countable and uncountable nouns
countable and uncountable nouns
Countable nouns are the names of separate objects, people, ideas etc which we can count.
We can use numbers and a/an with countable nouns; they have plurals.
a cat three cats a newspaper two newspapers Uncountable nouns are the names of materials, liquids, and other things which we do not see as separate objects. We cannot use a/an or numbers with uncountable nouns; they have no plurals.
countable uncountable
We cannot usually put a/an with an uncountable noun even when there is an adjective.
My father enjoys very good health (NOT . . . a very good health.) We're having terrible weather. (NOT . . . a terrible weather )
He speaks good English (NOT . . . a-good English )
Usually it is easy to see if a noun is countable or uncountable. Obviously house is a countable noun, and air is not. But sometimes things are not so clear. For instance, travel and journey have very similar meanings, but travel is uncountable (it means 'travelling in general') and journey is countable (it means 'one movement from one place to another').
Also, different languages see the world in different ways. For example hair is uncountable in English, but plural countable in many languages; grapes are plural countable in English, but uncountable in some languages.
Here are some more nouns which are uncountable in English, but countable in some other languages, together with related singular countable expressions.
Uncountable Countable
accommodation a place to live or s
advice
bread
furniture
grass
information
knowledge
lightning
luggage
money
news
progress
research
rubbish
spaghetti
thunder
toothache
travel
work
a loaf; a roll a piece of furniture a blade of grass; a lawn a piece of information a fact
a flash of lightning a piece of luggage; a case; a trunk a note; a coin; a sum a piece of news a step forward
a piece of research; an experiment a piece of rubbish a piece of spaghetti a clap of thunder an aching tooth a journey; a trip a job; a piece of work
a piece of advice a loaf; a roll
Note: A headache is countable.
Many nouns have both countable and uncountable uses.
Compare:
I'd like some white paper (uncountable)
I'm going out to buy a paper (= a newspaper— countable)
The window's made of unbreakable glass (uncountable)
Would you like a glass of water? (countable)
Could I have some coffee? (uncountable)
Could we have two coffees, please? (= cups of coffee— countable)
For more information about particular nouns, look in a good dictionary.
She's got red hair. (uncountable)
I've got two white hairs. (countable)
'copula1 verbs
'social' language
(a) few and (a) little
(a)round and about
(be) used to + noun or... -ing
(Great) Britain, the United Kingdom, the British Isles and England
-ing form ('gerund')
-ing form after to
-ing form or infinitive?
abbreviations
about to
above and over
across and over
across and through
active verb forms
actual(ly)
adjectives ending in -Iy
adjectives without nouns
adjectives: order
adjectives: position
adverbs of manner
adverbs: position (details)
adverbs: position (general)
after (conjunction)
after (preposition); afterwards (adverb)
after all
afternoon, evening and night
ages
ago
all (of) with nouns and pronouns
all and every
all and whole
all right
all with verbs
all, everybody and everything
almost and nearly
also, as well and too
although and though
among and between
and
and after try, wait, go etc
another
any (= 'it doesn't matter which')
any and no: adverbs
appear
articles: a and an; pronunciation of the
articles: a/an
articles: countable and uncountable nouns
articles: introduction
articles: special rules and exceptions
articles: talking in general
articles: the
articles: the difference between a/an and the
as and like
as if and as though
as much/many ... as ...
as well as
as, because and since (reason)
as, when and while (things happening at the same time)
as...as ...
ask
at all
at, in and on (place)
at, in and on (time)
be + infinitive
be with auxiliary do
be: progressive tenses
because and because of
before (adverb)
before (conjunction)
before (preposition) and in front of
begin and start
big, large, great and tall
born
borrow and lend
both (of) with nouns and pronouns
both with verbs
both... and...
bring and take
British and American English
broad and wide
but = except
by: time
can and could: ability
can and could: forms
can with remember, understand, speak, play, see, hear, feel, taste and smell
can: permission, offers, requests and orders
can: possibility and probability
close and shut
come and go
comparison: comparative and superlative adjectives
comparison: comparative and superlative adverbs
comparison: much, far etc with comparatives
comparison: using comparatives and superlatives
conditional
conjunctions
contractions
countable and uncountable nouns
country
dare
dates
determiners
discourse markers
do + -ing
do and make
do: auxiliary verb
during and for
during and in
each and every
each other and one another
each: grammar
either... or...
either: determiner
ellipsis (leaving words out)
else
emphasis
emphatic structures with it and what
enjoy
enough
even
eventual(ly)
ever
every and every one
except
except and except for
exclamations
excuse me, pardon and sorry
expect, hope, look forward, wait, want and wish
explain
fairly, quite, rather and pretty
far and a long way
farther and further
fast
feel
fewer and less
for + object + infinitive
for, since, from, ago and before
for: purpose
future perfect
future progressive
future: introduction
future: present progressive and going to
future: shall and will (interpersonal uses)
future: shall/will (predictions)
future: simple present
gender (masculine and feminine language)
get (+ object) + verb form
get + noun, adjective, adverb particle or preposition
get and go: movement
go ... -ing
go meaning'become'
go: been and gone
had better
half (of)
hard and hardly
have (got) to
have (got): possession, relationships etc
have + object + verb form
have: actions
have: auxiliary verb
have: introduction
hear and listen (to)
help
here and there
holiday and holidays
home
hope
how and what... like?
if only
if so and if not
if-sentences with could and might
if: ordinary tenses
if: special tenses
ill and sick
imperative
in and into (prepositions)
in case
in spite of
indeed
infinitive after who, what, how etc
infinitive of purpose
infinitive without to
infinitive: negative, progressive, perfect, passive
infinitive: use
instead of... -ing
inversion: auxiliary verb before subject
inversion: whole verb before subject
irregular verbs
it's time
it: preparatory object
it: preparatory subject
last and the last
let's
letters
likely
long and for a long time
look
look (at), watch and see
marry and divorce
may and might: forms
may and might: permission
may and might: probability
mind
modal auxiliary verbs
more (of): determiner
most (of): determiner
much (of), many (of): determiners
much, many, a lot etc
must and have to; mustn't, haven't got to, don't have to, don't need to and needn't
must: deduction
must: forms
must: obligation
names and titles
nationality words
need
negative questions
negative structures
neither (of): determiner
neither, nor and not... either
neither... nor...
next and nearest
next and the next
no and none
no and not
no and not a/not any
no more, not any more, no longer, not any longer
non-progressive verbs
noun + noun
numbers
once
one and you: indefinite personal pronouns
one: substitute word
other and others
ought
own
participle clauses
participles used as adjectives
participles: 'present' and 'past' participles (-ing and -ed)
passive structures: introduction
passive verb forms
past tense with present or future meaning
past time: past perfect simple and progressive
past time: past progressive
past time: present perfect progressive
past time: present perfect simple
past time: simple past
past time: the past and perfect tenses (introduction)
perfect tenses with this is the first time..., etc
personal pronouns (I, me, it etc)
play and game
please and thank you
possessive with determiners (a friend of mine, etc)
possessive's: forms
possessive's: use
possessives: my and mine, etc
prepositional verbs and phrasal verbs
prepositions after particular words and expressions
prepositions and adverb particles
prepositions at the end of clauses
prepositions before particular words and expressions
prepositions: expressions without prepositions
present tenses: introduction
present tenses: present progressive
present tenses: simple present
progressive tenses with always
punctuation: apostrophe
punctuation: colon
punctuation: comma
punctuation: dash
punctuation: quotation marks
punctuation: semi-colons and full stops
question tags
questions: basic rules
questions: reply questions
questions: word order in spoken questions
quite
real(ly)
reflexive pronouns
relative pronouns
relative pronouns: what
relative pronouns: whose
relatives: identifying and non-identifying clauses
remind
reported speech and direct speech
reported speech: orders, requests, advice etc
reported speech: pronouns; 'here and now' words; tenses
reported speech: questions
requests
road and street
say and tell
see
seem
shall
short answers
should
should after why and how
should and would
should, ought and must
should: (If I were you) I should ...
similar words
since (conjunction of time): tenses
singular and plural: anybody etc
singular and plural: irregular plurals
singular and plural: plural expressions with singular verbs
singular and plural: pronunciation of plural nouns
singular and plural: singular words ending in -s
singular and plural: singular words with plural verbs
singular and plural: spelling of plural nouns
slow(ly)
small and little
smell
so am I, so do I etc
so and not with hope, believe etc
some and any
some/any and no article
some: special uses
somebody and anybody, something and anything, etc
sound
spelling and pronunciation
spelling: -ise and -ize
spelling: -ly
spelling: capital letters
spelling: ch and tch, k and ck
spelling: doubling final consonants
spelling: final -e
spelling: full stops with abbreviations
spelling: hyphens
spelling: ie and ei
spelling: y and i
still, yet and already
subject and object forms
subjunctive
such and so
suggest
surely
sympathetic
take
take (time)
tall and high
taste
telephoning
telling the time
tenses in subordinate clauses
that: omission
the same
there is
think
this and that
too
travel, journey and trip
unless and if not
until and by
until and to
used to + infinitive
verbs with object complements
verbs with two objects
way
weak and strong forms
well
when and if
whether and if
whether... or...
which, what and who: question words
who ever, what ever, how ever etc
whoever, whatever, whichever, however, whenever and wherever
will
wish
worth ... -ing
would
would rather
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