Countable Nouns
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Countable nouns are the names of separate objects, people, ideas etc which can be counted. They have plurals.Examples are: dog, tree, girl, book, occasion and book
We can use numbers and the article a/an with countable nouns.
- a dog
- two books
- three girls
Uncountable nouns
Uncountable or mass nouns are the names of materials, liquids, abstract qualities, collections and other things which we do not see as separate objects. Most uncountable nouns are singular with no plurals. Examples are: wheat, sand, weather, water, wool, milk
We cannot use numbers with uncountable nouns. They are also not normally used with the article a/an.
List of uncountable nouns in English
Here is a list of common words which are usually uncountable in English. Corresponding countable expressions are given in brackets.
accommodation ---> (countable - a place to live)
advice ---> (a piece of advice)
baggage ---> (a piece of baggage; a bag, a case)
bread ---> (a piece of bread; a loaf; a roll)
chess ---> (a game of chess)
chewing gum ---> (a piece of chewing gum)
equipment ---> (a piece of equipment; a tool)
furniture ---> (a piece/article of furniture)
grass ---> (a blade of grass)
information ---> (a piece of information)
knowledge ---> (a fact)
lightning ---> (a flash of lightning)
luck ---> (a bit/stroke of luck)
luggage ---> (a piece of luggage; a bag)
money ---> (a note; a coin; a sum)
news ---> (a piece of news)
poetry ---> (a poem)
thunder ---> (a clap of thunder)
travel ---> (a journey/trip)
work ---> (a job; a piece of work)
milk ---> a glass of milk
coffee ---> a cup of coffee
chocolate ---> a bar of chocolate
bread ---> a loaf of bread
rice ---> a kilo of rice
honey ---> a spoon of honey
cheese ---> a slice of cheese
dust ---> a cloud of dust
sugar ---> a particle of sugar
sand ---> a grain of sand
scissors ---> a pair of scissors
air ---> a breath of fresh air
petrol ---> a litre of petrol
salt ---> a pinch of salt
ice ---> a sheet of ice / paper
water ---> a drop of water
grass ---> a blade of grass
paper ---> a sheet / piece of paper
To refer to a large quantity of paper, you can use the phrase a ream of paper. In the same way, to refer to a large quantity of rice, sand, wheat etc., use a heap of rice / sand / wheat etc.
Countable or uncountable
Sometimes it is not easy to see whether a noun is countable or uncountable. For instance, travel is normally uncountable, while journey is countable. It is impossible to give complete details. The following rules, however, should help.
Illnesses
The names of illnesses are usually uncountable in English. Examples are: chickenpox, measles, cancer, diabetes, flu etc.
- If you have had chickenpox, you can’t get it again.
But note that the words for some minor ailments are uncountable. Examples are: a cold, a headache
- I have a bad headache.
Mixed uses
Many nouns have both countable and uncountable uses, sometimes with a difference of meaning.
Words for materials are usually uncountable. But note that the same word is often used as countable noun to refer to something made of the material.
- Have you got some typing paper? (uncountable)
- I want a paper. (countable)
- Have you got any coffee?
- Could I have two coffees? (= two cups of coffee)
Many abstract nouns are uncountable when used in a general sense. The same noun can be countable in a particular sense.
- She hasn’t got enough experience for the job. (uncountable)
- It was a strange experience. (countable)
- Take your own time. (uncountable)
- Have a good time. (countable)
Plural uncountable nouns
Some uncountable nouns are plural. They have no singular forms with the same meaning, and cannot be used with numbers. Examples are: trousers, jeans, pyjamas, pants, scissors, spectacles, glasses, arms, goods, customs, groceries, clothes and thanks
- Have you bought the groceries?
- Many thanks for your help.
Other plural uncountable nouns include the expressions the British, the Dutch, the English, the French, the Irish, the Spanish and the Welsh.
Countable and uncountable nouns exercise
Underline the nouns and state whether they are countable or uncountable.
1. I have bought some chairs.
2. Have we got enough nails?
3. How much money do you earn?
4. Rice is the staple food of South Indians.
5. She likes to give advice.
6. The grass is always greener on the other side.
7. Please visit our website for more information.
8. How many hours do you work?
9. We have not made any progress so far.
10. She attributed her success to luck.
Answers
1. I have bought some chairs. (Chairs - countable)
2. Have we got enough nails?(Nails - countable)
3. How much money do you earn? (Money - uncountable)
4. Rice is the staple food of South Indians. (Rice - uncountable; food - uncountable; Indians - countable)
5. She likes to give advice. (Advice - uncountable)
6. The grass is always greener on the other side. (Grass - uncountable)
7. Please visit our website for more information (Website - countable; information - uncountable).
8. How many hours do you work? (Hours - countable)
9. We have not made any progress so far. (Progress - uncountable)
10. She attributed her success to luck. (Success - uncountable; luck - uncountable)
Notes
The nouns food and success can be countable and uncountable. Food is uncountable when we are talking about food in general.
I ate a lot of food.
We cannot survive without food.
It is countable when we are talking about the different types of foods.
Fatty foods do not agree with me.
Success also has both countable and uncountable use.
Nothing succeeds like success. (Here we are talking about success in general and hence it is uncountable.)
His latest movie was a commercial success. (Here success is used as a countable noun and takes the article 'a' with it.)
Sections in this article
Countable and uncountable nouns
Common uncountable nouns
Countable and uncountable nouns exercise
Tenses exercises and worksheets
Mistakes with verbs | Exercise 1
Mistakes with verbs | Exercise 2
Mistakes with verbs | Exercise 3
Mistakes with verbs | Exercise 4