NOUNS
PRONUNCIATION
A
C
CH
CE
E
EA
EE
EI
G
GU
GE
GI
H
I
J
KN
N
O
OA
OO
[ei] : cake
[ ] : cat
[a:] : car
[k] : clock
[t ] : children
[k] : architecture
[s] : silence
[e] : men
[ ] : bear
[i ] : tear
[i:] : teacher
[i:] : feeling
[i ] : beer
[i:] : ceiling
[g] : goose
[g] : guard
[d ] : page
[d ] : giant
[h] : horse
[ai] : price
[i] : dig
[d ] : joy
[n] : know
[n] : now
[ ] : playing
[ u] : code
[o] : stop
[ u] : boat
[u :] : cool
PH
[f] : phase
Q
R
[k] : quiet
[r] : rock
[a:] : star
S
[s] : speech
[ ] : sure
[z] : pause
[ ] : pleasure
[s] : press
[ ] : pressure
[ ] : cash
[t] : tea
[t ] : adventure
[ ] : they
[ ] : thief
[ju] : pure
[u] : put
[ ] : cut
[ ] : treasure
[w] : water
[u] : show
[ai] : why
[i] : play
[z] : zero
SS
SH
T
TH
U
W
Y
Z
A noun is ‘the name of anything that may be the subject of discourse.’ (Mihai Zdrenghea, Anca
Greere, A Practical English Grammar (with exercises), Cluj, Clusium, 1997, p. 11)
There are a great many nouns classified according to their FORM (simple, compound and phrasal
nouns) and MEANING (proper, common, mass nouns and collective nouns).
- Irregular plural: mutation- mouse/mice
: changing –f into –v: sheaf/sheaves, life/lives (exception- still life/s- painting term,
safe/s)
: zero plural- swine, sheep, deer, salmon, trout: The fisherman caught two salmon.
: foreign plural: confetti (takes the singular), graffiti (takes the plural)
- Plural invariables: nouns formed out of two parts- scissors (Summation plurals: tights, trousersbut a trouser leg). Use a pair of to make them countable.
: some collective nouns (plural)- cattle, police, people, vermin
- Nouns ending in –o, add the inflection –es if the –o is preceded by a consonant: negro/s. tomato/s,
still many exceptions- tango, tobacco, piano, concerto, soprano, mementos, etc.
- Compounds with –man/-woman: both elements take the plural if they indicate gender- woman
doctor/women doctors, woman-cook/women/cooks (when they do not indicate sex, -man/-woman
do not change- woman hater/woman haters, man-eater/man-eaters)
- tactics, statistics, gymnastics and athletics, are generally regarded as plurals.
- General partitives: a kind/sort of, a piece/item of, a bit of, a slice/loaf of
Partitives pre-modify uncountable nouns to make them countable:
-
an article of clothing
-
a pad/scrap/sheet/piece of paper
-
an attack of nerves/fever
-
a piece of evidence
-
a ball of string
-
a pinch of salt
-
a beam of light
-
a puff of smoke
-
a blade of grass
-
a set/suite of furniture
-
a breath of fresh air
-
a set of cutlery
-
a bucketful/handful/spoonful of
-
a sip of (drinks)
-
a burst of laughter
-
a slash of water
-
a chunk/joint/roast of meat
-
a speck of dust
-
a clap/roll of thunder
-
a spell of snow
-
a dab of (red/colours)
-
a stack of hay
-
a drop of rain
-
a stick of chalk
-
a feat of passion/indurance
-
a stretch of road
-
a flash of lightning
-
a strip of land
-
a grain of sand
-
a stroke of luck
-
a gust of wind
-
a tube of toothpaste
-
a hint of trouble
-
a wink of sleep
-
a lock/strand of hair
-
a whiff of garlic
-
a lump of sugar
-
a word of (advice, information)
- Specific collective nouns: a bunch of grapes, a string of beads, a flight of stairs, a cluster of
stars, a clump of trees, a fleet of taxis/ships, a bundle of rags, a swarm of bees, a colony of ants, a
herd of cattle/elephants, a flock of birds, a pack of wolves, a school of fish, a staff of teachers, a
crew of sailors, a crowd of people, a board of directors.
Head used as a collective number take a plural concord: Fifty head of cattle were in the field.
but : Heads or tails? (also: She has a few grey hairs)
KIND: these kinds of books (books of that kind)
Sometimes the plural form intensifies the meaning (emphatic force): The sands of the desert/The blue
waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
THE PLURAL OF NOUNS
A. Regular plural
1. nouns + -S : books
2. nouns ending in : x, s, ss, ch, sh, zz, z add –ES : bus – buses; box – boxes
3. nouns ending in -Y make the plural in –YS after a vowel and in –IES after a consonant
e.g. boy – boys; lady – ladies
4. Nouns ending in -O add –S after a vowel (radios), in abbreviations (kilos, photos) and in
foreign nouns (pianos)
5. Nouns ending in -O add –ES after a consonant : tomatoes, heroes
6. Abbreviations, numbers and letters make the plural by adding –S: the 1920s, the MPs
B. Irregular plural
1. nouns ending in –F or –FE make the plural in –VES:
e.g. knife – knives; wolf – wolves / EXCEPTIONS: beliefs, proofs, roofs, chiefs, cliffs
2. some nouns form the plural by a change of the inside vowel
e.g.
man – men
goose – geese
woman – women
tooth – teeth
mouse – mice
foot - feet
louse - lice
3. some nouns make the plural in –EN or –NE
e.g. ox – oxen, brother – brethren, child – children, cow – kine
4. some nouns have one form for both singular and plural:
a)
b)
c)
d)
a few names of fish and animals: fish, salmon, sheep, deer
the following words in –S: species, series, means
certain names of inhabitants of countries: Chinese, Japanese, Swiss
numerals: two hundred/thousand/dozen/million people / BUT two hundreds OF people
5. some nouns of foreign origin preserve their foreign plural:
a) nouns of Latin origin: medium – media, stimulus – stimuli, formula – formulae, index –
indices, matrix-matrices
b) nouns of Greek origin: analysis – analyses, thesis – theses, phenomenon – phenomena,
criterion – criteria
6. some others follow the English rule: dogma – dogmas, museum – museums, campus –
campuses, circus – circuses
C. Uncountable Nouns
1. Invariable Nouns in the Singular
a) concrete uncountable nouns: bread, butter, food, coffee, gold
e.g. a cup of coffee
b) abstract uncountable nouns: advice, business, furniture, knowledge, luggage, homework,
information, money, behaviour, permission, weather, income, nonsense, applause
e.g. a piece of advice
c) names of sciences ending in –ICS: gymnastics, mathematics, phonetics, politics, statistics
d) abstract adjectives used as nouns: the dead, the beautiful, the old
e) the word ‘news’ is always used in the singular
e.g. The news is good.
2. Invariable Nouns in the Plural
a) names of things consisting of two similar halves such as: pyjamas, trousers, glasses,
scissors, jeans, binoculars
e.g. a pair of pyjamas
b) nouns such as: clergy, police, cattle, infantry, poultry, crew, staff , family may be used as
plural nouns as well when referring to the members and as singular nouns when taken as a
whole:
e.g. The crew were all asleep when the ship sank. / Our family is very big.
NOTE! Many seemingly uncountable nouns have other meanings in which they are countable:
ICE
IRON
PAPER
TIME
WOOD
Ice is cold. / I bought two banana ices.
This door is made of iron. / I have an electric iron.
I bought paper to write on it. / I bought an evening paper.
She got carried away from time. / Those were happy times.
This table is made of wood. / We go to the woods every Sunday.
c) other such nouns: ashes, customs, goods, holidays, outskirts, pains, wages
EXERCISES ON NOUNS (Mihai Zdrenghea, Anca Greere, A Practical English Grammar (with
exercises), Cluj, Clusium, 1997)
EXERCISE P.016 / THE NOUN
Supply the blanks with suitable nouns from those in brackets. Use the plural forms:
1. He threw a stone at the rock and ..... came back. (piano, volcano, echo)
2. The ship was sunk by well-aimed ..... (potato, torpedo, dynamo)
3. Winter fodder for cattle is kept in ..... (calico, casino, silo)
4. The opera company was advertising for ..... (octavo, soprano, cuckoo)
5. The delegates carried their ..... (portfolio, photo, piano)
6. The ..... hit the island with tremendous force.(tornado, hobo, albino)
7. They threw rotten ..... to show their disgust. (tomato, canto, halo)
8. He was bitten by ..... and got malaria. (hero, soprano, mosquito)
9. There are hundreds of ..... along the Mediterranean coast. (hero, casino)
10. How many...(hero, cargo, kilo) of ..... (tomato, piano, photo) do you need to make 1 liter of juice?
11. The ships had as .. (cargo, radio) monkeys called baboons.
12. There are not many... (buffalo, soprano) that can sing like her.
EXERCISE P.018 / THE NOUN
State what each of the following is called.
1. One of the two equal parts into which a thing is divided.
2. Mass of bread cooked as a separate quantity.
3. State or existence as a being.
4. Group of people working together under a manager or head;
5. A sharp blade with a handle, used as a cutting instrument.
6. Wild, flesh eating animal of the dog family, hunting in packs.
7. Horny part of the foot of a horse.
8. Small fairy, mischievous little creature.
9. Bundle of corn, barley, etc., stalks tied together after reaping.
10. Person’s nature; one’s own personality.
11. Board in a cupboard, bookcase, etc.
12. Single sheet of paper forming two pages in a book.
13. The young of the domestic cow.
14. Long strip of material worn over the shoulders, round the neck.
15. Wooden or stone structure at which ships are moored for (un)loading cargo.
TRANSLATION P. 020 / THE NOUN
1. Portavionul este o navã construitã pentru transportul aparatelor de zbor. Puntea este suficient de
mare pentru ca fiecare aparat sã poatã decola si ateriza în sigurantã.
2. Cartea lui Charles Darwin “Originea speciilor” marcheazã un moment important în dezvoltarea
stiintelor naturii. El a arãtat cã în naturã numai cei vigurosi supravietuiesc pentru buna perpetuare a
speciei.
3. Hoinãrind prin pãdure am ajuns la un luminis unde o cãprioarã pãstea linistitã. Numai atunci mi-am
dat seama ce frumoase si gingase sunt cãprioarele.
4. A petrecut minunat în tabãra internationalã a studentilor de la Costinesti unde erau chinezi,
japonezi, portughezi, elvetieni si multi alti studenti. S-a împrietenit cu un chinez foarte inteligent si
politicos. Chinezii toti sunt deosebit de politicosi.
5. Toate uzinele de gaz din acea tarã sunt foarte moderne sau în curs de modernizare. Aceastã uzinã
de gaz, desi a fost construitã acum saptezeci de ani, este încã în stare bunã.
EXERCISE P.020 / THE NOUN
Fill in the correct forms of the nouns in brackets:
1. The (deer) have left their usual pastures.
2. They don’t even try to hunt (lion); it is too dangerous.
3. There is no (mean) of learning what is happening.
4. They say (fish) are good for the brain.
5. They raise lots of (duck) on their farm.
6. Despite their size (giraffe) are harmless creatures.
7. The (Navaho) Indians were almost completely destroyed.
8. He made a living by raising (goose).
9. A (series) of unexpected events prevented him from going on holiday to Scotland.
10. It’s not allowed to hunt (bear). But still many (bear) are killed.
11. There were (thousand) of flies buzzing around us.
12. Five (hundredweight) of potatoes were hardly enough for them.
13. There were a thousand (head) of cattle on the ranch.
EXERCISE P.023 / THE NOUN
Fill in the correct plural for of the words in brackets:
1. Do other planets revolve on their ..... like the Earth? (axis)
2. It can be dangerous if chemists make mistakes in their ..... (analysis).
3. ...... are rare in the desert. (oasis)
4. A great deal of ..... was collected by the scientist. (datum)
5. All good reference books contain ..... (index).
6. The consul sent several ..... back to London. (memorandum)
7. He spent his time playing with mathematical ..... (formula).
8. Geologists search the rock ..... for valuable minerals. (stratum)
9. There are not many types of ..... around the British coast. (alga)
10. There have been many international ..... since the war. (crisis)
11. The ..... of these lenses are perfect for distance photography. (focus)
12. What are the ..... of success? (criterion)
13. I’ve always found the idea of ..... in algebra rather difficult.(index)
14. There are many ..... of animals. (genus)
15. ..... are exact positions of things. (locus)
16. The ..... of theorists must conform to the real world. (hypothesis)
17. Post-graduate students have to write ..... to obtain their Ph.D.s (thesis)
18. The optician found that both his patient’s eyes had defective .....(retina)
19. They were all well trained and so they responded like ..... (automaton)
20. Two ..... to the resolution were proposed. (addendum)
EXERCISE P.26 / THE NOUN
Select the form you consider appropriate in each of the following sentences.
1. We gathered two (basketsful/basketfuls) of apples.
2. Most successful people have their (hanger-ons/hangers-on).
3. Traitors and spies are tried by (courts-martial/court-martials).
4. Oil has lots of (by-products/bys-product).
5. The (commander-in-chiefs/commanders-in-chief) met behind the lines to discuss military tactics.
6. A business phenomenon of recent years is the startling rise of (woman executives/women
executives)
7. (Five-year-olds/five-years-old) always use (toothbrushes/ teethbrushes).
8. The two (women doctors/woman doctors) I introduced you to are excellent psychiatrists.
9. (Father-in-laws/fathers-in-law) are better-natured creatures than (mothers-in-laws/mothers-in-law).
10. The (Miss Crumptons/Misses Crumpton) are characters of Dickens’s.
11. I met Anne’s to brothers when they were parting with their (girls friends/girl friends).
12. I like (ten-minute-pictures/ten-minutes-pictures).
13. I’ve only heard of, but I’ve never seen any (men-eaters/man- eaters).
14. After the age of fifty some bachelors become (woman- haters/women-haters).
15. If I told you once I told you a thousand times not to make friends with those (goods-fornothing/good-for-nothings).
16. He counted twenty (footsteps/feetsteps) from the gate to the house.
17. You lose on the swings what you make on the (roundabouts/ roundsabout).
18. The farmer got five (cartloads/cartsload) of hay.
19. (Knight errants/Knights errant) belong to King Arthur’s court.
20. Both his (brother-in-laws/brothers-in-law) are very pleasant fellows.
TRANSLATION P.029 / THE NOUN
1.Fortele naturii sînt multe si puternice.
2. E destul de prost ca sã-si mai dea si aere.
3. L-am auzit cântând una din ariile lui favorite.
4. Proprietarul calului este întotdeauna încântat sã-si vadã culorile ajungând primele la potou.
5. Fiecare regiment îsi are steagul propriu.
6. Poþi recunoaste un pictor dupã culorile pe care le foloseste.
7. A avut medicamentul vreun efect?
8. Li s-a spus sã-si ia efectele personale si sã treacã dincolo.
9. Prin forta împrejurãrilor am amânat excursia.
10. Cam cât timp trebuie ca sã treci prin vamã? Câteva minute. Formalitãtile de vamã sunt foarte
simple.
11. A devenit un obicei pentru familiile din Anglia sã meargã în Spania în vacantã.
12. Trebuie sã scriu o serie de scrisori.
TRANSLATION P.033 / THE NOUN
1. Aceasta este o mobilã prea mare ca sã intre pe usa aceasta.
2. Am bãut deja douã cafele.
3. Aveam trei sãpunuri ieri. Unde sunt?
4. Nu stiu cum reuseste Tom sã fluiere cu un fir de iarbã.
5. Un râs zgomotos ne-a fãcut sã ne întoarcem capul.
6. Câte bucãti de zahãr vrei în ceai?
7. Spune-i hamalului cã avem bagaje grele.
8. L-am rugat sã-mi cumpere douã pâini, dar a uitat.
9. Ne-a dat un sfat foarte bun.
10. Un fulger strãlucitor, urmat de un tunet puternic ne trimise pe toti imediat în casã.
11. A fost un noroc neasteptat sã-i gãsim în multimea care iesea de la spectacol.
12. Cine ne poate da vreo informaþie despre persoana dispãrutã.
13. Poti sa desfaci tabla de ciocolata de pe masa.
14. E de ajuns ca un fir de nisip sã intre într-o scoicã pentru a se forma o perla.
15. Vã dau un sfat: nu lãsati niciodata gazul aprins.
16. A treia stire prezentatã la televizor a fost foarte interesantã.
17. Cea mai frumoasã bijuterie a ei era o brosã din opt grame de aur si un diamant.
18. Garnitura de mobilã se va potrivi foarte bine.
19. Sunt obositã. N-am închis un ochi noaptea trecutã.
20. E o ocazie deosebitã. Scoate tacâmurile din argint.
21. Vrei grãtar de porc sau fripturã de miel?
22. Nu te pot ajuta. Nu mai am nici un strop de energie
23. Pianistul cânta cu o pasiune iesitã din comun.
24. E nevoie de 100 de grame de fainã; asta înseamnã cam patru linguri vârfuite de fãinã.
TRANSLATION P.035 / THE NOUN
1. Numai timpul ne va arãta care din noi are dreptate.
2. Nu este las cel ce are curajul convingerilor sale.
3. A fãcut totul din bunãtate si nu din speranta unei rãsplate.
4. Dl. Smith si directorul scolii s-au salutat ca doi regi. Apoi au schimbat cuvinte politicoase.
5. Sticla se sparge usor.
6. De un timp încoace nu mai pot citi fãrã ochelari.
7. Am citit de câteva ori, dar tot n-am putut întelege.
8. Lucrarea la biologie a fost deosebit de grea.
9. Cred cã ceea ce spui ai citit prin ziare.
10. S-a semnat pacea între cele douã tãri.
11. Dupã o pace scurtã, a izbucnit din nou rãzboiul.
12. N-a avut curajul s-o refuze.
13. O altã calitate a nylon-ului este rezistenta la apã.
14. Nu e întelept sã dai prea mult credit zvonurilor.
15. Operele poetului sunt foarte frumoase.
16. În acest domeniu el are multã experientã .
17. Întâmplãrile prin care a trecut îl fac un om cu experientã .
18. Cine îti va tine de urât?
19. Câta dobândã primesti pe trei luni?
20. Nu mi-a dat rest de la 100 de dolari.
EXERCISE P.038 / THE NOUN
Fill in suitable nouns chosen from the following list:
crossroads, lodgings, straits, clothes, riches, scales, slums, dregs, eaves, outskirts, tidings, wages,
goods, glasses, sweepings, scissors, credentials, remains, assizes, surrounding, oats
1. His ..... were so satisfactory that he was made manager.
2. She found a five-pound note in a heap of street ..... .
3. The ..... ordered were received in due time.
4. ..... are grown in many countries in the world, but they are one of Scotland’s main crops.
5. It was a hard winter. Icicles hung from the ..... of the houses.
6. There are ..... not only on the ..... of London, but also in some other parts of it.
7. ..... seldom bring happiness.
8. The ..... of Gibraltar are very narrow.
9. He saw the car reel and slither and fail to make the turn at the .....
10. The ..... of our town are most beautiful in spring.
11. His ..... were in a quiet, lovely street.
12. His ..... were wet through; he had been caught in a downpour.
13. The ..... were tested for accuracy.
14. He looked into the tea cup; only the ..... were left.
15. His face turned ashen at the bad ..... .
16. His ..... are ten dollars a week. He takes them home to his wife.
17. The shock made it necessary that he should constantly wear ..... .
18. These ..... are blunt; they are no use.
19. In the afternoon they went to see the ..... of an old abbey not far from the village.
20.He was tried at the ..., but discharged due to lack of evidence .
EXERCISE P.040 / THE NOUN
Use the correct form of the verb.
1. The students’ committee (has, have) already held (its, their) monthly meeting.
2. If the jury (do not, does not) agree (it, they) must be discharged. Then there is a new trial with a
fresh jury.
3. The team (was, were) all teenagers.
4. Britain’s tennis team (has, have)to play eight matches in next year’s competition.
6. The audience (is, are) requested to remain seated during the intermission.
7. The audience (has, have) now returned and (is, are) taking (its, their) seats.
8. Parliament (has, have) been debating on the question of taxation for several hours.
9. My family (has, have) been living in this house for twenty years.
10. The family (is, are) all having breakfast.
11. The majority (was, were) in favour of the proposal.
13. The club (has, have) expelled him for his behaviour.
14. The poultry (is, are) eating in the yard.
15. The police (was, were) on the look-out for robbers.
TRANSLATION P.041 / THE NOUN
1. Vaticanul anuntã reusita operatiei si cã Papa se simte acum bine.
2. Compania va angaja încã sase persoane.
3. Juriul încearcã sã cadã de acord.
4. O familie care se ceartã întruna nu poate fi fericitã .
5. Publicul vrea sã stie ce va urma.
6. Sunt prea mulþi oameni rãi pe pãmânt.
7. Toate guvernele încearcã sã facã ceva pentru a control actele criminale.
8. Lãzile de bere sunt pe terasã.
9. Musuroiul de furnici este foarte mare.
10. Turma de elefanti se îndreaptã cãtre râu.
11. Teancul de hârtii se aflã pe masã .
12. Se auzi urletul lupilor în depãrtare. Sigur erau mai multe haite.
13. Catedra de profesori de englezã are cabinetele la etajul trei.
14. Pentru a rezolva problema a fost convocat un grup de experti din toatã lumea.
15. Multimea de rãzvrãtiti se nãpusti asupra castelului.
TRANSLATION P.041 / THE NOUN
1.Vaticanul anuntã reusita operatiei si cã Papa se simte acum bine.
2. Compania va angaja încã sase persoane.
3. Juriul încearcã sã cadã de acord.
4. O familie care se ceartã întruna nu poate fi fericitã .
5. Publicul vrea sã stie ce va urma.
6. Sunt prea mulþi oameni rãi pe pãmânt.
7. Toate guvernele încearcã sã facã ceva pentru a control actele criminale.
8. Lãzile de bere sunt pe terasã.
9. Musuroiul de furnici este foarte mare.
10. Turma de elefanti se îndreaptã cãtre râu.
11. Teancul de hârtii se aflã pe masã .
12. Se auzi urletul lupilor în depãrtare. Sigur erau mai multe haite.
13. Catedra de profesori de englezã are cabinetele la etajul trei.
14. Pentru a rezolva problema a fost convocat un grup de experti din toatã lumea.
15. Multimea de rãzvrãtiti se nãpusti asupra castelului.
EXERCISE P.042 / THE NOUN
Decide which of the two verb forms should be used in the following sentences:
1. Physics (was/were) my most difficult subject in high school.
2. Ballistics (is/are) the study of the motion of projectiles.
3. Athletics (has/have) been virtually abolished from smaller schools.
4. His motives may be good, but his tactics (is/are) deplorable.
5. In every group, politics (is/are) a subject that arouse interest.
6. Radical politics (was/were) offensive to the Federalists.
7. Acoustics (is/are) a branch of science that is growing fast.
8. The acoustics of this room (is/are) not all they might be.
9. Economics (doesn’t/don’t) require much knowledge of mathematics.
10. His ethics (leave/leaves) a lot to be desired.
11. Classics (take/takes) a back seat these days.
12. Einstein’s mathematics (was/were) a revelation.
13. Tactics (is/are) really short term strategy.
14. Your heroics (is/are) worthy of a better cause.
15. Her hysterics (does/do) not move anybody that knows her.
TRANSLATION P.045 / THE NOUN
1. Apele lacului se scurgeau printr-o cascadã spectaculoasã.
2. Amândoi au dat din cap a neîncredere.
3. Toti am întâmpinat rãrsãritul soarelui cu inima usoarã.
4. A trebuit sã schimb trenul la Reading.
5. Nu puteam sã-i trimitem acolo împotriva vointei lor.
6. Strigau cât îi tinea gura.
7. Visa la apele albastre ale Mediteranei.
8. Cãldurile unei veri înnãbusitoare nu pãreau sã aibã nici o
influentã asupra sãnãtãtii lui.
9. De dragul lor era în stare sã mute si muntii din loc.
10. Ezita între sperantã si teamã.
EXERCISE P.049 / THE NOUN
Put into the possessive; carry out any necessary changes in the wording of the sentences
1. I did this for the sake of my brother James.
2. He took the hat of somebody else.
3. Alfred the Great has an assured place in history.
4. There was a great variety of books for children on display.
5. He was the secretary of the President of the Board of Trade.
6. During the holiday of two weeks of their parents, the children had to stay at the house of their aunt.
7. John, the son of the plumber, is my best friend.
8. The baby of Charles and Mary is lovely.
9. Buckingham Palace is the residence of the Queen of England.
10. There is a shop belonging to Marks and Spencer in almost every English town.
11. The speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been received with warm approval.
12. The plays of Beaumont and Fletcher are very seldom staged nowadays.
EXERCISE P.050 / THE NOUN
State what one can do at:
the stationer’s, the chemist’s, the draper’s, the confectioner’s, the barber’s, the greengrocer’s,
the butcher’s, the grocer’s, the hairdresser’s, the fishmonger’s, the tobacconist’s, the cleaner’s
EXERCISE P.052 / THE NOUN
Rewrite the following sentences using the underlined words in the possessive case. Make any
other necessary alterations in the wording of the sentences:
1. The little girl bought some sweets costing a pound.
2. The meeting lasted four hours.
3. He granted us an interview lasting three minutes.
4. It was a task of seven hours.
5. The argument of two hours was worth in the end.
6. Her father bought some cakes which cost six pounds.
7. The trek to the next hamlet was three miles.
8. Have you got enough coppers to change this half-crown.
9. The butter I bought weighed half a pound.
EXERCISE P.053 / THE NOUN
Complete the following sentences using a suitable idiomatic phrase from the above mentioned
ones:
1. His story is probably not worth ........ .
2. Stand-offish people keep you ........ .
3. I can just see our old classroom in ........ .
4. My uncle’s flat is only ........ .
5. His promise wasn’t worth ........ .
6. Don’t be in a hurry to leave; you haven’t done ....yet.
7. Who’s been telling you that ........ ?
8. I was ........ to know what to do.
9. He’s very difficult to know; he keeps you ........ .
10. Send him to the country; he’ll be ........ .
EXERCISE P.055 / THE NOUN
Replace the pronouns underlined by the nouns in brackets.
1. I read a book of yours (the professor).
2. A dress of mine was eaten by moths (Jane).
3. Two dictionaries of his are missing (Julie).
4. The museum bought a painting of his (Luchian).
5. I do wish you’d put rubber soles on those boots of his (Peter).
6. Those clothes of hers were meant for the sports contest (Mary)
7. Put on that red coat of hers (your sister).
8. Everyone praised that fine achievement of his (my father)
9. A watch of hers is fifty years old (my grandmother).
10. Here’s that song of his (Schubert).
TRANSLATION P.056 / THE NOUN
Dupã o zi grea de muncã se duse sã cineze la mãtusile sale, domnisoarele Harrison. Dupã cinã, asezat
confortabil într-un fotoliu lângã foc cu ziarul în mânã, revãzu în minte chipuri de oameni si îmtâmplãri
din copilãrie. Ar fi dorit sã fie iarãsi copil si sã se joace cu roscovanul Pete, fiul lui Jackson, morarul,
care locuia doar la o aruncãturã de bãt.
Uneori fãcea cale de cinci mile pânã la ferma bunicilor, dupã ouã proaspete, zarzavaturi si fel
de fel de fructe. Ferma, cu orãtãnii nenumãrate, cu vite, turme de oi si roiuri de albine i-a oferit multe
din bucuriile copilãriei. Cu cãtelusii si pisicutele se jucau cât pofteau, dar ori de câte ori voiau sã se
apropie de bobocii de gâscã, gâscanul, pãrinte grijuliu, îi alunga. În drum spre casã, intrau la bãcãnie si
cumpãrau bomboane de cinci peni, fiindcã bunica niciodatã nu uita sã-i dea ceva bani de buzunar.
Apoi îsi aminti cum, câtiva ani mai târziu, sãptãmâni la rând, a fost într-o situatie criticã din
cauza acelui ticãlos care se dãdea drept prieten, dar care l-a folosit ca pe-o unealtã. Asa i-a trebuit!
Singur se vârâse în gura lupului, fiindcã nu dãduse nici un ban pe sfaturile fratelui sãu mai mare. A
scãpat ca prin minune, datoritã fratelui sãu, care aflând vestea proastã, a fãcut tot posibilul ca sã-l punã
la adãpost de primejdii.
Tresãri auzind vocea mãtusii Jane: “John dragã, poftim ziarul de astãzi, acela e de alaltãieri.
Cum poti fi atât de distrat? Citesti de mai bine de o orã, fãrã sã-ti dai seama ce citesti.”
EXERCISE P.058-1 / THE NOUN
1. What are the feminine forms of the following words: actor, son, lord, bachelor, marquis,
duke, master, negro, hero, chauffer, czar, executor, driver, clown, wizard, aviator, widower, landlord,
stallion, drake, gander, ram, drone, peacock, fox
2. What are the masculine forms of the following words: madam, queen, countess, doe, hind,
tabby cat, bitch, wife, maidservant, she-wolf, jenny-ass, czarina, governess, heifer, niece, nurse,
abbess, chauffeuse
EXERCISE P.058-2 / THE NOUN
Fill in the blanks with feminine nouns:
1. Katherine Hepburn was a famous ...... .
2. Diana is the ...... of hunting.
3. Sapho was a lyric ...... .
4. A woman who shows people to their seats in theatres is an ...... .
5. On her wedding day a girl is called a ...... .
6. A woman with the legal right to receive a property, when the owner dies, is an ...... .
7. A woman famous for bravery is a ...... .
8. A woman engaged to be married is a ...... .
9. A ...... is a woman who manages the domestic affairs and nursing staff in a hospital.
10. Mary Stuart, ...... of Scots, was executed in 1587.
EXERCISE P.061 / THE NOUN
Change the gender of the nouns underlined:
1. This monument was erected as a tribute to al hero.
2. The wife of a reigning king is known as the queen- consort.
3. The prior was an old, fat monk.
4. Aunt Evelyn, a spinster and man-hater, had refused to attend her niece’s wedding; merely
expressing disgust at the idea of her brother’s allowing his only daughter to get married to an
adventurer.
5. Twenty men applied for the post of headmaster of the school.
6. Peter’s grandfather, a famous actor, is the manager of a London theatre.
7. The policeman ordered the motorist to move his car.
8. What’s the difference between a chauffeur and a driver?
9. In Russia the Russian emperors were called czars, in Turkey sultans.
TRANSLATION P.063 / THE NOUN
1. Unde este lupoaica cu puii ei?
2. Pãsãrile din curte mãnâncã grãunte.
3. Rata este urmatã de cei cinci pui ai ei în sir indian.
4. În turma aceasta sunt doar trei berbeci si zece miei. Dar e pãzitã de 15 câini.
5. În vizuinã e doar tigroaica cu cei doi pui ai ei.
EXERCISE P.064 / THE NOUN
Fill in the blanks with the correct pronouns:
1. Romania is the mistress of ...... own destiny.
2. It is pleasant to sit in the green wood and watch the Sun in ......chariot of gold and the Moon in ......
chariot of pearl.
3. Looking at the map, we see France here. ...... is one of the largest countries in Europe.
4. Venice struck a line for ...... and developed a style of ...... own,known as Lombardesque.
5. War, none of ...... masks and smiles and gallant trumpets can any longer delude us; ...... leads the
way to the cemetery.
6. England has always been a sea-power and ...... has never lacked defenders.
7. The Sun revolves once around ...... axis every twenty five days.
8. The cat jumped on the sofa and coiled ..... up.
9. Eton is just the same; but even if ...is not, even if...has changed for the worse, I believe ...... to be
better than any other school.
10.” ... was my best friend in the war”, said he looking at his pipe.
11. The Earth awoke from ...... winter sleep.
12. The tiger approached the camp; ..... dreadful roar scared us.
13. Our dog is called jenny; ...... is very good breed.
14. Ireland is an island; on three sides ...... is washed by the Atlantic
15. The ice-breaker, already known for ..... previous polar exploits, has been converted into a
comfortable passenger boat.
REVISION P.064 / THE NOUN
Supply the correct collective nouns. Choose from the nouns given.
bunch, fleet, colony, board, swarm, clump, pack, row, bevy
1. I ate a ... of grapes.
2. A ... of houses was destroyed by the bombing.
3. He didn’t know how to apologise so he bought her a ... of roses.
4. The king sent out a ... of ships to conquer the island.
5. A ... of girls was looking at the man passing by the school.
6. The bear was bitten by a ... of bees.
7. A .... of ants were gathering food for the winter.
8. The ... of directors had to decide whether to fire him or not.
9. Wolves never attack alone, they always attack in ...
10. The whole forest caught fire, only some isolated ... of trees didn’t burn down.
REVISION P.065-1 / THE NOUN
Fill in the blanks:
poems, football players, rags, fish, lions, people, beer, stairs, sandwiches, stars
1. He ran the whole flight of ... to tell her the good news.
2. The team of ... returned home having won one game and lost one.
3. ... usually travel alone not in prides.
4. He brought many plates of........... because there were lots of people.
5. Not all the crates of…….. were drunk; people seemed to prefer whisky.
6. In the middle of the room was a bundle of...
7. Tropical ... are so beautiful to see when the water is clear and they navigate in schools.
8. The anthology of... came out this month.
9. The crowd of ... talk loud.
10. The cluster of ... he liked best could be seen on the sky.
REVISION P.065-2 / THE NOUN
Put in the missing partitive.
Give other possible specific partitives for these nouns.
sip, pinch, litre, metre, drop, acre, scrap, drop, hint, gust, beam, lock, bowl, spell, stretch
1. I wrote his telephone number down on a ...of paper I found.
2. I’ve never tried whisky before so could I have a ... of yours.
3. A tiny creature was picked out in the ...of light from my torch.
4. I think we’d better go inside; I just felt a ... of rain.
5. I think the painting is quite good. it just needs a ... of blue here.
6. Remember, Dave, send for the police at the slightest ... of trouble.
7. My mother used to keep a ... of my hair in the top drawer of her
dressing table.
8. Finally, add a ... of salt. Then, mix the ingredients thoroughly.
9. A ...of soup is always good for the stomach.
10. This ... of land belongs to my family.
11. I would like a ...of orange juice
12. We’ve been having a marvellous ... of good weather lately.
13. They’ve just opened a new ... of road between Brighton and
London.
14. A ... of cloth is not enough to make a coat.
15. I was working at my desk when a sudden ... of wind blew all my papers away.
REVISION P.066-1 / THE NOUN
Translate into English:
E sâmbãtã dimineata si bunicii asteaptã deja cu nerãbdare sosirea nepoþilor. De ani de zile ei
îsi petrec sfârsitul de sãptãmânã la bunici, care locuiesc la periferia orasului, la doi pasi de ultima statie
a autobuzului 332.
Bunica gãteste, în timp ce bunicul rãsfoieste atent o enciclopedie. Îsi dã atâta ostenealã fiindcã
niciodatã nu se stie la ce fel de întrebãri sã te astepti din partea copiilor. El ar vrea sã poatã rãspunde
corect chiar dacã ar fi întrebat despre alge si bacterii, larve ciuperci, cactusi, analize si sinteze, atomi si
nuclei si câte si mai câte.
În jurul orei cinci, sase copii gãlãgiosi de vârste diferite dau nãvalã în curte, de parcã ar fi o
turmã de elefanti. Dacã vremea este frumoasã, timp de douã ore sau douã ore si jumãtate e un vacarm
asurzitor, asemãnãtor mugetului oceanului. Apoi bunica îi dã fiecãruia bucata sa de sãpun si prosopul
si îi trimite pe toti la baie sã se spele.
Cina e relativ linistitã fiindcã bunica stie exact cine vrea trei bucãti de zahãr în ceai, cine vrea
o felie de pîine prãjitã cu unt, cui sã-i mai dea câteva lingurite de miere si cine vrea partea leului din
placinta de mere.
Dupã cinã e rândul bunicului: “Bunicule, ce sunt papirusurile?” sau “Bunicule, cum poti sã te
vâri singur în gura lupului?”, sau “Bunicule, ce este un lup în blanã de miel?” “Apropo, fiindcã veni
vorba de lupi, de ce umblã lupii în haite, vitele în cirezi, oile în turme, pestii în bancuri, tântarii în
roiuri, leii în ... ?”
“Copii, la culcare”, spune bunica, si bunicul care nu mai stia ce sã spunã, scapã ca prin
urechile acului datoritã bunicii care-i duce la culcare cu promisiunea cã le va spune o poveste cu zâne
si spiridusi, cãpcãuni si balauri, vrãjitori si vrãjitoare.
REVISION P.066-2 / THE NOUN
Choose the correct forms:
1. The furniture (was/were) not new, but there (was/were) some nice reconditioned pieces.
2. The English as a whole (is, are) interested in sports.
3. Jersey cattle (is, are) encountered everywhere
4. The long-sighted (is, are) tempted to hold books at arm’s length
5. Good news (makes, make) everybody happy.
6. A person generally ridiculed is (a scape-goat, a laughing stock).
7. Lions travel in (packs, prides).
8. Elephants in large groups are referred to as (flocks, herds).
9. The plural of forget-me-not is (forget-us-not, forget-me-nots).
10. If I owned a pony that needed shoeing, I should go to (an ironmonger’s, a blacksmith’s).
11. Abbreviation means (conciseness, shortened form) of a word.
12. We had (a nine days’ wonder, a bird’s eye view) from the college tower.
13. The feminine of horseman is (marewoman, horsewoman)?
14. Straight from the horse’s mouth is (information direct from reliable sources, foolish or
superstitious stories).
15. Donkey’s years means (wretched existence, a long time).
16. A purser earns his living by (selling purses, looking after a ship’s finances).
17. The corresponding feminine form for marquis is (marquess, marchioness).
18. Thomas spent the evenings playing (billiard, billiards) in the (billiard- room, billiards-room).
19. They were as numerous as the grains of (sand, sands) on the seashore.
20. They should have made up their (mind, minds) earlier.
21. He painted a picture of a London (gas-work, gas-works).
22. They were ordinary people living their quiet (life, lives).
23. I have been at (pain, pains) to examine all these accounts.
24. This recipe calls for two (spoonful, spoonfuls) of honey.
25. Such (phenomenon, phenomena) can usually be explained if (its, their) causes are fully
understood.
26. He solved the problem in two and a half (minute, minutes).
27. After the fight the place became a (shamble, shambles).
28. The fact that an alarming number of (bacterium, bacteria) (was, were) developing a tolerance to
penicillin, was disturbing.
29. The graduating class (has, have) all agreed to have (their, its) (photos, photoes) taken in caps and
gowns.
30. The house was on the (outskirt, outskirts) of the town, well back from the road from which the
(ground, grounds) were separated by a high stone wall.
31. Take care of the (pence, pennies) and the (pound, pounds) will take care of (itself, themselves).
32. The police (is, are) tracing the (thiefs, thieves).
33. These are not real photographs, only (proofs, prooves).
34. The ticket costs fourpence. If you have (fourpence, four pennies) you can get it from the machine
35. He threw a stone at the rock and (echoes, echos) came back.
36. He has found the idea of (indexes, indices) in algebra difficult.
37. What are the (criteria, criterions) of success.
38. There are thirty (five-years-old, five-year-olds) in that class.
39. The (Normen, Normans) were originally called Northmen.
40. (Woman-street cleaners, women-street-cleaners) work hard.
41. (Man-drivers, men-drivers) are prejudiced against women on the roads.
42. You will find (erratum, errata) in the first edition of a book.
43. This species (has, have) become extinct.
44. She is too intelligent to put on (air, airs).
45. We sold several (dozen, dozens) towels today.
46. Twelve (dozen, dozens) make 144.
47. The (information, informations) I have received from all sides (is, are) contradictory.
48. The scissors (is, are) on the table.
49. (This, these) tongs (is, are) not good any more.
50. The table of (content, contents) is at the beginning of the book.
51. Phonetics (is, are) a science.
52. Her phonetics (has, have) improved a lot.
53. Einstein’s mathematics (was, were) a revelation.
54. He was asked to write the (minute, minutes) of the meeting.
55. Keep up your (spirit, spirits); we are nearly there.
56. Your advice (is, are) not required.
57. The queue (was, were) becoming impatient and some of (it, them)(was, were) asking for (its,
their) money back.
58. Parliament (goes, go) on holiday at the beginning of August.
59. (This, these) news (is, are) of no help to me.
60. This fondness of her (father, father’s) for alcohol will be his ruin.
61. Her (daughter’s-in-law, daughter-in-law’s) friends are kind.
62. Read the letter (to, for) me; I’ve lost my glasses
63. I mentioned (to his father, his father) all that was important.