TOEFL EXERCISE ON NOUN

EXERCISE ‘NOUN’ FOR TOEFL

1.        The understanding (a) electricity (b) depends (c) on a knowledge of atoms and the subatomic particles of which they are composed (d).

2.        The U.S. Postal Service delivers more (a) mails (b) in one day than (c) Federal Express does (d) in one year.

3.        The two main _________ are permanent magnets and electromagnets.

a.       kind of magnets                      c.   kind of magnets

b.      kinds magnets                         d.   Kind magnets

4.        When water is frozen, it becomes ___ .

a.       ice                                           c.   the ice

b.      ices                                         d.   an ice

5.        _______ can live to be more than fifteen years old.

a.       That it is the dog                     c.   Dogs that

b.      That dogs                                d.   Dogs

6.        One of the most (a) distinctive plant (b)found (c) in the desert is the (d)Saguaro cactus.

7.        ln the fall, most trees lose _______ which have, by then, turned from green to gold and orange.

a.       their leaf                                 c.   the leaf

b.      their leaves                             d.   the leafs

8.        Doctors have concluded that in addition to regular exercise, a diet rich in ____ is good for the heart.

a.       fruits and vegetables               c.   the fruits and vegetables

b.      a fruit and vegetables              d.   fruit and vegetables

9.        A thunder(a) usually(b) follows lightning by five seconds for every mile(c) between(d) the flash and the observer.

10.    Canada stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and covers _______of almost four million square miles.

a.       area                                         c.   the area

b.      the area                                   d.   area

11.    During the early nineteenth century, ____ were hunted for their pelts.

a.       a beaver                                  c.   the beaver

b.      beavers                                   d.   the beavers

12.    The stories (a) of Dr. Seuss have been enjoyed (b)by millions (c)of childrens (d).

13.    Collections (a) of the simple and functional Shaker furniture(b) can be seen (c) in museum (d) throughout the United States.

14.    The decathlon is a two-day (a) athletic competition (b) which (c) consists of ten types (d) track and field events.

15.    _______designs on a wall, also called graffiti, has become associated with gang activity in many neighbourhoods.

a.       Spraying of                             c.   Spray the

b.      The spraying of                      d.   Sprays

16.    ________ by the author John Grisham are frequently on the best seller list.

a.       The novel                               c. A novel

b.      Novels                                                d. Some novel

17.    _______ have made communication faster and easier through the use e-mail and the internet is widely recognized.

a.       It is that computers                 c. Computers that

b.      That is is computers                d. That computers

18.    Provide (a) pensions (b) for retired persons is(c) the primary function(d) of the social security system.

19.    New equipments(a) for medical diagnosis have made(b) many formerly(c) unpleasant procedures(d) quite painless.

20.    Termites can do _____ to the wood in homes before they are detected.

a.       an extensive damage               c. the extensive damage

b.      extensive damages                  d. extensive damage

ANSWER KEY

1.        (A) Either an -ing form or an infinitive may be used as the subject of a sentence. The understanding should be Understanding or To understand. "The understanding of electricity" would also be correct

2.        (B) Singular and plural expressions of non-count nouns such as mail occur in idiomatic phrases, often piece or pieces of Mails should be pieces of mail.

3.        (A) Kinds of is used before the plural count noun magnets to express classification. Kind in Choices (B) and (C) is used before a singular count noun or a non-count noun, not a plural count noun. In Choice (D), the preposition of does not follow kinds.

4.        (A) Ice is a non-count noun because it is a natural substance that can change shape according to natural laws. Choices (B) and (D) are not non-count nouns. Choice (C) implies specific ice, but is incomplete without a qualifying phrase.

5.        (D) No article before a plural count noun such as dogs has the same meaning as all dogs. Choice (A) is redundant and incorrect. That in Choice (B) introduces a subject clause before a main verb, but only the subject follows, that dogs can Live to be more than fifteen years old. Choice (C) also provides a subject clause with no main verb.

6.        (B) Plant should be plants to imply one of many.

7.        (B) The plural of leaf is leaves. Choices (A), (C), and (D) do not provide the correct plural noun.

8.        (D) Fruit is usually a non-count noun, and vegetables is a count noun. In Choices (A) and (B), vegetable is used as a non-count, not a count, noun. The in Choice (C) implies specific fruit and vegetables, but there is no qualifying phrase.

9.        (A) Singular and plural expressions of non-count nouns such as thunder occur in idiomatic phrases. Thunder should be a clap of thunder to mean one, or thunder to mean all thunder.

10.    (B) The determiner an is used before singular count nouns that begin with a vowel sound such as a in area. The determiner a in Choice (A) is used before singular count nouns that begin with consonant sounds, not vowel sounds. The in Choice (C) is incomplete without a specific qualifying phrase. Choice (D) requires a determiner because it is a count noun.

11.    (B) No article before a plural count noun such as beavers has the same meaning as all beavers. Choices (A) and (C) do not agree with the plural verb were in the sentence. That in Choice (D) introduces a subject clause for a main verb, but only the subject follows, that beavers were hunted for their pelts.

12.    (D) The noun children is the irregular plural form of child. Childrens should be children.

13.    (D) It is logical to assume that there is more than one museum throughout the United States. Museum should be museums.

14.    (D) Types of is used before plural count nouns to express classification. Ten types should be ten types of.

15.    (B) An -ing form such as spraying may be used as a noun. The precedes the noun when a prepositional phrase such as of designs on a wall qualify the noun. Choice (A) is incomplete without the. Choices (C) and (D) are not -ing forms.

16.    (B) No article before a plural count noun such as novels has the same meaning as all novels. The singular noun novel in Choices (A), (C), and (D) does not agree with the verb are in the sentence.

17.    (D) The noun clause that computers have made communications faster and easier through the use ofe-mail and the Internet is a very long subject of the main verb is. Choices (A), (B), and (C) cannot function as the subject of the main verb.

18.    (A) Either an infinitive or an -ing form can be used as the subject of a sentence. Provide should be to provide or providing.

19.    (A) Singular and plural expressions of non-count nouns such as equipment occur in idiomatic phrases, often piece or pieces of Equipments should be pieces of equipment.

20.    (D) Although damage is a count noun in many other languages, damage is a non-count noun in English. The article a in Choice (A) and the plural -s ending in Choice (B) are forms that are correct for singular and plural, but not for non-count nouns. Choice (C) implies specific damage, but is incomplete without a qualifying phrase.