PT3 Lesson 1

Grammar
Countable and Uncountable Nouns 1
Countable nouns
 Nouns which can be counted
 Some of the words used with countable nouns are ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘any’, ‘some’, ‘many’, ‘a few’,
‘several’, ‘a lot of’, ‘plenty of’ and ‘a small/large number of’.
Uncountable nouns
 Nouns which cannot be counted.
 Some of the words used with uncountable nouns are ‘any’, ‘some’, ‘much’, ‘a little’, ‘a lot of’,
‘plenty of’, ‘a great deal of’, ‘a small/large amount of’.
Tips
 Singular countable nouns take singular verbs.
 Plural countable nouns take plural verbs.

Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with ‘much’, ‘a little’, ‘many’ or ‘a few’.
You need to add (1) salt to the soup.
There are (2) biscuits left in the container.
My father didn’t have (3) money but he was always happy.
Ingrid drank (4) milk and ate (5) biscuits.
(6) students gathered in the hall to listen to a talk by a sports personality.
There is so (7) sand on the floor. I’m sure the children didn’t wipe their feet.
Many students have paid their fees. Only (8) have not paid up.
There are (9) oranges in the baskets but (10) mangoes.
I have so (11) housework to do. Luckily my sister is helping me.
There is so (12) dust in this room. It has not been swept for (13) days.
(14) of us cleaned the garden but (15) of the work was done by teachers.
The farmer has (16) cows in his farm but only (17) sheep.
My mother sprinkled (18) sugar on the doughnuts before serving them.
We didn’t see (19) people in the park last Saturday.
We’ve had so (20) rain over the past few days.

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Grammar errors
BAMBOO
Bamboo is a plant that (1) our can see around us, but did you know that bamboo has many
uses? In remote areas, (2) them are used to build houses and schools. One report said that more
(3) then one billion people are now living in bamboo houses. An innovative person has even (4)
find a way to turn bamboo into clothes. They are actually for sale. (5) Has you ever eaten any part
of a bamboo? Bamboo shoots are actually a popular food item. Pandas enjoy (6) eat bamboo
shoots and leaves. Additionally, (7) these plant also has medicinal value. The roots and leaves are
(8) collect and processed for this purpose. In fact, this plant is so strong and versatile that in (9)
much parts of the world, it is one of the materials used to make roads. Isn’t that amazing?

Answer
1. 4. 7.
2. 5. 8.
3. 6. 9.

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Information Transfer
Read the review below.

I usually don’t write reviews for food outlets but this new place near the library was really
great. It was clean and the food was delicious! The prices were also reasonable as they were
cheaper than the food stalls nearby. The portions were huge! I especially liked the pasta, it was the
best pasta I ever had! The eating area was neat and tidy. Even the restrooms were clean and well-
maintained. The decor was simple and interesting. The service was excellent. The staff was
cheerful and friendly. Many customers left big tips for their good service, including me. The only
complaint I have was the lack of parking space. I had to park some distance away. However, I
enjoyed myself thoroughly. I will definitely tell my friends about this place and visit again.

Complete the following table. Choose no more than three words and/or a number from the
review for each answer.
Food Review

Taste

Prices

Portion sizes

Eating area

Restrooms

Service

Staff

Complaint

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Comprehension

Elephants are the largest and strongest existing land animals. There are three elephant
species, the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. Elephants
are found in Africa, South and Southeast Asia. They are herbivorous and live in herds.
An elephant has thick legs, large hanging ears, a small tail, little eyes, two long white tusks
and a long nose called a trunk. The trunk is used for breathing, bringing food and water to the
mouth and holding objects. Their tusks serve both as a weapon and as a tool for moving objects
and digging. African elephants are larger, have bigger ears and longer tusks compared to Asian
elephants.
The elephant is an intelligent animal and can live up to 70 years in the wild. Its intelligence
combined with its great strength makes it a very useful servant to man. They are caught alive,
trained and tamed and used as working animals. They can carry heavy loads and even go tiger
hunting. In the past, they were used in war but today they are often put on display in zoos or
exploited for entertainment in shows. Elephants have been featured in art, folklore, religion,
literature and popular culture.
One of the biggest threats to the elephant population is the ivory trade as the elephants are
poached for their ivory tusks. Besides, their habitats are also shrinking. Both the African and Asian
elephants’ habitats have been declined by over 50% and the elephant species has been classified
as endangered.

Choose no more than five words and/or a number from the text for each answer.

Elephants are the (1) land animals.

The three different elephant species are found mainly in (2)
The elephant has a long nose which is called the (3)
A wild elephant has a lifespan of about (4)
Elephants are considered to be useful animals to humans
because of their (5)
Today elephants can be seen in zoos but in the past, they
were (6)
The biggest threat faced by elephant population today is (7)
Asian and African elephants have been classified as
endangered species because their (8)

Complete the table below with a word from the text.

animals that eat only plants
getting smaller

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Writing Part 1
Read the message from your friend, Ron.
Hi,
My brother and I are going to the National Stadium to watch
the Malaysia Cup Final. We still can’t make up our minds whether
to go there by car, taxi or LRT. Which mode of transport should we
take?
Let me know what you think.
Ron.

In about 80 words, write a message to Ron giving some advice.

Outline
1. – so lucky to get the – to watch the –
2. – didn’t manage to get the – will be watching the – live on TV
3. Regarding the – strongly against –
4. – thousands of cars swarming – badly congested
5. Taking the – is the best –
6. – fast, reliable – worry about –
7. – the nearest station from – is just a walking –
8. – hope this helps
9. – enjoy the match

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Hi Ravi,
I’m happy/ delighted/ pleased to share my advice with you. I suggest you to

Car (drive) Taxi LRT

- more flexible – start - cheaper than taxi and

your journey anytime car
you like – rush to the - faster than car
LRT station after the - punctual
game - safe
- more comfortable - worry about parking
- safety purpose space
- cheaper than taxi

1. I’m happy to share my advice with you.

2. I suggest you to drive to National Stadium.
3. The first reason is …