Countables and Uncountables
Intermediate level
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide a revision of the differences between countable and uncountable nouns, using quantity expressions
Subsidiary Aims
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Speaking; using quantity expressions to talk about eating habits
Procedure (36-54 minutes)
Teacher writes the following headings 'a/an' and 'some' on the WB. Teacher holds up flash cards and asks students to decide under which heading the item of the flashcard should go. (hamburger, apple, bread) Teacher asks students 'What if you are very hungry and you would like more?' (3 hamburgers, 3 apples, a lot of bread/plenty of bread) Teacher explains that hamburger and apple are uncountable and bread is uncountable; explaining that countable nouns take a/an and can be plural but uncountable nouns cannot. Teacher asks students to look at ex.1 in pairs and decide upon the answer. Teacher checks as wc
Teacher explains that countable nouns are the names of individual objects or items (books, apples) and that uncountable nouns are nouns that are words for a group or mass that cannot be seen as something individual (water, air) Teacher asks CCQ#1 Teacher explains that some nouns can be both countable and uncountable. For example: foods that you can divide and also in sentences made about liquids. Teacher asks students to answer ex2 in group of 4. ICQ#1 First to early finishers; teacher hands out pictures with the countable and uncountable forms of the words in ex.2 for students to pin up on WB under the heading countable or uncountable. (for example coffee beans under uncountable and a cup of coffee under countable). Teacher goes over words that should have been underlined. Teacher asks CCQ#2.
Teacher hands out teacher made HO. Teacher explains that there are other words to show the amount of a noun or the 'quantity'. We can also use these word groups to make uncountable nouns countable. Teacher goes over meaning of quantity expressions using a cline. Teacher goes over HO with students.
Teacher tells students to use handout to complete ex3. Teacher asks ICQ#2 Teacher asks students to work with a partner and take turns asking and answering questions in ex3. Teacher asks ICQ#3 Teacher takes up answers on WB
Teacher explains that to count uncountable nouns with numbers there are expressions we can use. These expressions are packages that we put them in to make them individual items. (For example: A box of chocolate, a glass of water, a can of sprite..) Teacher asks students to complete vocabulary ex1. Teacher asks students to check answers with partner. Teacher mingles to see if students have understood the task (if not teacher will explain the meaning of words in Column A) Teacher takes up answers as a WC Teacher asks them to work with a partner and add the words in the box to column b.
Teacher gives an example of how often they buy, consume/eat, and use three different items. (buy a bar of chocolate everyday, consume a bowl of cereal on most mornings, a few cups of coffee everyday) Teacher gives each a number from 1-6 to put them in groups to discuss giving three examples of what they buy, consume and use.