Countable and Uncountable nouns

Countable and Uncountable nouns

Soňa Švécarová, Veronika Rozbořilová

Countable and Uncountable nouns

• Countable nouns can be counted, e.g. a car, two cars, three cars etc.

• Uncountable nouns cannot be counted, e.g. water, air, tea etc. They may be the names for abstract ideas or qualities or for physical objects that are too small or too amorphous to be counted (liquids, gases, etc.).

• Uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb. They usually do not have a plural form.

I don't have a dog.
There aren't any seats.

For negative sentences we can use a/an for singular nouns or any for plurals.

There's a man at the door.
I have some friends in New York.

For positive sentences we can use a/an for singular nouns or some or nothing for plurals.

Countable nouns

Uncountable (mass) nouns

• We cannot use a/an with these nouns.

• To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or expression like some, a lot of, much, or use an exact measurement like a cup of, a bag of, 1kg of etc.

• He did not have much sugar left.

• Measure 1 cup of water, 300g of flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Questions

In questions we use a/an, any or how many with countable nouns.

• Is there an email address to write to? Are there any chairs? How many dogs are there?

  We use any or how much with uncountable nouns.

• Is there any sugar? How much milk is there?

  When we are offering something or asking for something, we use some.

• Do you want some tea? Can we have some more chairs, please?

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Both countable and uncountable nouns

Some examples of nouns, which can be countable and uncountable at the same time:

Some text here about the topic of discussion

(U) glass = material

(Glass can be recycled from old bottles.)

(C) glass = container (Champagne was fizzing in the glass.)

(C) ​An experience is an event that happens to you or that you are a part of. - zážitek

(I had an unpleasant experience at the dentist's.)

(U) Experience is the amount of time you have been doing something (especially a job). (He has ten years of experience with kids.) - zkušenost, praxe

(U) room = space (Is there enough room for me?)

(C) room = place (They had to sit in the waiting room for an hour.)

Expressions of quantity

A lot of (or lots of) can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

• There are lots of apples on the trees.There is a lot of snow on the road.

We don't usually use many or much in positive sentences. We use a lot of instead.

• They have a lot of money.

However, in negative sentences we use not many with countable nouns and not much with uncountable nouns.

• There are a lot of carrots but there aren't many potatoes. There's lots of juice but there isn't much water.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct form:

I had some interesting ... during my trip to the USA.

• experience

• experiences

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct form:

There is ... in my soup! It must be yours.

• a black hair

• black hair

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct form:

She has little work ... .

• experience

• experiences

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct form:

Can I borrow ...? My shirt is creased.

• iron

• an iron

Multiple Choice

I want to make ... sandwiches. Do you think we need ... tomatoes in our sandwich?

• any, some

• some, any

• a, any

• some, an

Multiple Choice

Can I have ... coffee, please?

• any

• a lot of

• some

• an

Multiple Choice

I don't have ... vegetables in the fridge.

• some

• any

• a

• an

Multiple Choice

There are ... students in the classroom.

• a lot of

• any

• lot of

• much

Multiple Choice

Another term for "uncountable noun" is

• plural noun

• mass noun

• countless noun