B1 · Lesson 15: Countable/Uncountable & Passive Voice

Vocabulary: Quantities, Materials & Abstract Nouns

B1 Focus: These words appear throughout the lesson. Pay attention to whether each noun is countable or uncountable — this determines which quantifiers and articles you use with it.

Uncountable Nouns — Abstract (Неизброими — абстрактни)

Advice/ədˈvaɪs/Съвет / съвети

Information/ˌɪn.fəˈmeɪ.ʃən/Информация

Knowledge/ˈnɒl.ɪdʒ/Знание / знания

Progress/ˈprəʊ.ɡres/Напредък

Research/rɪˈsɜːtʃ/Проучване / изследване

Evidence/ˈev.ɪ.dəns/Доказателство / доказателства

Luck/lʌk/Късмет

Time/taɪm/Време (като ресурс)

Uncountable Nouns — Mass (Неизброими — маса/вещество)

Furniture/ˈfɜː.nɪ.tʃər/Мебели

Equipment/ɪˈkwɪp.mənt/Оборудване

Luggage/ˈlʌɡ.ɪdʒ/Багаж

Homework/ˈhəʊm.wɜːk/Домашна работа

News/njuːz/Новини (ед.ч.!)

Traffic/ˈtræf.ɪk/Трафик / движение

Passive Voice — Key Verbs (Важни глаголи за пасив)

Build / Built/bɪlt/Строи / построен

Discover / Discovered/dɪˈskʌv.əd/Открива / открит

Invent / Invented/ɪnˈvent.ɪd/Изобретява / изобретен

Publish / Published/ˈpʌb.lɪʃt/Публикува / публикуван

Deliver / Delivered/dɪˈlɪv.əd/Доставя / доставен

Repair / Repaired/rɪˈpeəd/Ремонтира / ремонтиран

Elect / Elected/ɪˈlekt.ɪd/Избира / избран

Arrest / Arrested/əˈrest.ɪd/Арестува / арестуван

Quantifiers (Количествени думи) B2 Level Up

A great deal of/ə ɡreɪt diːl əv/Голямо количество от (неизброимо)

A number of/ə ˈnʌm.bər əv/Редица от (изброимо)

Plenty of/ˈplen.ti əv/Много / достатъчно от (двете)

Grammar Lab: Countable/Uncountable & Passive Voice

Key concept: In Bulgarian every noun can be treated as countable or uncountable depending on context, and quantifiers are fairly flexible. In English the countable/uncountable distinction is fixed per noun and strictly determines which quantifiers and verb forms are grammatical.

1. Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

Every English noun belongs permanently to one of two categories. This is not a choice you make — it is a property of the noun itself, like gender in Bulgarian. The category determines the article you use, the quantifier you choose, whether the noun takes a plural form, and what verb form it requires.

Countable nouns

Can be singular or plural: a chair → three chairs
Can take a / an in the singular: an idea, a mistake
Can be preceded by a number: two reports, five bottles
Use quantifiers: many, few, a few, several, a number of
Examples: chair, student, city, problem, idea, mistake, bottle, report, suggestion, country, film

Uncountable nouns

Have no plural form — never add -s
Never take a / an directly
Cannot be preceded by a number directly
Always take a singular verb
Use quantifiers: much, little, a little, a great deal of, some
Examples: advice, information, knowledge, furniture, equipment, luggage, homework, traffic, news, progress, research, evidence, luck, time, money, water, bread

The Bulgarian learner problem:
Bulgarian treats many of these words as countable plurals — мебели, новини, съвети, знания — and uses plural verb forms with them. In English this produces serious grammatical errors. The most common traps are:

✗ The news are bad today.
✗ She gave me an advice.
✗ He has many homeworks.
✗ We bought a new furnitures.
✗ The informations are wrong.
All of these come directly from Bulgarian grammar patterns.

✓ The news is bad today.
✓ She gave me some advice.
✓ He has much homework.
✓ We bought some new furniture.
✓ The information is wrong.
Uncountable nouns: singular verb, no a/an, no plural -s.

How to express a single unit of an uncountable noun:
You cannot say an advice, but you can use a countable unit phrase in front of the uncountable noun. The verb then agrees with the unit, not with the uncountable noun.

Uncountable noun	Unit phrase (countable)	Example
advice	a piece of	She gave me a piece of advice.
information	a piece of	I need a piece of information.
furniture	an item / a piece of	We bought an item of furniture.
news	a piece of	He told me a piece of news.
luggage	a piece / an item of	She lost a piece of luggage.
research	a piece of	They published a piece of research.
progress	a great deal of	We've made a great deal of progress.

📝 Easy: Countable (C) or Uncountable (U)? Type C or U.

1. She gave me a useful piece of advice. → advice is ___

2. We need three new chairs for the office. → chairs is ___

3. All the furniture in the room was old. → furniture is ___

4. He brought two suitcases but very little luggage. → suitcases: ___ / luggage: ___

5. The news was shocking. → news is ___

🎯 Hard: Correct the Error. Each sentence has one mistake related to countability. Rewrite only the incorrect word or phrase.

1. He gave me an advice about the interview. → correct:

2. She has many homeworks to finish tonight. → correct:

3. The informations on the website are outdated. → correct:

4. We need a new furnitures for the living room. → correct:

5. The news are very bad today. → correct:

2. Quantifiers: Much, Many, Little, Few, A little, A few

A quantifier tells us how much or how many of something there is. In English, your choice of quantifier is not optional — it is determined by whether the noun is countable or uncountable. Using much with a countable noun, or many with an uncountable noun, is a grammatical error, not a stylistic choice.

With COUNTABLE plurals only

Many — a large number. Used mainly in questions and negative sentences: "How many chairs?" / "not many students". In positive statements prefer a lot of: "a lot of people came".
Few — not enough; the speaker is disappointed or worried. "Few people attended — it was a failure."
A few — some; enough. The speaker is satisfied or neutral. "A few people attended — better than nothing."

With UNCOUNTABLE nouns only

Much — a large amount. Used mainly in questions and negatives: "How much time?" / "not much money". In positive statements prefer a lot of: "a lot of effort went into this".
Little — not enough; negative feeling. "There is little hope — the situation is very bad."
A little — some; enough. Positive or neutral. "There is a little hope — we shouldn't give up yet."

With BOTH (countable & uncountable)

A lot of / Lots of — informal, positive statements: "a lot of chairs" / "a lot of water"
Some — positive or requests: "some advice" / "some ideas"
Any — questions and negatives: "any questions?" / "any information?"
Plenty of — more than enough, always positive: "plenty of time" / "plenty of seats"

The critical contrast — little vs. a little and few vs. a few:
The single word a completely reverses the meaning. Without a, the message is negative: not enough, disappointing. With a, the message is positive: some, sufficient.

✓ "I have a little money."
→ Some money. Enough for a coffee. I'm fine.

✓ "A few students passed."
→ Some passed. At least that's something. Positive.

⚠ "I have little money."
→ Almost none. I'm nearly broke. Negative.

⚠ "Few students passed."
→ Almost none passed. It was a bad result. Negative.

Quantifier	Use with…	Meaning / register	Natural example
Many	Countable plural	Large number — mainly ? and ✗	There aren't many seats left.
Much	Uncountable	Large amount — mainly ? and ✗	There isn't much time.
Few	Countable plural	Not enough — negative, pessimistic	Few people came. It was a disappointment.
A few	Countable plural	Some — positive, sufficient	A few people came. Better than nothing.
Little	Uncountable	Not enough — negative, pessimistic	There is little evidence. The case is weak.
A little	Uncountable	Some — positive, sufficient	There is a little evidence. Worth looking into.
A lot of	Both	Large quantity — positive statements	A lot of people / a lot of money.

📝 Easy: much or many? Choose the correct option.

1. How ___ students are in the class?

2. There isn't ___ traffic on this road at weekends.

3. She doesn't have ___ experience in marketing.

4. How ___ pieces of luggage are you taking?

5. I don't need ___ furniture for a studio flat.

🎯 Hard: little / a little / few / a few. Read the context carefully — the feeling in the sentence tells you which one is correct.

1. He has ___ friends in the city — he only knows his neighbour. (almost nobody; he is lonely)

2. She has ___ money left — enough to buy lunch, so that's fine. (some; no problem)

3. There is ___ hope of a recovery — the doctors are very pessimistic. (almost none; negative outlook)

4. I have ___ suggestions for the project — shall I share them? (some ideas to offer; positive)

5. The report contains ___ evidence — the conclusion is very weakly supported. (not enough; problem)

3. Passive Voice: Why We Use It & How to Form It

In an active sentence the subject is the person or thing doing the action: "The manager signed the contract." In a passive sentence, the focus shifts to the thing being acted upon — the original object becomes the new subject: "The contract was signed."

When to use the passive

Doer is unknown: "My phone was stolen." (We don't know who.)
Doer is unimportant: "The office is cleaned every night." (Who does it doesn't matter.)
Doer is obvious: "He was arrested." (Obviously by the police.)
Formal / academic writing: "The data were collected and analysed."
Avoiding personal blame: "A mistake was made." (instead of "I made a mistake.")
Topic focus: When the object is the topic of your paragraph, make it the subject.

The Bulgarian се problem

Bulgarian uses the reflexive particle се for passive meaning: "Пишат се писма" — literally "Letters write themselves."
In English this structure cannot exist. You must always use to be + past participle.
✗ "The house builds now."
✗ "Letters write."
✓ "The house is being built now."
✓ "Letters are written."

The formula:
Subject + to be (correct tense) + Past Participle (V3)

How to transform step by step:
1. Take the object of the active sentence — it becomes the new subject.
2. Change to be to match the original tense and the new subject.
3. Add the past participle (V3) of the main verb.
4. If needed, add by + agent at the end.

Active: "The manager signed the contract yesterday."
→ Object: "the contract" → becomes new subject
→ Tense: past simple → was
→ V3: signed
→ Passive: "The contract was signed (by the manager) yesterday."

Tense	Active	Passive	Formula
Present Simple	They clean the office.	The office is cleaned.	is/are + V3
Past Simple	They cleaned the office.	The office was cleaned.	was/were + V3
Present Continuous	They are cleaning.	The office is being cleaned.	is/are being + V3
Past Continuous	They were cleaning.	The office was being cleaned.	was/were being + V3
Present Perfect	They have cleaned.	The office has been cleaned.	has/have been + V3
Past Perfect	They had cleaned.	The office had been cleaned.	had been + V3
Future (will)	They will clean.	The office will be cleaned.	will be + V3
Modal	They must clean.	The office must be cleaned.	modal + be + V3

📝 Easy: Active (A) or Passive (P)?

1. The letter was written by the manager. ___

2. She was reading a book when I arrived. ___

3. The windows have been cleaned. ___

4. They are repairing the road. ___

5. The results will be announced tomorrow. ___

🎯 Hard: Write the passive verb phrase only (e.g. are delivered, was being built). Keep the same tense as the underlined verb.

1. They deliver the parcels every morning. → The parcels ___

2. The police arrested two suspects. → Two suspects ___

3. They are building a new bridge. → A new bridge ___

4. The committee has approved the proposal. → The proposal ___

5. Someone must repair this machine. → This machine ___

4. Subject–Verb Agreement in Passive Structures

When you form a passive sentence, the verb to be must agree with the new subject — the original object. This is where uncountable nouns create serious errors. Bulgarian learners see words like furniture, information, equipment — which feel plural in Bulgarian — and instinctively use a plural verb. In English, these are always grammatically singular.

The rule is simple:

Uncountable subject → SINGULAR verb

✗ The information were sent.
✓ The information was sent.
✗ The equipment are being tested.
✓ The equipment is being tested.
✗ The furniture have been damaged.
✓ The furniture has been damaged.

Plural countable subject → PLURAL verb

✓ The letters were posted.
✓ The parcels have been delivered.
✓ The rooms are cleaned daily.
✓ Three suspects were arrested.

Unit + uncountable → agree with the UNIT

✓ Two bottles of water were bought. (agree with "bottles" — countable)
✓ A piece of advice was given.
✓ Several items of furniture were damaged.

📝 Easy: Choose is/are or was/were.

1. The furniture ___ damaged during the move. (past)

2. The parcels ___ delivered this morning. (past)

3. All the equipment ___ tested before use. (present)

4. The windows ___ cleaned every week. (present)

5. The news ___ broadcast at six o'clock. (present)

🎯 Hard: Correct the agreement error. Write the correct word only.

1. The information were not included in the report. → correct verb:

2. The letters was sent by first class post. → correct verb:

3. All the luggage were checked at the border. → correct verb:

4. Several new computers has been installed. → correct verb:

5. The homework are usually collected on Fridays. → correct verb:

5. Passive with Agent: "by + agent"

Once you have formed a passive sentence, you can mention who or what performed the action by adding by + agent at the end. However, in natural English the agent is only included when it provides information that is meaningful and non-obvious. Adding by someone or by people or by the authorities when it adds nothing is a sign of unnatural English.

✓ Include the agent when it adds real value

Famous or surprising doer: "Hamlet was written by Shakespeare." — Without the agent, we lose the most important fact.
Unexpected doer: "The window was broken by a bird." — Worth mentioning.
The doer is the focus: "She was awarded the prize by the President." — The presenter matters here.
Formal contrast or attribution: "The policy was approved by Parliament, not the cabinet."

✗ Omit the agent when it adds nothing

Doer is unknown: "My bike was stolen." — We don't know who. Saying "by someone" is pointless.
Doer is obvious: "He was arrested." — Clearly by the police. No need to say it.
Doer is people in general: "English is spoken here." — Not "by people".
Doer is unimportant: "The report has been submitted." — Focus is on the report, not who submitted it.

Grammar note — by vs. with:
By introduces the agent — the person or thing that performed the action.
With introduces the instrument — the tool used to perform it.
"The contract was signed by the manager with a fountain pen."

📝 Easy: Write the full passive sentence with the agent shown in brackets.

1. The Eiffel Tower was built. [Gustave Eiffel] →

2. The report was written. [the research team] →

3. Penicillin was discovered. [Alexander Fleming] →

4. The prize was awarded. [the committee] →

5. The painting was stolen. [an unknown thief] →

🎯 Hard: Include or Omit? Decide whether the agent in brackets should be included or omitted in natural English.

1. "My car was stolen [by someone unknown]." → Agent:

2. "The play was written [by Shakespeare]." → Agent:

3. "The rubbish is collected every Tuesday [by council workers — obvious]." → Agent:

4. "The gold medal was presented [by the President of the IOC]." → Agent:

5. "This product has been tested [by the company that makes it — unimportant]." → Agent:

Instructions: Rewrite each active sentence in the passive voice. Keep the same tense. Include the agent only when shown in brackets. Type the full passive sentence.

Exercise 1 — Present Simple & Past Simple

✏️ Rewrite in the passive. Keep the tense.

1. The cleaner cleans the offices every morning.

2. The council collects the rubbish on Wednesdays.

3. They sell fresh bread at that bakery.

4. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. [by Shakespeare]

5. The police arrested three men last night.

6. A famous architect designed this building. [by a famous architect]

7. They grow coffee in Colombia.

8. Someone stole my wallet on the bus.

9. The government announces the results every year.

10. They elected a new president last month.

Exercise 2 — Present Continuous & Past Continuous

✏️ Rewrite in the passive. Keep the continuous tense.

1. Workers are repairing the road outside.

2. They are interviewing candidates all afternoon.

3. The chef is preparing a special dish.

4. They were building a new library when the earthquake struck.

5. The nurse was monitoring the patient's blood pressure all night.

6. They are testing the new software right now.

7. The technicians were installing new equipment when the power cut occurred.

8. Someone is watching this camera feed at all times.

9. They were investigating the complaint when he resigned.

10. The doctor is examining the X-rays now.

Exercise 3 — Present Perfect & Past Perfect

✏️ Rewrite in the passive. Keep the perfect tense.

1. They have already published the report.

2. Someone has broken the window in the hall.

3. The committee has approved all three proposals.

4. They had completed the project before the deadline.

5. Someone had already eaten all the food by the time we arrived.

6. The scientists have discovered a new species.

7. They had warned the residents before the flood.

8. The court has convicted two of the defendants.

9. Nobody had repaired the boiler before the winter set in.

10. They have recently updated the company's website.

Exercise 4 — Future (will) & Modal

✏️ Rewrite in the passive. Keep the future or modal.

1. They will announce the winner tomorrow.

2. Someone must fix the broken pipe immediately.

3. You should submit all forms by Friday.

4. They will deliver the package next week.

5. Doctors can treat this condition with antibiotics.

6. They will open the new station in spring.

7. You must not photograph the exhibits.

8. People can recycle most plastics at the local centre.

9. They will replace all the old streetlights next month.

10. You should not use your phone during the exam.

Exercise 5 — Mixed Tenses

✏️ Mixed exercise. Decide the tense from context, then write the full passive sentence.

1. They invented the telephone in the 19th century.

2. The company is currently reviewing all applications.

3. They had already signed the contract before the meeting.

4. Someone will repair the roof next week.

5. The teacher marks the tests every Friday.

6. They were filming a documentary in the village when we arrived.

7. The hospital has admitted over two hundred patients this week.

8. You must complete this form in black ink.

9. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928. [by Alexander Fleming]

10. They have not yet resolved the dispute between the two companies.

Cloze Text: Quantifiers & Passive Voice

Instructions: Choose the correct word or phrase from each drop-down menu. There are 6–7 options per gap, and they are randomised each time you load the page.

Key Word Transformation

Instructions: Read the first sentence. Then finish the second sentence so that it means the same. The start of the second sentence is already written — you complete it. Use the key word shown in orange. Do not change the key word. Use 2–5 words in total for the completion.

Exercises

Tense Writing

Instructions: Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. Read the full sentence carefully — the context is your only guide. A hint in square brackets is only given when two or more tenses are genuinely possible, and tells you what the sentence means, not what tense to use.

Tense Reference

Tense	Typical context signals	Active	Passive equivalent
Present Simple	always, every day, generally, facts	They deliver it daily.	It is delivered daily.
Present Continuous	right now, at this moment, currently, look!	They are fixing it.	It is being fixed.
Past Simple	yesterday, last year, in 1990, specific finished time	They built it in 1990.	It was built in 1990.
Past Continuous	when (past), at that moment, while, all night	They were repairing it.	It was being repaired.
Present Perfect	just, already, yet, recently, ever/never, since, for (up to now)	They have fixed it.	It has been fixed.
Past Perfect	by the time, before (past ref.), already (in past narrative)	They had repaired it.	It had been repaired.
Future (will)	tomorrow, next week, soon, I think/believe/expect	They will announce it.	It will be announced.
Modals	must, can, should, may followed by base verb	They must complete it.	It must be completed.

📝 Exercise 1 (1–10)

1. She ___ (study) medicine at university. She has lectures every day and exams next month.

2. Water ___ (boil) at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level.

3. He ___ (not / finish) his homework yet — I can hear him typing upstairs.

4. By the time the ambulance arrived, the patient ___ (lose) consciousness.

5. She ___ (work) as a nurse since she graduated — that was three years ago.

6. He ___ (read) the report when the phone rang and he had to stop.

7. I ___ (never / visit) that museum, but I really want to go one day.

8. They ___ (already / send) the invoice before the client called to complain.

9. Look out of the window — it ___ (snow) heavily and the roads will be dangerous.

10. The company ___ (lose) a significant amount of money in that deal two years ago.

📝 Exercise 2 (11–20) — Passive forms

1. The Eiffel Tower ___ (build) between 1887 and 1889 for the World's Fair.

2. The results ___ (announce) on Friday — the whole team is waiting nervously.

3. The offices ___ (clean) every night — the first employees find them spotless each morning.

4. A new hospital ___ (build) on the outskirts of town. The cranes are visible from the motorway.

5. The report ___ (submit) well before the deadline — they were ahead of schedule the whole time.

6. The package ___ (deliver) this afternoon while I was out — there is a note on the door.

7. The bridge ___ (repair) when the lorry tried to cross — they should have closed the road.

8. All tickets ___ (already / sell) by the time she reached the box office.

9. The new policy ___ (just / approve) by the board — the email arrived five minutes ago.

10. This form ___ (complete) in black ink — any other colour will be rejected.

🎯 Exercise 3 (21–30) — Mixed: Active & Passive

1. She ___ (not / hear) from him since he left the company — nobody knows where he is.

2. The new software ___ (test) by the IT department right now — they will report back tomorrow.

3. They ___ (discuss) the proposal when the manager walked in unexpectedly.

4. By the time the ambulance arrived, the injured man ___ (already / take) to hospital by a passing driver.

5. The suspect ___ (arrest) at the airport this morning after a tip-off from customs.

6. She ___ (prepare) her speech for two days before she finally felt confident enough to deliver it.

7. The results ___ (not / publish) yet — the lab still needs to confirm the findings.

8. Doctors ___ (recommend) at least thirty minutes of exercise a day for adults of all ages.

9. The old town hall ___ (demolish) next year to make way for a new development — the council voted last week.

10. He ___ (work) for that firm for eleven years when he was made redundant without any warning.

🎯 Exercise 4 (31–40) — Quantifiers & Passive Mixed

1a. ___ water ___ (waste) in the manufacturing process every day — the figures are alarming. Write the correct quantifier for "water":

1b. Much water ___ (waste) in the manufacturing process every day. Now write the passive verb form:

2a. She ___ (give) very little advice during her training. Write the passive past simple form:

2b. She was given very ___ advice during her training — she had to learn most things on her own. Write the correct quantifier (not enough; negative):

3a. ___ changes ___ (make) to the contract before it was finally signed. Write the correct quantifier (some changes, positive feeling):

3b. A few changes ___ (make) to the contract before it was finally signed. Write the passive verb form:

4. There ___ (not be) ___ progress since the last meeting — everyone is frustrated. Write the full verb + quantifier phrase:

5. The company ___ (not produce) ___ revenue this year, despite the optimistic forecast. Write the verb + quantifier phrase (present perfect):

6a. ___ tourists ___ (visit) the area since the road closed — the village is almost empty. Write the correct quantifier (negative quantity):

6b. Few tourists ___ (visit) the area since the road closed. Write the present perfect active form:

7. All the furniture in the office ___ (remove) before the renovation starts on Monday.

8a. She ___ (give) ___ useful tips before her first day, which helped her settle in quickly. Write the passive verb form:

8b. She was given ___ useful tips before her first day. Write the correct quantifier (some tips, positive):

9a. ___ of the equipment had already been replaced last month, but most of it is still very old. Write the correct quantifier (a small part; uncountable):

9b. A little of the equipment ___ (already / replace) last month. Write the past perfect passive form:

10. He ___ (offer) the position, but he turned it down without giving a reason.

🎯 Exercise 5 (41–50) — Advanced Mixed

1. The information ___ (send) to the wrong address — no one has been able to trace who made the mistake.

2a. She ___ (study) the data for three hours before she finally realised the error. [the longer action came first]

2b. She had been studying the data for three hours before she finally ___ (realise) the error.

3. The legislation ___ (debate) in parliament right now — you can watch it live online.

4a. ___ research has been carried out into this topic in recent years. Write the correct quantifier (large amount; uncountable):

4b. Much research ___ (carry out) into this topic in recent years, though no clear conclusions have been reached. Write the present perfect passive form:

5. He ___ (not / give) any feedback on his performance since he joined — nobody has spoken to him at all.

6. The suspect ___ (question) for six hours when the lawyer finally walked through the door.

7a. ___ changes were made to the plan and the team was pleased — it was almost identical to the original. Write the correct quantifier (some changes; team is happy, so positive):

7b. A few changes ___ (make) to the plan and the team was pleased. Write the past simple passive form:

8a. Vaccines ___ (develop) over many years before they were approved for public use. [passive — the development came first]

8b. Vaccines had been developed over many years before they ___ (approve) for public use. [passive — this is the later action]

9. The news ___ (break) this morning — two senior officials have resigned with immediate effect.

10a. By next year, the new bridge ___ (complete) and traffic will be redirected onto it.

10b. By next year, the bridge will be completed and traffic ___ (redirect) onto it.