Countable - uncountable nouns

Countable - uncountable nouns

By Andreea Mesescu

Countable nouns

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Countable nouns can be singular or plural.

They can be used with a/an and with numbers and many other determiners (e.g. these, a few):

She’s got two sisters and a younger brother.

Most people buy things like cameras and MP3-players online these days.

​Uncountable nouns cannot be separated or counted.

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Some examples of uncountable nouns are:

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• Ideas and experiences: advice, information, progress, news, luck, fun, work

• Materials and substances: water, rice, cement, gold, milk

• Weather words: weather, thunder, lightning, rain, snow

• Names for groups or collections of things: furniture, equipment, rubbish, luggage

• Other common uncountable nouns include: accommodation, baggage, homework, knowledge, money, permission, research, traffic, travel.

These nouns are not used with a/an or numbers and are not used in the plural.

We’re going to get new furniture for the living room.

Not: We’re going to get a new furniture for the living room. or We’re going to get new furnitures for the living room.

​Some nouns always have plural form but they are uncountable because we cannot use numbers with them.

I bought two pairs of trousers.

Not: I bought two trousers.

Other nouns of this type are: shorts, pants, pyjamas, glasses (for the eyes), binoculars, scissors.

Uncountable nouns can be used with certain determiners (e.g. my, her, some, any, no, the, this, that) and expressions of quantity (e.g. a lot of, (a) little):

They gave me some information about courses and scholarships and things.

Have you heard the news? Fran’s getting engaged.

She’s been studying hard and has made a lot of progress.