This document provides a summary of a grammar lesson on count and non-count nouns as well as articles. It includes examples and exercises. It also outlines having students complete a sentence skills self-assessment test to identify areas to focus on, and developing individualized study plans to improve skills.

1. Monday, December 5, 2011
Grammar: 1) Count/Non-Count Nouns
2) Articles
3) Sentence Skills Self-Assessment
Writing: Finish Descriptive Paragraph

2. Housekeeping
• Exams – are marked but will not be handed
back until next week – check your mark online
• Roberts Christmas Party next Tuesday 12-2 in
Room 101.

3. Overall Exam Results
• Class average = 59.25% (C-) [lowest ever]
• Lowest mark = 9.5
• Highest mark = 92.5
• Marks spread:
A (86-100) = 2
B (73-85) = 4
C+ (67-72) = 1
C (60-66) = 4
C- (50-59) = 0
F (49 and lower) = 6

4. Count and Non-count Nouns
Count nouns name people, places,
things, or ideas that can be counted
and made into plurals.
Ex: desk, blackboard, and teacher
(desks, blackboards, and teachers)

5. Count and Non-count Nouns
Non-count nouns name things or ideas
that cannot be counted and therefore
cannot be made into plurals.
Ex: weather, anger, and happiness
NOT: weathers, angers, and happinesses x

6. Common Non-count Nouns (p. 582)
Abstractions and emotions: justice, joy
Activities: soccer, reading
Foods: sugar, spaghetti
Gases and vapors: smoke, oxygen
Languages and areas of study: Cantonese, Farsi,
biology
Liquids: water, milk
Materials that come in bulk: lumber, stationery
Natural occurrences: snow, thunder
Others: clothing, furniture, homework, etc. . . .

7. More on Non-count Nouns
Q: Since non-count nouns cannot be made into
plurals, how can we show “how much”?
A: The quantity of non-count nouns can be
expressed with qualifiers such as some, more,
a little, a lot, etc.
Ex: I hear a lot of anger in your voice.
Ex: May I have some spaghetti?

8. More on Non-count Nouns
Some words can be either count or non-count
depending on if they refer to one thing or more than
one thing.
Ex: She had many thrilling experiences on her vacation.
(several different countable moments)
Ex: They told me I did not have enough experience for
the job.
(an abstract, non-countable idea that describes
what you have gained from many countable
experiences.)

9. Count / Non-Count Noun
Quick Practice
• Complete the handout.
• We will go over the answers in a few minutes.
1. c
2. nc
3. c
4. nc
5. nc
6. c

10. Non-Count Noun Practice
At your table, play Ioannis’s word game:
• Player 1 – says any non-count noun.
– Ex: “Thunder”
• Player 2 – must say a non-count noun that starts with
the last letter of “thunder” – “R”
– Ex: “Reading”
• Player 1 – now must say a non-count noun that starts
with “G” and so on. . .
NOTE: You may use a dictionary to help you in this
game! 

11. Articles, p. 581
An article signals that a noun will
follow.
• indefinite = a/an
• definite = the

12. Choosing the Correct Indefinite Article
(a vs. an)
• a carrot, a uniform
(use a with a noun that starts with a
consonant sound)
• an onion, an honor
(use an with a noun that starts with a
vowel sound)

13. Use a/an with Non-specific Singular
Count Nouns
when
-you can count it
-you don’t know “which one” specifically
Ex: A penguin cannot fly; it uses its “wings” to “fly”
through water. (Any penguin)
Ex: There was a fire today in our neighborhood.
(This fire is unfamiliar to us; it is the first time it
has been mentioned)

14. Use the with Specific Nouns
1. When the noun has already been mentioned
once.
Ex: There was a fire at work. The fire destroyed
everything.
2. When words or phrases in the sentence
identify the noun or suggest its identity.
Ex: The lights in the classroom are turned off.
Ex: The coffee at Starbucks is too bitter for me.

15. Use the with Specific Nouns
3. When it is unique. (There is only one.)
Ex: It is harmful to stare at the sun.
4. When it comes after a superlative
adjective (best, tallest, fastest, etc.)
Ex: He is the best runner in the class.

16. Omit articles for non-specific plurals
and non-count nouns
Do not use articles when non-specific
nouns refer to something in general.
Ex: Teachers do not become rich.
Ex: Paint can give off a pungent odor.

17. Proper Nouns
Do not use the for most singular proper nouns:
• people and animals (the Stephen Harper)
• continents, provinces, cities, streets, and parks
(the Granville Street )
• most countries (the Korea, the Nicaragua)
• individual bodies of water, islands and
mountains (the Mount Seymour, the
Vancouver Island)

18. Proper Nouns
Do use the for
• plural proper nouns (the Simpsons, the
Canucks, the Rockies)
• names of large geographic areas (the Pacific
Ocean, the North Shore)
• names with the format “the ________ of
___________.” (the Premier of BC, the
University of British Columbia)

19. Activity 1, p. 584
Choose the correct form of noun in the parentheses.
1. A telephone/Telephone
2. a used car/the used car
3. The car/A car
4. fog/fogs
5. New Jersey/the New Jersey
6. patience/the patience
7. Indian Ocean/The Indian Ocean
8. curiosity/the curiosity
9. wine/the wine
10. Water/The water

20. Additional Practice
1. http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/nonco
untnoun.htm
2. http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/count
noun.htm
3. http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/
grammar/count1.htm

21. BREAK

22. Sentence Skills Self-Assessment
• Today, each of you will do a Sentence Skills Diagnostic
Test.
• Then, I will choose 5 key sentence skills for each of you
to improve on and be tested on by the end of the term.
• You will
– Study specific pages in the text
– Review some topics on grammar slides provided by
the teacher
– Review and complete additional grammar practice
online
• Each class we will have some time to work on practice
and ask questions.

23. Sentence Skills Self-Assessment
• Turn to p. 400 of your textbook.
• On your own paper, write the heading “Sentence
Skills Diagnostic Test.” Number your paper from
1-78.
• Follow the instructions to complete the test.
• When you are done, mark your own work (See
Appendix A on p. 624 for answers).
• Ask me for the “Sentence Skills Study Plan” Sheet;
Follow the directions to complete this sheet.
• Hand in both your test and study plan sheet to
me (I will photocopy and give back to you).