GRAMMAR REFERENCE:
COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
We use countable and uncountable nouns to talk about a person, place or
a thing.
When we use countable and uncountable nouns, we can use them with
quantifiers.
• We can drop the noun after much and many if the meaning is clear:
I haven’t eaten much today = I haven’t eaten much food today
• We can drop the noun after a lot of and much, when it is mentiones
by another person (for instance when we talk about climate).
- There has been a lot of snow this winter.
- In my city, we haven’t had much (snow).
Examples: Can you identify the uncountable or uncountable noun?
- There are a few students here today.
- There is little information about this in the news today.
- After the storm, many houses were damaged.
- Is there much traffic?
- Are there a lot of animals in that zoo?
- There is a lot of money.
- I don’t have much time
- I don’t have many friends
- Does it use much electricity?
- Do you think many people will go?
- I have invited a lot of friends so I need to buy a lot of food.
- I haven’t invited many friends so I don’t need to buy much food.
- I need a lot of coffee.
1. Countable and uncountable nouns, general rule.
COUNTABLE (we can count, ex: tree) UNCOUNTABLE (we can’t count, ex: rain)
Use:
a Don’t use: a or an
à in the singular
an (a job, an animal)
- Can be made plural - Cannot be made plural
(work, music)
Use: - Use verbs in the singular
Some (The news is good/ Music
à in the plural helps me relax)
any ( some friends/ any answers) Use:
Some
à in the singular
any (some food/ any advice)
The quantifier “some” can be used for both countable and uncountable
nouns in an affirmative way and in questions.
Countable: I bought some oranges (we can change some for a number: I bought 5
oranges.)
Uncountable: I bought some rice (we use the singular even though we are talking
about a lot of rice, not just one grain)
2. ABSTRACT IDEAS = UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS (can’t touch).
• They have no physical existence
• Refer to ideas, emotions (emotions you can not see or touch)
Love, Freedom, Education, Luck, Help, Beauty, Music, Thunder.
3. LIQUIDS AND GASES (uncountable)
• You can count the container it’s in, but not the liquid or gas.
Water
Milk
Wine
Oil
Coffee
Soup
Juice
Ran
Smoke
Air
Blood
Fog
There are uncountable nouns that even though they are made of small
parts, when we refer to them, we consider them as a whole (en conjunto).
This happens for example when we talk about:
Sugar, rice, salt, sand, flour, dirt, dust, traffic, grass, spaghetti
Example:
Two teaspoons of sugar, please.
4. MATERIALS
Nouns that say what something is made of are normally uncountable
nouns.
Wood, glass, paper, ice, gold, silver, iron, cotton, wood, steel.
Example:
A bar of gold.
A bucket of ice.
5. SOME FOOD (uncountable)
Food that needs to be cut up or eaten in smaller pieces.
Bread, fish, cheese, chocolate, meat, bacon, food, ham.
Example: Bread
- A slice of bread
- Loaves of bread
- Breads (INCORRECT!)
Be careful! We can NOT make them plural.
v Furniture - I have 5 coins (correct)
v Advice - I have ninety dollars (correct)
v Works - I have five moneys (incorrect)
v News - There is not much news about this. (correct)
v Information - There is not much newses about this (incorrect)
- He gave me some advice. (correct)
v Luggae
- He gave me some advices. (incorrect)
v money
