What was the Great House for? Uncountable nouns such as evidence and information

Q: What are uncountable nouns?

Uncountable nouns are nouns with no plural that don't take a or an . Many name abstract things, such as evidence , information , research , knowledge , advice and progress ; others, like equipment , name a group of things. They go with some , much or a lot of : There is a lot of evidence of the canals. The B1 lesson What was the Great House for? on edio.ai teaches seven of them.

Q: Is it "evidence" or "evidences"?

It's evidence , with no -s , because evidence is uncountable in English. Say some evidence , a lot of evidence or a piece of evidence , never evidences or an evidence : There is a lot of evidence of the old canals. The same goes for research and knowledge . In What was the Great House for? on edio.ai, Riley calls evidence her favorite word.

Q: Is it "an information" or "some information"?

It's some information or a piece of information , never an information or informations . To ask politely, say Could I have some information about the Great House, please? In questions and negatives, any and much work too: We don't have much information about the builders. The chat in What was the Great House for? on edio.ai opens with exactly this request.

Q: How do you count uncountable nouns?

Use a piece of for one and pieces of for more : a piece of evidence , a piece of equipment , two pieces of advice . The -s goes on pieces , never on the noun, so two pieces of advices is wrong. Countable words with a close meaning help too: a tip is a piece of advice, and a fact is a piece of information. What was the Great House for? on edio.ai drills one and three in a table.

Q: Do uncountable nouns take a singular or plural verb?

Always a singular verb : The evidence shows… , The research shows that the walls are almost like concrete , This equipment is very heavy. So it's The research shows , not The research show , and this information , not these informations . A gap-fill in What was the Great House for? , a B1 lesson on edio.ai, asks for verbs such as is , comes and takes after these nouns.

Q: What is Casa Grande Ruins National Monument?

It's an Arizona desert site with a Great House of earth , next to the city of Coolidge; a different Arizona city is called Casa Grande. Ancestral Sonoran Desert people farmed this land with canals for more than a thousand years and finished the Great House about 1350. It is about four stories high, and it was no longer used around 1450. Since 1932, a big steel roof has protected its walls.

Q: What was the Great House at Casa Grande for?

Nobody knows for sure , and the builders left no written language. The National Park Service lists ideas, not answers: an observatory for the sun and moon, a place for ceremonies, the workplace of a leader who managed the canals or the home of an important family. One clue is a round hole in the west wall that lines up with the setting sun on the summer solstice. What was the Great House for? on edio.ai weighs that evidence.

Q: How do I teach uncountable nouns to B1 students?

Start from the mistakes learners already make , such as an information or two advices , and put them next to the right forms. Then give the nouns a real job: weighing evidence in a mystery, asking a ranger for information, giving advice. What was the Great House for? on edio.ai moves from a park's story page and Riley's talk with a ranger to the scheme and five drills.

Q: What's a good game for practicing uncountable nouns?

Play “pack the dig bag” : each student adds one thing to the bag for an archaeology dig, and the class checks the grammar: We need some equipment, two trowels, a bucket and a lot of water. The open boxes in What was the Great House for? on edio.ai turn it into a speaking round, with prompts such as You're going on a dig. What equipment do you need?

Q: What's good homework for uncountable nouns?

Good homework mixes choices with counting : a choice between some advice and an advice , gaps such as (two / advice) for two pieces of advice , and much or many in one-word gaps. All ten homework tasks in What was the Great House for? on edio.ai check themselves, ending with a research notice for a summer dig and Riley's answer to a listener.

This B1 ESL lesson plan teaches uncountable nouns such as evidence, information and advice through the mystery of the Great House at Casa Grande Ruins in Arizona.

Grammar: Evidence, information, research, knowledge, advice, progress and equipment: no -s, no a or an, a singular verb, and a piece of to count them (two pieces of advice).
Topic: The ancestral Sonoran Desert people, their canals and the Great House they finished about 1350, with words such as ruins, canal, purpose and artifact.
Activities: A park's story page, a ranger's talk with Riley and a student's voice message, self-checking drills, a chat with a ranger and open boxes.

What's inside

Chapter 1Warm-up: secrets in the sand
- PictureUnlock
- Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
- Study the words: digging into the pastVocabularyTry it
- Look at the pictures and choose the wordChoose by pictureUnlock
Chapter 2Read: a house of mud and mystery
- Look at the photo: the Great HousePictureUnlock
- Read the story page: what was the Great House for?ArticleUnlock
- Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Read again and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 3Listen: show me the evidence!
- Listen to Riley and TrevorListeningTry it
- Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
- Listen and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
- Listen to the Listener's Take: BradyListeningUnlock
- Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
- Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
Chapter 4Grammar: some evidence, a piece of advice
- Study the scheme: evidence, information, adviceGrammar schemeTry it
- Choose the correct optionChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: use the present simpleFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: a piece of, pieces ofFill in the tableTry it
- Drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
Chapter 5Let's talk: ask the ranger
- Choose the right replies: ask the rangerChatTry it
- Open a box and answer: evidence and adviceOpen the boxUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
- Unscramble the wordsAnagramUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with the lesson's wordsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: words and cluesMemory gameUnlock
- Choose the correct optionChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: a piece of or pieces ofFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the correct orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: one word in each gapDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the correct option: a research noticeChoose the optionUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: Riley's answer to BradyDrag and dropUnlock

Vocabulary

12 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+9 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

ruins
canal
purpose
solstice
concrete
national monument
artifact
trowel
mud

Grammar: uncountable abstract nouns

Some nouns that are countable in many languages are uncountable in English: evidence, information, research, knowledge, advice, progress and equipment. With the evidence about the Great House, learners drop the -s and the a, use a singular verb, pick some, much or a lot of, and count with a piece of.

Some evidence, a piece of advice

evidence, information, research, knowledge, advice, progress and equipment are uncountable: no -s, no a / an, and a singular verb.

Seven nouns with no plural

Evidence, information, research, knowledge, advice, progress and equipment have no plural and no a or an. Say some evidence, not evidences; some information, not an information; some advice, not advices: A dig needs a lot of equipment.

Seven uncountable nouns

Noun	Meaning	Example
evidence	facts or things that show something is true	There is a lot of evidence of the canals.
information	facts about something or someone	Trevor gave Riley some information.
research	careful study to find new facts	Research has not solved the mystery.
knowledge	everything someone has learned and understands	The builders' knowledge of soil was amazing.
advice	ideas from someone about what to do	Here's a piece of advice: bring water!
progress	moving forward, getting better	Brady's class made good progress.
equipment	the tools and things you need for a job	A dig needs a lot of equipment.

Say this, not that

✅ Say	❌ Don't say
some evidence, a lot of evidence	evidences, an evidence
some information, a piece of information	an information, many informations
The research shows…	The research show…
some research, a lot of research	a research, researches
some knowledge about pottery	a knowledge about pottery, knowledges
some advice, two pieces of advice	an advice, advices
a lot of equipment, some equipment	an equipment, equipments

Some, any, much and a lot of

Use some, any, much, a lot of or little with them: Is there any new evidence? Much, not many, goes with uncountable nouns: There isn't much written information. Little means “not much”: There is little information about why people left.

Words that go with them

Word	Example
some	We have some information about trade.
any	Is there any new evidence?
much (not many)	There isn't much written information.
a lot of	There's a lot of evidence of the canals.
little (= not much)	There is little information about why people left.
a piece of / pieces of	a piece of evidence, two pieces of advice

At the Great House

There is a lot of evidence of the old canals.
Trevor gave Riley some information about the Great House.
Research has not solved the mystery.
Here's a piece of advice: bring water!
Is there any new evidence?
Brady's class carried a lot of equipment to the dig.

A piece of, pieces of

To count them, use a piece of: a piece of evidence, a piece of information, a piece of equipment. For two or more, only piece takes the -s: two pieces of advice, not two advices or two pieces of advices.

Count them with a piece of

To count most of these nouns, use a piece of: a piece of evidence, a piece of information, a piece of advice, a piece of equipment. For two or more, the -s goes on pieces: two pieces of advice. Not: two advices. Not: two pieces of advices.

A singular verb, and countable look-alikes

The verb is singular: The evidence shows… Research takes time. Use this or that, not these: This information is new. Fact, clue, tip and tool are countable: a tip, two facts. A tip is a piece of advice.

A singular verb, this and much

The verb is singular: The evidence shows… Research takes time. Use this / that (not these / those) and much (not many): This information is new. How much equipment do we need?

Countable words with a similar meaning

These words are countable, so they can have a / an and -s: a fact, two facts; a clue, three clues; a tip, some tips; a tool, many tools; an idea, two ideas. A tip is a piece of advice. A fact is a piece of information.

Common mistakes

There are many evidences.
There is a lot of evidence.
no -s, a singular verb
Can I have an information?
Can I have some information?
no a / an: use some or a piece of
The research show it.
The research shows it.
uncountable = a singular verb
He gave me two advices.
He gave me two pieces of advice.
count with pieces of

More lessons on this grammar: Countable and uncountable nouns lessons and exercises

Try the uncountable nouns exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

What's in the lesson

18 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 article
1 grammar scheme
1 set of word cards
2 audio clips
2 pictures
2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

use evidence, information and research without -s or a: There is a lot of evidence of the canals, not many evidences
count them with a piece of and pieces of: a piece of advice, two pieces of evidence, never two advices
put a singular verb after them: The research shows… This information is new. The equipment for the class dig is in the truck.
ask for and give information and advice politely: Could I have some information about the Great House, please? Can you give me any advice?

Lesson 30 is the second lesson of Mysteries and lost worlds, unit 8 of English B1.1 · Stories That Travel. It takes the countable and uncountable food nouns of A2.1 lesson 9 into abstract words, with much from A2.1 lesson 25 and little from B1.1 lesson 21. Lesson 31 turns to how sure we are about the future. A building whose purpose nobody knows keeps evidence, information and research in every conversation.

Students spin a wheel of questions about ruins, deserts and checking facts, then learn twelve words, from gather and examine to trowel and mud, with pictures and audio. They read a park's story page on the Great House, then hear Riley ask Trevor, a park ranger, for evidence, and Brady, a 22-year-old archaeology student from Arizona, describe his first find on a dig, both AI-voiced. The grammar chapter has the scheme and five self-checking drills, among them a table of a piece of and pieces of. In the speaking chapter, the student visits the monument and asks Selena, another ranger, questions in a chat, then opens boxes about evidence and advice.

All ten homework tasks check themselves: a word match, an anagram, a gap-fill and a memory game for the words, then a choice of forms, gaps with a piece of or pieces of, word order, one word for each gap, a research notice that asks for volunteers and Riley's answer to Brady.

Grammar:: uncountable nouns · evidence, information, advice · a piece of · some / any / much / a lot of
Topic:: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument · Arizona · the Sonoran Desert · archaeology · mysteries · national monuments · Stories That Travel

Teaching tips

Start with a mistake hunt: write Can I have an information? and He gave me two advices on the board. Students fix both before the reading, then find the right forms in the story page.
Pass around one real object, such as a stone or an old coin, and ask whether it's evidence. Students answer with a piece of evidence and say what it could show, like Brady's pottery with red lines.
Play Riley's talk with Trevor twice: first for the clues about the Great House, then for the uncountable nouns. Students raise a hand at information, evidence, research and a piece of advice.
Turn advice into a class poster: each student writes one piece of advice for a hot day in the desert, starting Here's a piece of advice:, and the class counts them: We have twelve pieces of advice!

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The whole course: English B1.1 · Stories That Travel

32 lessons for adults at B1 in American English, each built around a true story. Riley, Jade and Darius make a podcast in Kansas City about true American stories, and each lesson tells one, from a seaplane airport in Alaska to the Marfa Lights of West Texas. Learners compare the present perfect with the past simple, use future forms, modals and quantifiers, and give their own opinions. The practice exercises check themselves.See the course

Unit 1 Travel smart
the present perfect vs the past simple, for and since, indirect questions, be used to and get used to
Unit 2 Dream jobs, new jobs
will have to and won't be allowed to, the present perfect continuous, simple vs continuous, would vs used to
Unit 3 Space and discovery
it's + adjective + to, What's it like to…?, future forms compared, future time clauses, too and enough + to
Unit 4 Life online
the more…, the more…, be supposed to, ought to and had better, let, make and allow
Unit 5 Screen and page
-ed and -ing adjectives, gradable and extreme adjectives, present tenses for a plot, articles for things in general
Unit 6 Green living
few and a few, little and a little, all, most, some and none, each and every, fewer and less
Unit 7 Sporting moments
could, was able to and managed to, for, during and while, present tenses for live commentary, question tags
Unit 8 Mysteries and lost worlds
both… and, either… or and neither… nor, uncountable nouns, how sure we are about the future, unless, as long as and in case
1. Lesson 29A calendar made of posts?Both… and, either… or, neither… nor
2. Lesson 30 · you're hereWhat was the Great House for?Uncountable abstract nouns
3. Lesson 31What does Newspaper Rock say?Certainty about the future
4. Lesson 32What are the Marfa Lights?Unless, as long as and in case

Questions about this lesson

What are uncountable nouns?

Uncountable nouns are nouns with no plural that don't take a or an. Many name abstract things, such as evidence, information, research, knowledge, advice and progress; others, like equipment, name a group of things. They go with some, much or a lot of: There is a lot of evidence of the canals. The B1 lesson What was the Great House for? on edio.ai teaches seven of them.

Is it "evidence" or "evidences"?

It's evidence, with no -s, because evidence is uncountable in English. Say some evidence, a lot of evidence or a piece of evidence, never evidences or an evidence: There is a lot of evidence of the old canals. The same goes for research and knowledge. In What was the Great House for? on edio.ai, Riley calls evidence her favorite word.

Is it "an information" or "some information"?

It's some information or a piece of information, never an information or informations. To ask politely, say Could I have some information about the Great House, please? In questions and negatives, any and much work too: We don't have much information about the builders. The chat in What was the Great House for? on edio.ai opens with exactly this request.

How do you count uncountable nouns?

Use a piece of for one and pieces of for more: a piece of evidence, a piece of equipment, two pieces of advice. The -s goes on pieces, never on the noun, so two pieces of advices is wrong. Countable words with a close meaning help too: a tip is a piece of advice, and a fact is a piece of information. What was the Great House for? on edio.ai drills one and three in a table.

Do uncountable nouns take a singular or plural verb?

Always a singular verb: The evidence shows…, The research shows that the walls are almost like concrete, This equipment is very heavy. So it's The research shows, not The research show, and this information, not these informations. A gap-fill in What was the Great House for?, a B1 lesson on edio.ai, asks for verbs such as is, comes and takes after these nouns.

What is Casa Grande Ruins National Monument?

It's an Arizona desert site with a Great House of earth, next to the city of Coolidge; a different Arizona city is called Casa Grande. Ancestral Sonoran Desert people farmed this land with canals for more than a thousand years and finished the Great House about 1350. It is about four stories high, and it was no longer used around 1450. Since 1932, a big steel roof has protected its walls.

What was the Great House at Casa Grande for?

Nobody knows for sure, and the builders left no written language. The National Park Service lists ideas, not answers: an observatory for the sun and moon, a place for ceremonies, the workplace of a leader who managed the canals or the home of an important family. One clue is a round hole in the west wall that lines up with the setting sun on the summer solstice. What was the Great House for? on edio.ai weighs that evidence.

How do I teach uncountable nouns to B1 students?

Start from the mistakes learners already make, such as an information or two advices, and put them next to the right forms. Then give the nouns a real job: weighing evidence in a mystery, asking a ranger for information, giving advice. What was the Great House for? on edio.ai moves from a park's story page and Riley's talk with a ranger to the scheme and five drills.

What's a good game for practicing uncountable nouns?

Play “pack the dig bag”: each student adds one thing to the bag for an archaeology dig, and the class checks the grammar: We need some equipment, two trowels, a bucket and a lot of water. The open boxes in What was the Great House for? on edio.ai turn it into a speaking round, with prompts such as You're going on a dig. What equipment do you need?

What's good homework for uncountable nouns?

Good homework mixes choices with counting: a choice between some advice and an advice, gaps such as (two / advice) for two pieces of advice, and much or many in one-word gaps. All ten homework tasks in What was the Great House for? on edio.ai check themselves, ending with a research notice for a summer dig and Riley's answer to a listener.

How do you practice uncountable nouns one-to-one?

Ask the student for real advice and information: Can you give me some advice about your city? Where can I get information about trains? Then switch roles. The chat in What was the Great House for? on edio.ai needs no partner: the student visits the monument, asks Selena, a park ranger, questions and picks replies such as Can you give me any advice?

Are there interactive exercises for uncountable nouns?

Yes: a fill-in table and a ranger chat, both self-marking. Without an account, this page plays three parts of What was the Great House for?, a B1 lesson on edio.ai: Riley's talk with the park ranger Trevor, a table of a piece of and pieces of for six nouns, and the chat with Selena at the monument. The rest of the lesson is locked.

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About this lesson

What's inside

Vocabulary

Grammar: uncountable abstract nouns

Seven nouns with no plural

Seven uncountable nouns

Say this, not that

Some, any, much and a lot of

Words that go with them

At the Great House

A piece of, pieces of

A singular verb, and countable look-alikes

Common mistakes

Try the uncountable nouns exercises

What's in the lesson

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

Teaching tips

Teach the whole lesson in edio

Start a free trial

Open the lesson

Teach it live or as homework

The whole course: English B1.1 · Stories That Travel

Unit 1 Travel smart

Unit 2 Dream jobs, new jobs

Unit 3 Space and discovery

Unit 4 Life online

Unit 5 Screen and page

Unit 6 Green living

Unit 7 Sporting moments

Unit 8 Mysteries and lost worlds

Questions about this lesson

Teach this lesson with your students