Exercises

78.1 Complete the sentences using a word from Sections A or B. Sometimes you need a or some.

1. My eyes aren't very good. I need _glasses._

2. This plant is _a_ very rare _species._

3. Footballers don't wear trousers when they play. They wear ---.

4. The bicycle is --- of transport.

5. The bicycle and the car are --- of transport.

6. I want to cut this piece of material. I need ---.

7. Ann is going to write --- of articles for her local newspaper.

8. There are a lot of American TV --- shown on British television.

9. While we were out walking, we saw 25 different --- of bird.

78.2 In each example the words on the left are connected with an activity (for example, a sport or an academic subject). Write the name of the activity. Each time the beginning of the word is given.

1. calculate algebra equation: mathematics.

2. government election minister: p---

3. finance trade industry: e---

4. running lumping throwing: a---

5. light heat gravity: ph---

6. exercises somersault parallel bars: gy---

7. computer silicon chip video games: el---

78.3 Choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural. In one sentence either the singular or plural verb is possible.

1. Gymnastics _is/are_ my favourite sport. ('is' is correct)

2. The trousers you bought for me _doesn't/don't_ fit me.

3. The police _want/wants_ to interview two men about the robbery last week.

4. Physics _was/were_ my best subject at school.

5. Can I borrow your scissors? Mine _isn't/aren't_ sharp enough.

6. Fortunately the news _wasn't/weren't_ as bad as we expected.

7. Where _does/do_ your family live?

8. Three days _isn't/aren't_ long enough for a good holiday.

9. I can't find my binoculars. Do you know where _it is/they are? _

10. Do you think the people _is/are_ happy with the government?

11. _Does/Do_ the police know how the accident happened?

12. I don't like very hot weather. Thirty degrees _is/are_ too warm for me.

78.4 Most of these sentences are wrong. Correct them where necessary; Put 'RIGHT' if the sentence is already correct.

1. The government want to increase taxes. _RIGHT (wants' is also correct)_

2. Susan was wearing a black jeans.

3. Brazil are playing Italy in a football match next Wednesday.

4. I like Martin and Jill. They're very nice persons.

5. I need more money than that. Ten pounds are not enough.

6. I'm going to buy a new pyjama.

7. The committee haven't made a decision yet.

8. Many people has given up smoking.

9. There was a police standing at the corner of the street.

10. Has the police arrived yet?

11. This scissors is not very sharp.

UNIT 79. Noun + noun (a tennis ball/a headache etc.)

A. We often use two nouns together (noun + noun) to mean one thing/person/idea etc. For example:

a tennis ball a bank manager a road accident income tax the city centre

The first noun is like an adjective--it tells us what kind of thing/person/idea etc. For example:

a tennis ball = a ball used to play tennis

a road accident = an accident that happens on the road

income tax = tax that you pay on your income

the sea temperature = the temperature of the sea

a London doctor = a doctor from London

So you can say:

a television camera a television programme a television studio a television producer

(all different things or people to do with television)

language problems marriage problems health problems work problems

(all different kinds of problems)

Compare:

garden vegetables (= vegetables that are grown in a garden)

a vegetable garden (= a garden where vegetables are grown)

Often the first word ends in ~ing. Usually these are things used for doing something. For example:

a washing machine a frying pan a swimming pool the dining room

Sometimes there are more than two nouns together:

* I waited at the hotel reception desk. (= a desk)

* We watched the World Swimming Championships on television.

* If you want to play table tennis (= a game), you need a table tennis table (= a table).

B. When nouns are together like this, sometimes we write them as one word and sometimes as two separate words. For example:

a headache toothpaste a weekend a stomach ache table tennis

There are no clear rules for this. If you are not sure, it is usually better to write two words.

You can often put a hyphen (-) between the two words (but this is not usually necessary): a dining-room the city-centre

C. Note the difference between:

a wine glass (perhaps empty) and a glass of wine (= a glass with wine in it)

a shopping bag (perhaps empty) and a bag of shopping (= a bag full of shopping)

D. When we use noun + noun, the first noun is like an adjective. It is normally singular but the meaning is often plural. For example, a bookshop is a shop where you can buy books, an apple tree is a tree that has apples.

In the same way we say:

a three-hour journey (not 'a three-hours journey')

a ten-pound note (not 'pounds') two 14-year-old girls (not 'years')

a four-week English course (not 'weeks') a three-page letter (not 'pages')

So we say:

* It was a three-hour journey. but The journey took three hours.

For the structure 'I've got three weeks' holiday', see Unit 80E.