nouns
There are two types of noun in English: countable and
uncountable. Countable nouns are things we can count We use many, a lot of and a few with plural countable nouns.
(three pens, seven tickets). They have a singular and a plural We use a lot of and a few in affirmative sentences.
form. We use them with a/an, the and numbers. I have a lot of friends from university.
I bought a ticket for myself and two tickets for you and Pete. There are a lot of good places to eat round here.
They don’t have a car. There are a few eggs in the cupboard.
Do you have a mobile phone?
We use many in negative sentences and questions.
Did you see the programme about tigers?
I don’t have many friends at work.
Uncountable nouns are things we can’t count. They are How many people are coming to the party?
singular and don’t have a plural form. We use uncountable We can also use a lot of in negative sentences.
nouns with the or no article. You can’t use them with a/an or I don’t have a lot of friends at work.
numbers. We don’t put a final -s on an uncountable noun.
He brought the money to pay for our trip. Uncountable nouns
I drink coffee every day.
Did you see the advice about how to lose weight? We use much, a lot of and a little with uncountable nouns.
We use a lot of and a little in affirmative sentences.
Common uncountable nouns are: advice, information, meat, There is a lot of information to read.
money, time. There’s a little milk in the fridge.

We use much in negative sentences and questions.

▶ Exercises 1 and 2 There isn’t much time to read the information.
How much money do you need?
some, any and no
We can also use a lot of in negative sentences.
There isn’t a lot of time to read the information.
Countable nouns Uncountable nouns
Affirmative I have some books. I have some ▶ Exercises 5–7
information.
Negative I don’t have any I don’t have any
books. information. Extension: Very, Too and Enough
I have no information. We use not + very + much/many + noun to express
Question Do you have any Do you have any quantity. Very does not change the meaning greatly. With
books? information? an affirmative verb, we use very + little/few + noun to
emphasize the small quantity.
We use some, any and no with plural countable and
I don’t have very many friends in London.
uncountable nouns to talk about quantity. With plural
There isn’t very much milk in the fridge.
countable nouns and uncountable nouns, we use:
The website gives very little information about the club.
●● some in affirmative sentences There were very few people at the concert.
I have some paper.
She has some tickets. We use enough + noun to say there is the correct or a
sufficient quantity of something. We use not + enough +
●● any in questions
noun to say there is less than we need.
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
There are enough chairs to seat 120 people.
●● not . . . any or no in negative sentences I don’t have enough money to buy lunch.
We don’t have any information about the exact date at the
moment. We use too + much/many + noun to say there is more than
We have no information about the exact date at the moment. we want or need. We use too + little/few + noun to say there
is less than we want or need.
Notice that we use some in questions, particularly in There are too many cars in the city centre.
requests and offers, when we want or expect the answer ‘yes’. I’ve got too much work at the moment – I need a holiday.
Would you like some coffee? Yes, please. I had too little time to visit the whole museum.
There are too few women managers in some companies.
▶ Exercises 3 and 4
▶ Exercise 8

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 EXERCISES 5 Choose the correct option to complete the conversations.
1 Complete the table with these words. A: How 1 much / many money does a lawyer earn?
B: It depends. Big corporate lawyers earn 2 much /
biscuit chair dollar food fun
a lot of money. But most lawyers work 3 many / a lot of
furniture job money music party
hours and have quite low salaries.
river song water work
A: Do you speak German?
Countable:  ,  , B: Not really. I know 4 a little / a few words, but I didn’t pay
 ,  ,  , 5
much / many attention to languages at school.
 ,  , A: How was your holiday? Did you do 6 much / many
Uncountable  ,  , sunbathing?
 ,  ,  , B: No. It was cloudy most of the time. There was even
 ,  , 7
 a little / a few rain.
2 Which of these words needs an -s on the end? A: Are you busy this afternoon? There are 8 a little / a few
1 a lot of information emails we need to look at.
2 three suitcase B: OK, I can spare 9 a little / a few moments. How
3 some good suggestion
10
much / many emails are there?
4 some expensive luggage 6 Complete the conversation. Use one word in each space.
5 a lot of question
6 a bowl of banana A: I need 1 help! I don’t have 2 time
7 terrible weather before I have to leave for the airport. I need to find
8 a lot of work
3
book to read and 4 suntan lotion.
B: Suntan lotion? I thought it was 5 business trip.
3 Choose the correct options to complete the conversations. A: It is – but I hope I’ll have a 6 time for relaxation.
1 A: Do you have 1 a / any news about the job you I have a 7 meetings on Friday morning, but I
applied for? don’t have 8 meetings on Saturday.
B: No. They said they would send me 2 a / some letter,
7 Correct the mistake in each sentence.
but I haven’t received anything.
1 He gave us a lot of informations in the lecture.
2 A: Can you help? I need to move 3 a / some furniture.

B: Sure. What do you want to move?
2 I have an advice for you.
A: I need to put 4 a / some table and 5 a / some chairs

into the meeting room.
3 I can’t make an omelette. We have any eggs.
3 A: Do we have a / any food for dinner?
6
B: There 7 is / are the meat that I bought yesterday. 4 There is a few time before we have to leave.
A: I don’t want 8 some / any meat. I’m not very hungry.
5 He earns much money as a banker.
4 A: I’m going to the shops. Do you want anything?

B: We need 9 a / some fruit – and perhaps 10 a / some
6 Could you pass me any water?
newspaper.

4 Complete the sentences with some, any and no.
8 Complete the second sentence so it has the same
1 Can you give me advice? meaning as the first. Use the words given.
2 They have flowers in their garden – just
1 There is too little space to put another desk here.
two large trees.
There to put another desk here.
3 She made delicious cakes for the party.
(enough)
4 I need to go to the shop. We don’t have
2 There weren’t many restaurants in the town centre.
milk left.
There were in the town centre. (very)
5 Are there people that you want me to
3 It was impossible to understand all the information they
contact?
gave us.
6 The factory closed down two months ago and now there
They gave to understand. (too)
is work in the area.
4 I’m sorry. I’m in a hurry.
I’m sorry. I don’t have  . (very / time)
5 We can’t make a football team with only eight people.
There are to make a football team.
(too / people)

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