Countable & Uncountable Categories Board Game and Presentation

Countable examples of uncountable categories personalised board game

Instructions for students

Board game instructions

You need one counter (e.g. an eraser, coin or pen cap) each. Place them on the “Start” square. There is no dice or coin in this game. Instead, you move the number of squares that are in your partner’s answer to your “How many…you/ your…?” questions. You can ask three questions for each square you are on, and move the sum of those three answers. To make the “How many…?” questions grammatically correct and to get answers which are numbers, you must ask about countable examples of the category in the square. For example, you can’t ask “How many luggage(s) do you have?” because it is grammatically incorrect or “How much luggage do you have?” because the answer won’t be a number. Instead, you must ask questions like “How many suitcases do you have?” “How many handbags are there in your house?” and “How many backpacks did you take the last time that you went on holiday?” If the answers to those questions are “I have two”, “There are seven” and “I didn’t take any”, you can move nine squares (the sum of those numbers). You can’t move more than 10 squares in one move, so you can stop asking questions when your partner’s answers reach a total of ten or more.

If you ask a question which doesn’t make sense, your turn stops, so move the total of the answers that you have got so far (if any) and play passes to the next person. Keep going round and round the board until your teacher stops you.

 

Language presentation instructions

Without looking at the board game for now, try to label the categories on the page below with the uncountable category which covers all of the examples in each category.

Look at the board game again to help you check your answers.

 

Further practice instructions

Test each other in pairs by reading out lists from the answer key until your partner guesses the uncountable category.

Do the same, but starting with the most difficult categories and most difficult examples.

Play the board game again, but this time just trying to come up with correct countable examples of the thing that your square says. When you run out of ideas or make a mistake your turn ends and you can move one square for each correct countable example up to that point. You can use examples you can remember from the answer key if you like.

 

Board game

Work your way round the board by your partner’s answers to “How many…?” questions with examples of things in the general category of the square you are on. You can ask three questions per square and then add all the answers together.

information	jewellery	kitchen equipment	lighting	START literature
furniture				luggage
fruit				meat
footwear				men’s clothing
cutlery				money
crockery				sporting equipment
casual clothing				sportswear
camping equipment				stationery
business clothing				technology
bedding				time
beachwear				transport
accommodation	women’s clothing			winter clothing

Play the game again, but this time just getting one point (and so moving one square) for each correct countable example in that category.

Without looking above for now, try to label the categories below with uncountable category which covers all of those examples.

• (bomber/ dinner/ single-breasted/ double-breasted) jacket/ DJ, (business/ dress/ smart) shirt, tie, bowtie
• (desk) lamp, fluorescent strip, (LED) bulb, torch/ flashlight, lantern, spotlight
• (engagement/ wedding) ring, earring, broach, necklace/ chain, bracelet
• (hotdog/ chipolata) sausage, hamburger, steak, (pork/ lamb) chop, chicken wing, chicken thigh, meatball, slice of…
• (milli)second, millennium, fortnight, (long) weekend, moment
• (mini/ double-decker/ shuttle) bus, convertible/ cabriolet, estate, SUV, Beemer, Mercedes, (rubber) dinghy, ferry, (cruise/ sailing) ship, gondola, limousine, taxi, helicopter, (private) plane/ aeroplane
• (side/ dinner) plate, (soup) bowl, saucer, mug, cup
• (skirt/ trouser) suit, (smart/ business/ dress) shirt, (lace up) shoe, waistcoat
• (slip on/ high heel) shoe, trainer, plimsoll, clog, flip flop/ thong, (winter/ high heel) boot, welly/ wellington boot, sandal
• (table/ tea/ serving/ soup/ dessert) spoon, (fish/ dessert) fork, (steak/ fish/ butter) knife, (disposable) chopstick
• (woolly) scarf, jumper/ sweater/ jersey, fleece, mitten, glove, (woolly/ winter) hat, vest/ undershirt, (fur) coat, (winter/ wellington) boot
• apple, Satsuma/ mandarin/ tangerine, pear, pineapple, grape, cherry, melon, watermelon,
• armchair, (dinner/ coffee) table, (kitchen/ swivel) chair, filing cabinet, sideboard, chest of drawers, dresser, (queen-sized/ double/ single) bed, futon/ sofa-bed, sofa, cabinet/ cupboard/ wardrobe
• computer, mobile phone/ cell phone, mp3 player, tablet, GPS
• e-book/ book, poem, novel, novella, short story, play
• hut, serviced apartment, tent, caravan, B&B, villa, log cabin, bungalow, self-catering flat, holiday home, mobile home, condo, maisonette, camper van, igloo, hotel, house, apartment/ flat, mansion
• knapsack, sack, briefcase, suitcase, backpack, satchel, rucksack, handbag, shoulder bag, attaché case
• nightdress, ball gown, bra, cheongsam, (summer/ party) dress, top, (short/ long/ mini) skirt
• note/ bill, coin, credit card, debit card, cheque,
• quilt, (fitted/ top/ bottom) sheet, pillow case, duvet, blanket, bedspread, pillow, mattress, sleeping bag
• racket, bat, ball, shuttlecock, glove
• ruler, (ballpoint/ fountain) pen, (automatic/ mechanical) pencil, eraser, staple, stapler, hole punch
• saucepan, frying pan, (kitchen/ bread) knife, food mixer, (cheese) grater
• swimming costume, summer hat, bikini, bikini top, sarong, flip flop
• telephone number, address, password
• tent, camping stove, peg, sleeping bag
• tracksuit, headband, sweatshirt, trainer/ tennis shoe, glove
• T-shirt, vest, pair of shorts, flip flop

Look at the board game again to help you check your answers.

Answer key

1. accommodation – hut, serviced apartment, tent, caravan, B&B, villa, log cabin, bungalow, self-catering flat, holiday home, mobile home, condo, maisonette, camper van, igloo, hotel, house, apartment/ flat, mansion
2. beachwear – swimming costume, summer hat, bikini, bikini top, sarong, flip flop
3. bedding – quilt, (fitted/ top/ bottom) sheet, pillow case, duvet, blanket, bedspread, pillow, mattress, sleeping bag
4. business clothing – (skirt/ trouser) suit, (smart/ business/ dress) shirt, (lace up) shoe, waistcoat
5. camping equipment – tent, camping stove, peg, sleeping bag
6. casual clothing – T-shirt, vest, pair of shorts, flip flop
7. crockery – (side/ dinner) plate, (soup) bowl, saucer, mug, cup
8. cutlery – (table/ tea/ serving/ soup/ dessert) spoon, (fish/ dessert) fork, (steak/ fish/ butter) knife, (disposable) chopstick
9. footwear – (slip on/ high heel) shoe, trainer, plimsoll, clog, flip flop/ thong, (winter/ high heel) boot, welly/ wellington boot, sandal
10. fruit – apple, Satsuma/ mandarin/ tangerine, pear, pineapple, grape, cherry, melon, watermelon,
11. furniture – armchair, (dinner/ coffee) table, (kitchen/ swivel) chair, filing cabinet, sideboard, chest of drawers, dresser, (queen-sized/ double/ single) bed, futon/ sofa-bed, sofa, cabinet/ cupboard/ wardrobe
12. information – telephone number, address, password
13. jewellery – (engagement/ wedding) ring, earring, broach, necklace/ chain, bracelet
14. kitchen equipment – saucepan, frying pan, (kitchen/ bread) knife, food mixer, (cheese) grater
15. lighting – (desk) lamp, fluorescent strip, (LED) bulb, torch/ flashlight, lantern, spotlight
16. literature – e-book/ book, poem, novel, novella, short story, play
17. luggage – knapsack, sack, briefcase, suitcase, backpack, satchel, rucksack, handbag, shoulder bag, attaché case
18. meat – (hotdog/ chipolata) sausage, hamburger, steak, (pork/ lamb) chop, chicken wing, chicken thigh, meatball, slice of…
19. men’s clothing – (bomber/ dinner/ single-breasted/ double-breasted) jacket/ DJ, (business/ dress/ smart) shirt, tie, bowtie
20. money – note/ bill, coin, credit card, debit card, cheque,
21. sporting equipment – racket, bat, ball, shuttlecock, glove
22. sportswear – tracksuit, headband, sweatshirt, trainer/ tennis shoe, glove
23. stationery – ruler, (ballpoint/ fountain) pen, (automatic/ mechanical) pencil, eraser, staple, stapler, hole punch
24. technology – computer, mobile phone/ cell phone, mp3 player, tablet, GPS
25. time – (milli)second, millennium, fortnight, (long) weekend, moment
26. transport – (mini/ double-decker/ shuttle) bus, convertible/ cabriolet, estate, SUV, Beemer, Mercedes, (rubber) dinghy, ferry, (cruise/ sailing) ship, gondola, limousine, taxi, helicopter, (private) plane/ aeroplane
27. winter clothing – (woolly) scarf, jumper/ sweater/ jersey, fleece, mitten, glove, (woolly/ winter) hat, vest/ undershirt, (fur) coat, (winter/ wellington) boot
28. women’s clothing – nightdress, ball gown, bra, cheongsam, (summer/ party) dress, top, (short/ long/ mini) skirt