Grammar: Countable and uncountable nouns. Pronunciation tips: Long /i:/ and short /I/ sounds
AUDIO
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FULL TEXT
A Trip to New York City:
Anna and Leo are visiting New York City. They want to see a lot of landmarks. They have a map, some snacks, and a bottle of water. They don’t have any umbrellas, but the weather is sunny.
Their first stop is the Statue of Liberty. It is a famous monument that was given to the United States by France in 1886.
The statue stands on Liberty Island and is made of copper. It used to be the tallest structure in New York. Anna takes a photo of the statue.
Leo asks: How many tourists are here today?
Anna says: There are lots of tourists!
They climb some stairs to reach the top. It takes a lot of time, but the view is beautiful.
Next, they visit the Empire State Building. It opened in 1931 and was once the tallest building in the world. It has 102 floors and is made of steel and stone. They take an elevator to the top.
Leo asks: How much money do we need for tickets?
Anna says: Not much. We already bought some tickets online.
From the top, they see a lot of buildings and some rivers. Leo takes some pictures with his phone.
Then, they walk to Times Square. In the 1800s, it was a quiet area, but now it is full of lights, cars, and advertisements. It became famous for Broadway theaters and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Anna asks: Do you want some food?
Leo says: Yes, but I don’t want any soda.
They buy a sandwich and some fruit. They sit on a bench and watch the screens.
After lunch, they go to Central Park. It opened in 1858 and used to be farmland. Now, it is a large green space in the middle of the city. There are a lot of trees, some lakes, and many birds.
Leo asks: How many benches are in the park?
Anna says: I don’t know, but there are a lot of them!
They walk for a while and enjoy some quiet time.
Finally, they visit Brooklyn Bridge. It opened in 1883 and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at that time. It connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. People used to walk across just to admire the view.
Leo asks: How many cars cross this bridge every day?
Anna says: I think there are lots of cars and some trucks.
The view of the city is amazing.
At the end of the day, Anna and Leo are tired, but happy. They saw a lot of landmarks, ate some good food, and took many pictures. New York City has a lot of history and lots of energy, and they want to come back again.
GRAMMAR TEST
NEW WORDS
Monument. Structure. Suspension bridge. Farmland. Skyline. Advertisement. Carriage. Copper. Elevator. Destroy. Admire. Symbol. Version. Screen. Bench. Inspire. Ticket.
Monument
Structure
Suspension bridge
Farmland
Skyline
Advertisement
Celebration
Elevator
Destroy
Admire
Symbol
Soda
TEST YOUR VOCABLARY – Find the image
Advertisement. Elevator. Farmland. Skyline. Celebration. Soda. Landmark. Monument. Structure. Suspension bridge.
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TEST YOUR VOCABLARY – Fill in the blanks
A Trip to New York City:
Anna and Leo are visiting New York City. They want to see a lot of landmarks. They have a map, some snacks, and a bottle of water. They don’t have any umbrellas, but the weather is sunny.
Their first stop is the Statue of Liberty. It is a famous monument that was given to the United States by France in 1886. The statue stands on Liberty Island and is made of copper. It used to be the tallest structure in New York. Anna takes a photo of the statue. Leo asks, “How many tourists are here today?” Anna says, “There are lots of tourists!” They climb some stairs to reach the top. It takes a lot of time, but the view is beautiful.
Next, they visit the Empire State Building. It opened in 1931 and was once the tallest building in the world. It has 102 floors and is made of steel and stone. They take an elevator to the top. Leo asks, “How much money do we need for tickets?” Anna says, “Not much. We already bought some tickets online.” From the top, they see a lot of buildings and some rivers. Leo takes some pictures with his phone.
Then, they walk to Times Square. In the 1800s, it was a quiet area, but now it is full of lights, cars, and advertisements. It became famous for Broadway theaters and New Year’s Eve celebrations. Anna asks, “Do you want some food?” Leo says, “Yes, but I don’t want any soda.” They buy a sandwich and some fruit. They sit on a bench and watch the screens.
After lunch, they go to Central Park. It opened in 1858 and used to be farmland. Now, it is a large green space in the middle of the city. There are a lot of trees, some lakes, and many birds. Leo asks, “How many benches are in the park?” Anna says, “I don’t know, but there are a lot of them!” They walk for a while and enjoy some quiet time.
Finally, they visit Brooklyn Bridge. It opened in 1883 and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at that time. It connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. People used to walk across just to admire the view. Leo asks, “How many cars cross this bridge every day?” Anna says, “I think there are lots of cars and some trucks.” The view of the city is amazing.
At the end of the day, Anna and Leo are tired, but happy. They saw a lot of landmarks, ate some good food, and took many pictures. New York City has a lot of history and lots of energy, and they want to come back again.
TEST YOUR LISTENING SKILLS – ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW
Use desktop mode on mobile devices
ANSWERS (Hover your mouse – tap & hold then hit the “back” navigation arrow on phones- to reveal the answers).
1. France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States
2. The Empire State Building was once the tallest building in the world.
3. Times Square is famous for theaters and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
4. Central Park is a large green space in the middle of the city.
GRAMMAR
Countable and uncountable nouns
COUNTABLE NOUNS:
These are nouns you can count individually. They have both singular and plural forms.
Rules:
Use a/an with singular countable nouns:
a book, an apple
Use numbers and plural forms:
three dogs, five chairs
Use many, few, a few to describe quantity:
many cars, few options.
Examples:
Singular: a cat, an idea
Plural: two cats, several ideas.
UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS:
These refer to things that cannot be counted individually—often substances, concepts, or abstract ideas.
Rules:
No plural form:
You don’t say “waters” or “furnitures” (unless in specific contexts).
Use some, much, little, a little to describe quantity:
some water, much information.
Don’t use a/an directly:
❌ a rice → ✅ a bowl of rice.
Examples:
Substances: milk, sugar, air
Abstract ideas: advice, knowledge, happiness
Mixed Use Nouns
Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable depending on context:
| Noun | Countable Use | Uncountable Use |
|---|---|---|
| Hair | a hair on your shirt | She has long hair |
| Paper | a paper = a newspaper/article | I need some paper to write |
| Light | a light = a lamp | There’s not much light |
GRAMMAR TEST
Hover over the blank space (tap & hold then hit the “back” navigation arrow on phones) to reveal the answer
FILL IN THE BLANKS
A Trip to New York City:
Anna and Leo are visiting New York City. They want to see a lot of landmarks. They have a map, some snacks, and a bottle of water. They don’t have any umbrellas, but the weather is sunny.
Their first stop is the Statue of Liberty. It is a famous monument that was given to the United States by France in 1886. The statue stands on Liberty Island and is made of copper. It used to be the tallest structure in New York. Anna takes a photo of the statue. Leo asks, “How many tourists are here today?” Anna says, “There are lots of tourists!” They climb some stairs to reach the top. It takes a lot of time, but the view is beautiful.
Next, they visit the Empire State Building. It opened in 1931 and was once the tallest building in the world. It has 102 floors and is made of steel and stone. They take an elevator to the top. Leo asks, “How much money do we need for tickets?” Anna says, “Not much. We already bought some tickets online.” From the top, they see a lot of buildings and some rivers. Leo takes some pictures with his phone.
Then, they walk to Times Square. In the 1800s, it was a quiet area, but now it is full of lights, cars, and advertisements. It became famous for Broadway theaters and New Year’s Eve celebrations. Anna asks, “Do you want some food?” Leo says, “Yes, but I don’t want any soda.” They buy a sandwich and some fruit. They sit on a bench and watch the screens.
After lunch, they go to Central Park. It opened in 1858 and used to be farmland. Now, it is a large green space in the middle of the city. There are a lot of trees, some lakes, and many birds. Leo asks, “How many benches are in the park?” Anna says, “I don’t know, but there are a lot of them!” They walk for a while and enjoy some quiet time.
Finally, they visit Brooklyn Bridge. It opened in 1883 and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at that time. It connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. People used to walk across just to admire the view. Leo asks, “How many cars cross this bridge every day?” Anna says, “I think there are lots of cars and some trucks.” The view of the city is amazing.
At the end of the day, Anna and Leo are tired, but happy. They saw a lot of landmarks, ate some good food, and took many pictures. New York City has a lot of history and lots of energy, and they want to come back again.
PRONUNCIATION TIPS
How to pronounce the “i” sound.
SIGHTSEEING
VIDEO LINKS
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