Sandwich countable. Countable and uncountable nouns in English

Which nouns are always uncountable? The ones we can't count, of course. The word immediately comes to mind water, truth? Other names of liquids, materials, food and drinks, abstract concepts etc. We study this list at the initial stages of learning English.

But, dear reader, it turns out that many "uncountable" nouns can form a plural, they can be counted! Due to their ambiguity, nouns that we used to consider uncountable, appearing in different contexts, suddenly become countable.

In the table below, you will get acquainted with the words that, changing their meaning, can be both countable and uncountable.

AT first the column contains "controversial" words;
In second the meaning of the word as countable in the singular and plural,
AT third you see its value as uncountable.

Meanings are given as examples with translations. The arrow in the second column indicates that a plural can be formed from the singular with the same meaning.

I have a lot of work to do.=

If you know nouns that can be added to this table, write to us. We are waiting for your letters and comments!

Therefore, in English, all objects are divided into countable (those that can be counted) and uncountable (those that cannot be counted).

This topic is basic and very important. Therefore, if you do not deal with it from the very beginning, with further study of the language, you will make mistakes.

In this article I will tell you about countable and uncountable nouns and the features of their use.

From the article you will learn:

• General comparison table for countable and uncountable nouns

How to determine if a noun is countable or not?

Noun- part of speech denoting an object or person and answering the question "who?", "What?".

How to understand what subject is in front of us: countable or not?

It seems that everything is simple. However, there is a little trick here.

Let's take the floor money (money). Can we count money? Of course we can, you say. However, in English, money refers to uncountable nouns.

Can we say: “one money, second money, third money”? No, we count rubles/dollars/euro: one ruble, two rubles, etc. But we cannot count the word money, so it will be uncountable.

The same goes for water, milk, lemonade and other drinks. We cannot count these concepts ourselves: one water, the second water.

Therefore, liters and containers will be countable, but the liquid itself will be uncountable.

Let's look at each concept separately.

Countable nouns in English

countable nouns(count nouns) are those items that we can count.

For example:

One apple, two apples, three apples.
One apple, two apples, three apples.

Such words have their own characteristics, let's look at them.

1. Countable nouns are plural

• in the singular (one item)
• plural (several items)

In English, the plural is formed by adding the ending -s to a word.

For example:

cat - cats
cat - cats

cup - cups
cup - cups

bags
bag - bags

pen-pens
pen - pens

I talked in detail about the formation of the plural in this article.

2. With countable nouns, we use the article a/an

An article is a small label that is placed before certain words to help us catch information about them.

The article a / an comes from the word one and means “one thing”, “some, some”.

We use this article when we say about one subject. Therefore, we can only use it with items that we can count.

For example:

a cat
(one) cat

a bag
(one) bag

a phone
(one) telephone

a pen
(one) pen

You can read more about articles in English.

In addition to the article, we can use other words, depending on the meaning we want to convey.

Let's look at all the words that can come before the subject.

• The article a / an (when we are not talking about something specific, but about a general concept)

She bought a dress.
She bought a dress (some dress, we don't know which one exactly)

• The article the (if we are talking about something specific)

She bought the dress.
She bought a dress (we are talking about a specific dress that we know about)

• Possessive pronouns my, your, his, her, their, our (my, yours, his, her, them, ours). They show who owns the item.

She bought my dress.
She bought my dress.

• Words this (this), that (that)

She bought this dress.
She bought this dress.

3. With plural countables, we use the words many and few /afew

There is words that we can only use with things that we can count:

• many - a lot
• few - little
• a few - a few

For example:

We dealt with countable nouns, and now let's move on to uncountable ones.

Uncountable nouns in English

(uncount nouns) - something that we cannot count.

Uncountable nouns include:

• Food(usually something small, like a grain or shapeless)

Butter (butter), cheese (cheese), meat (meat), salt (salt), pepper (pepper), bacon (bacon), bread (bread), chocolate (chocolate), ice (ice), etc.

• Liquid

Water (water), lemonade (lemonade), coffee (coffee), milk (milk), tea (tea), wine (wine), petrol (gasoline), oil (oil), etc.

• materials

Gold (gold), iron (iron), wood (wood), plastic (plastic), paper (paper), etc.

• abstract concepts

Luck (luck), music (music), news (news), progress (progress), information (information), knowledge (knowledge), etc.

• gases

Air (air), oxygen (oxygen), smoke (smoke), etc.

• Diseases

Measles (measles), flu (cold), cancer (cancer)

• Kinds of sports

Chess (chess), baseball (baseball), football (soccer), poker (poker), golf (golf), etc.

• weather phenomena

Weather (weather), heat (heat), wind (wind), rain (rain), snow (snow), etc.

Uncountable nouns also have their own characteristics.

1. They don't change in numbers

Such words have only one form - singular.

2. With such words, we never use the article a / an

We cannot use the article a/an with something we cannot count. Usually with these words we use:

• Article the

For example:

I will take the chocolate.
I will take chocolate

• The word some - a little, a few
  

For example:

I will take some chocolate.
I'll take some chocolate.

3. With uncountable items, we use the words much,little/ alittle

There are words that we can only use with uncountable items:

• much (many)
• Little (little)
• A little

For example:

You drink so much coffee!
You drink so much coffee!

They have little money.
They don't have much money.

4. These concepts become countable when we talk about a piece / glass / liter / kilogram of something.

Uncountable:

Can you give me some bread?
Can you give me some bread?

Bring me some water.
Bring me some Water.

Countable:

Can you give me a piece of bread?
Can you give me a piece of bread?

Bring me a glass of water.
Bring me a glass of water.

To consolidate the difference between countable and uncountable nouns, let's look at the general table

Let's take a look at the general table and once again trace the difference between these concepts.

countable nouns	Uncountable nouns
Something we can count For example: apple, cup, pen, phone	Something we can't count For example: sugar, water, information, money
May be plural For example: apple - apples, pen - pens	Can't be plural For example: money - moneys, sugar - sugars
Can be used with the article a Also used: the article the words this/that words my/your/our	Cannot be used with the article a Most often used with: the word some the article the
Used with the words many, few / a few For example: many cups, a few apples	Used with much, little/ a little For example: much money, a little water

So, we dealt with this topic. Now let's put it into practice.

Reinforcement task

Exercise 1: Choose which of the following words are countable and which are uncountable:

Pear, football, milk, dress, water, lemon, sugar, car, ball, money, coffee, house, butter, bread, candy.

Task 2: Translate the following sentences into English:

1. I have a few oranges.
2. Has she made a lot of money?
3. Does she have many books?
4. Bring me a glass of wine.
5. I need sugar.

Despite a considerable number of exceptions, many nouns in English can be divided into two categories: countable (countable) and uncountable (uncountable). What is the difference between them? Let's figure it out.

Here are the main features by which countable nouns can be identified.

1) The presence of both singular and plural in this noun.

There is a book on the shelf. - There is a book on the shelf.

Good books are very expensive. Good books are very expensive.

I saw a little puppy in the park yesterday. Yesterday I saw a little puppy in the park.

Puppies are so funny. - Puppies are so cute!

2) The possibility of using the indefinite article before this noun, if it is in the singular.

Yesterday my husband presented me a little kitten. Yesterday my husband gave me a little kitten.

I wanted a dog, not a cat! I wanted a dog, not a cat!

If a countable noun begins with a vowel, then, in accordance with not having exceptions to the rule, before this word (which is in the singular, of course) is placed.

May I take an apple? - May I have an apple?

I will add an egg to sauce. - I'll add an egg to the sauce.

3) The use of only many (never much) before such nouns in the meaning of "many / many". In this case, these nouns are always in the plural.

Many students use cribs during exams. Many students use cheat sheets during exams.

You must write many tests. — You have to write a lot of tests.

If the question is raised about the number of items indicated by a countable noun, then this question begins only with how many.

How many children do you have? - How many children do you have?

How many cherries may I take? How many cherries can I take?

4) Combination with few / a few (never little / a little) in the meaning of “little / a little”.

It should be noted that if few is used, then the meaning will be with a negative connotation - “very little”, and if before a countable noun - a few, then it simply means “a certain amount / several / a little”.

I found a few nice places of interest in your town. - I found very few beautiful sights in your city.

I must buy a few things in this shop. I have to buy a few things (something) in this store.

5) Such nouns are countable, that is, they can be used with numerals.

I was in Paris two weeks ago. I was in Paris two weeks ago.

May I buy three dresses in this shop, honey? — Can I buy three dresses in this store, dear?

The definition of uncountable nouns follows the principle of "by contradiction".

1) Uncountable nouns (as a rule) do not have a plural.

I drink milk every day. — I drink milk every day.

My aunt never has luggage when she travels. My aunt never has any luggage when she travels.

2) Uncountable nouns are never preceded by an indefinite article, there are no exceptions.

All we need is love! - All we need is Love!

Water is so cold today, I want to stay at the hotel. The water is so cold today, I want to stay in a hotel.

3) Use with these nouns only much (never many), if the meaning is "many".

There is so much salt in this soup. There is so much salt in this soup.

Much butter will not be useful for your health. - A lot of oil will not be good for your health.

When asked about the amount of something, if an uncountable noun is used, the sentence only begins with how much.

How much jam may I eat? How much jam can I have?

How much bread are you going to buy? How much bread are you going to buy?

4) Use in the meaning of "little" with uncountable nouns - only with little / a little (respectively, never with few / a few).

As in the situation with countables, little gives the statement a negative meaning. To aggravate the negative connotation, you can add very to little. A little has a neutral meaning - "a certain amount / a little".

I speak little (very little) English, I cannot translate it. I speak English badly (very badly), I can't translate it.

There is a little water in this bottle, drink it. There is some water in this bottle, drink it.

5) It is unacceptable to use numerals with uncountable nouns.

If this fact takes place, then it is considered illiterate vernacular. When it is necessary to indicate the quantity of something that is indicated by an uncountable noun, then it is necessary to mention the object / capacity by which this concept can be measured.

• One tea (one tea) - illiterate.
• A cup of tea (a cup of tea) - competently.
• Two beers (two beers) - wrong.
• Two bottles of beer (two bottles of beer) - right.

At this point, by the way, there is a coincidence with a similar situation in the Russian language. It happens that they say - “two teas / two breads”, but according to strict rules, this is a colloquial and illiterate option. Competently it will be - "two cups of tea / two loaves (slices) of bread."

Expression a piece of with uncountable nouns it means “a piece / piece of something”.

I want a piece of bread, nothing more! “I want a piece of bread, nothing else!”

Christ, I can see a piece of human's bone! “Oh my God, I see a piece of human bone!”

Sometimes this phrase with uncountable nouns is used in a very interesting sense, and then it is impossible to translate the sentence literally.

Can you give me a piece of advice? – Can you give me some advice?

To tell the truth, he is a piece of trash. - In truth, he is a rare scoundrel (if translated literally, it will turn out to be a "piece of garbage").

Main groups of uncountable nouns

It can be more difficult to define an uncountable noun than a countable one, therefore, when studying this aspect, it is useful to remember groups of words, where basically there are only uncountable nouns.

Abstract concepts, emotions or feelings, life phenomena

• love (love),
• happiness (happiness),
• friendship (friendship),
• traffic (traffic),
• heat (heat).

Liquids, bulk or solids, materials for production

• water (water),
• wine (wine),
• milk (milk),
• sugar (sugar),
• dust (dust),
• iron (iron),
• wood (wood),
• gold (gold),
• wool (wool),
• silk (silk).

Food

• coffee (coffee),
• meat (meat),
• rice (rice),
• soup (soup),
• oil (vegetable oil),
• bread (bread),
• butter (butter),
• cream (meaning "sour cream").

Perfume products

• soap (soap),
• powder (powder),
• perfume (perfume),
• cream (in the meaning of "cream").

Science or theory

• maths (mathematics),
• mechanics (mechanics),
• politics (politics).

Groups that unite people / other living beings on specific grounds

• police (police),
• poultry (poultry),
• clergy (clergy),
• cattle (cattle).

Games, sports

• chess (chess),
• darts (darts),
• gymnastics (gymnastics).

Possessive

At first glance, the rule regarding this moment is the same for both types of nouns: if any of them is in, then an apostrophe and s are added to it.

My sister's room is very large. My sister's room is very big.

Milk's color is white. - Milk is white.

However, since countable nouns can be plural, but uncountable ones cannot, the situation in these cases is different. Possessive case for uncountable nouns in the plural simply does not exist. Countable in the plural, if they end in s, have only an apostrophe at the end, and in the case of an ending in another letter, as in the singular, an apostrophe and s.

Dogs' legs - paws of dogs.

Women's shoes - women's shoes.

A lot of/some/any

A lot of

The expression a lot of in the meaning of "a lot" can be freely used with both groups of nouns, you just need to remember that the first will be in the plural, the second in the singular. Moreover, if there is any doubt about the use of many or much, then this expression, a lot of, will help to avoid mistakes if you use it.

There are a lot of (many) trees in my garden. There are many trees in my garden.

There is a lot of (much) sugar in your pie. There is a lot of sugar in your pie.

Some

Some in the sense of "a certain amount / a little / a few (for countable)" can also be used with all nouns, but only if the statement is positive.

I wanna buy some apples for our salad. I want to buy some apples for our salad.

You must add some rice. – You should add some (some amount) of rice.

Any

When asked with nouns from any group, any is used if the question is about the presence of an object/subject of interest.

Do you have any books about China? – Do you have any books about China?

Do you have any milk for us? Do you have milk for us?

If any is in a positive sentence, then any in all cases has the meaning "any / whatever". Countable nouns can also be plural, the meaning will be the same.

Please, buy any car for me, I need a car! - Please buy me any (at least some) car, I need a car!

I am going to wear any dresses, long or short, red or white, and I will not listen to you! - I will wear any (any) dresses, long or short, red or white, and I will not listen to you!

I can eat any food, I have no problems with my health. - I can eat any (any) food, I have no health problems.

Differences from the Russian language

As already mentioned, in the study of countable and uncountable nouns, it is impossible to completely keep a guide to Russian counterparts. A vivid example of this is “grapes” in Russian and the English version. In English there is the word grapes, which is similar to the Russian word "grapes" to refer to exactly the type of berry, but at the same time as grapes there is also grape, which means "one grape". This is not the singular and plural of the same noun, but completely different words.

Tasty late harvest grapes grows in South Africa. (A delicious late grape grows in South Africa.)

I found a grape in my salad. (I found a grape in my salad.)

In Russian, as we know, “grape” does not have a plural, and there is another word for designating one thing of this berry - “grape / grape”.

A large group of English nouns are special in that they can be countable or uncountable depending on the situation. They are classified as a special group of homonyms: with the same spelling, they will have different meanings. Here are some examples of such cases.

I hate fish, I only eat meat! (I hate fish, I only eat meat!) - Fish as a food item is incalculable.

Yesterday I bought a new fish for my aquarium. (Yesterday I bought a new fish for my aquarium.) - Fish as one living creature, in this case a countable noun.

We decided to cook potatoes. (We decided to cook potatoes.) - In this sentence, tato is a food product, uncountable.

I ate a big potato. (I ate a large potato.) - Already countable, since it is used in the meaning of "one thing."

I cannot eat so much salad. (I can't eat that much salad.) - The type of dish mentioned is uncountable.

We made four salads. (We made four salads / four types of salads.) - Countable.

Some uncountable nouns in English require a definite article. An example is weather: this word always comes with a definite article if there is no adjective before it.

If the weather is fine, we will go to the village. If the weather is good, we will go to the village.

The weather in Paris was very good last week. The weather in Paris last week was very good.

The word “news” has become a “talk of the town” among linguists in terms of inconsistency with the Russian version. The noun is uncountable, in the presence of a plural ending, it has the grammatical meaning of the singular.

Bad news is that you will stay at home! – The bad news (sing.) is that you will stay at home!

However, news in the same form can also become countable if there are several pieces of news. In this case, the word is considered to be plural.

Some news are not truthful in this magazine. – Not all the news (plural) in this magazine is true.

Another unique uncountable noun is money. In modern Russian, the word "money" does not have a singular number, although the word "money" once existed (now it is considered dead). But in English money, on the contrary, is used only in the singular and never had a plural.

I think money solves all problems. I think money solves all problems.

For those who prefer to learn by video, we shot a short video on the topic of countable and uncountable nouns:

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Today we will look at which nouns in English are countable and which are not. We will learn what to do if a noun can be both countable and uncountable. And also remember which words-determinants need to be put in this or that case.

In this article we will learn English grammar literally on the fingers. If the number of nouns can be counted, they (countable), if not - uncountable (uncountable). It's simple: three apples, two eggs and flour - hardly anyone will count it grain by grain. However, there are exceptions: some nouns in Russian can be counted, but not in English, and vice versa. In this case, a dictionary will help you. Also, some nouns in English can be both countable and uncountable - it depends on the context.

Want to practice using countable and uncountable nouns? Sign up for and learn grammar without cramming - with simple examples from life.

Countable nouns in English

Countable nouns in English can be used both in the singular (singular form) and in (plural).

I have a car. - I have the car.
There are 40 cars in our Nissan dealership. - At our Nissan dealership 40 cars.

Countable nouns in the singular cannot be used alone, they must be preceded by a qualifying word, for example, (my - mine, his - his, our - ours, etc.) or a demonstrative pronoun (this - this, that - that ).

Let's take a closer look at what and when to use with singular countable nouns.

1. The indefinite article a/an. It is believed that this article comes from the word one (one). Therefore, it should be used when we are talking about one of the many - an indefinite object, person or phenomenon.

   She has got a car. - She has the car. (some one)
   My friend is a doctor. - My friend is a doctor. (one representative of the class)

   If we use an adjective when describing something for the first time, we put the article a/an first, then the adjective, and only then the noun.

   I heard a wonderful song last night. - Last night I heard beautiful song.
   Rome is a beautiful city. - Rome - beautiful city.

2. The definite article the. It is believed that this article takes its roots from the pronoun that (that). Therefore, we use it when we are talking about something specific, known to both interlocutors.

   Can you open window, please? - Could you open window, please? (both know which window to open).
   I'm going to clean the car tomorrow. - I'm going to wash tomorrow car. (both know which car it is)

3. Possessive and demonstrative pronouns. Use possessive adjectives (my - mine, your - yours / yours, his - his, her - hers, its - his / hers, our - ours, theirs - theirs) if it is appropriate in the context and you want to indicate what belongs to whom .

   This is her daughter. - This is her daughter.
   My dog doesn't bite. - My dog doesn't bite.

   Or you can use a demonstrative pronoun (this - this, that - that).

   This actor is brilliant. - This actor brilliant.
   That man is staring at me. - That man stares at me.

Why use plural countable nouns?

1. Zero article. That is, we simply do not set anything. We use this rule if we are talking about something in general, without specifying anything.

   She likes roses. - She likes roses. (roses in general, not specific)
   Cars pollute our environment. - Cars pollute our environment. (machines in general, not specific)

2. The definite article the. Here the same rule works as in the case of singular nouns - we use the if we are talking about something specific or known to the interlocutor.

   The children are playing in the park. - Kids are playing in the park. (we know which children we are talking about)
   Where are the books I gave you? - Where books that I gave you? (specific books)

3. Indefinite pronouns some, any. Use these qualifying words if you don't know the exact amount of what you're talking about.

   We usually use some (several) in affirmative sentences.

   There are some birds in the tree. - Sitting on a tree several birds. (we don't know how many birds)
   We need to buy some balloons for the party. - We need to buy several balls for a party.

   Any is often used in interrogative and negative sentences instead of some.

   I have not bought any apples. - I didn't buy apples.
   Do you have any questions? - You have questions?

   Note that any in the affirmative sentence takes on the meaning of "any".

   You can buy any dress you like. - You can buy any dress which you like.

4. Words denoting quantity (quantifiers). It can be:
   • many, a lot of - a lot

     In colloquial speech, we often use many in interrogative and negative sentences, and lot of in affirmative ones. In formal style, the expression a lot of is not recommended.

     We didn't take many pictures. - We did not many photos.
     I've seen a lot of great films recently. - I watched lot excellent films recently.

   • a few - few, few - few

     Interestingly, only the article a distinguishes a few (a little, but enough) from few (little, not enough).

     I have a few close friends. - I have some relatives friends. (it suits me)
     Few people know about this. - Few people know about it. (I would like more)

Uncountable nouns in English

Uncountable nouns in English have only one form and agree with the verb in the singular.

There is sand in my shoes. - In my shoes sand.
Your luggage looks heavy - Your luggage looks heavy.

Uncountable nouns in English can be divided into several semantic groups:

• food: meat (meat), salt (salt), bread (bread), chocolate (chocolate), soup (soup);
• liquids: tea (tea), coffee (coffee), lemonade (lemonade), petrol (gasoline), oil (oil), shampoo (shampoo);
• materials and substances: gold (gold), wood (wood), sand (sand), paper (paper), coal (coal);
• abstract concepts: happiness (happiness), love (love), friendship (friendship), beauty (beauty);
• subjects and languages: chemistry (chemistry), literature (literature), Spanish ( Spanish language), English (English);
• diseases: flu (flu), mumps (mumps), measles (measles);
• other: money (money), furniture (furniture), weather (weather).

What can be used with uncountable nouns?

1. Zero article when talking about something in general.

   She prefers green tea. - She prefers green tea.

2. The definite article the when talking about something specific.

   The tea that she was served delicious. - Tea which she served was delicious.

3. Some, any. The rules of use are the same as in the case of countable nouns: in the affirmative form we often use some, in the negative and interrogative - any. We use it when we mean a certain amount, and most often we do not translate into Russian.

   I have some money in my wallet. - I have money in a wallet.

   Do you have any luggage with you? - You have baggage with myself?
   - No, I don't have any luggage. - No, I do not have luggage.

   Note that some can be used in interrogative sentences when we offer something or ask for something.

   Would you like some wine? - Would you like to drink guilt?
   Can you lend me some money? - Could you lend me of money?

4. Quantity words:
   • much, a lot of - a lot

     As with countable nouns, in informal speech we use much in negative or interrogative sentences, and lot of in affirmative sentences.

     Why do you need so much time for the survey? - Why do you need so a lot of time for a poll?
     You have a lot of furniture in your room. - In your room A lot of furniture.

   • a little - a little, little - a little

     Please note that, as in the case of a few / few, the difference in meaning between a little / little is associated with the article: a little - a little (enough), little - little (not enough).

     Pour a little milk in this glass, please. - Pour a little milk in this glass, please.
     I have little milk, this is not enough for coffee. - I have little milk, it is not enough for coffee.

   • To specify the amount of non-countable foods and substances, use countable capacities or units of measure. For example: a kilo of sugar - a kilogram of sugar, a bottle of water - a bottle of water, a slice of pizza - a slice of pizza, etc.

     Shall I bring a bottle of wine? - bring me a bottle of wine?

     If you cannot find a unit of measure, then use the a piece of or a bit of construction.

     I have two pieces of news- good and bad. Which should I start with? - I have two news- good and bad. Which one should I start with?

In the table below you will find the most common uncountable nouns in English and examples of their use. Pay attention to the use of determiners, indefinite pronouns, the words "many" / "few" and agreement with the verb.

Noun	Example
accommodation - accommodation	I need to find some accommodation for these four months. - I need to find housing for these four months.
advice - advice	I need a piece of good advice. - I need a good advice.
baggage (AmE), luggage (BrE) - luggage	how much luggage have you got? - How many do you have luggage?
equipment - equipment, outfit, device	This hospital has a lot of new equipment. - In this hospital lot new equipment.
furniture - furniture	There is little furniture in my house. - In my house little furniture.
information - information	It was a helpful piece of information. - It was helpful. information.
homework - homework	She has a lot of homework to do. - She needs to do a lot of homework.
housework - housework	I have a little housework today. I just need to do the ironing. - I have today a little housework. I just need to stroke.
knowledge - knowledge	Unfortunately, I had little knowledge to pass the exam. - Unfortunately, I had little knowledge to take the test.
litter, rubbish (BrE), garbage (AmE) - garbage	Our planet is full of liter. - Our planet is full rubbish.
luck - luck	Any luck with the booking? - There is successes with booking?
news - news	The news was very exciting. - News were very exciting.
progress - progress	I haven't made any progress. - I didn't get no progress.
traffic - road traffic	Traffic was blocked by some roadworks. - road traffic was blocked due to road works.

Nouns that can be either countable or uncountable

Depending on the context, the same noun in English can be both countable and uncountable. Let's look at examples of their use with the corresponding qualifying words, pronouns, the words "a lot" / "little".

Uncountable	Countable
Coffee and tea as drinks, liquids I don't drink much coffee. I prefer tea. - I do not drink a lot of coffee, I prefer tea.	Coffee and tea as a cup of drink Can we have a tea and a coffee? - Can we ( cup) tea and ( cup) coffee?
cake as food Would you like some of my birthday cake? - Do you want a festive cake? -Just a little. - Only Little.	One whole cake I need to buy two big cakes for the party. - I need to buy two big cake for a party.
Chocolate as food I am allergic to chocolate. - I'm allergic to chocolate.	Chocolate candy in a box I've found a box of chocolates. - I found a box of chocolates.
Hair She has long hair. - She has long hair.	Hair There is a hair in my soup! - In my soup hair!
Time I don't have much free time this week. - I have some free time this week. time.	Number of times I go to the gym three times a week. - I go to gym three times in Week.
Paper as a material Can you give me some paper, please? - Could you give me paper, please?	newspaper, document I bought an interesting paper. - I bought an interesting newspaper.
Glass I saw some glass near the broken window. - I saw glass near the broken window.	Cup Can I have a glass of orange juice, please? - May I cup orange juice, please?
free space, space There is no room on the wall to hang a picture. - Not on the wall places to hang a picture.	Room There are five rooms in this house. - In this house five rooms.
Work I had trouble finding work after graduation - I had a hard time finding work after graduation.	work, product There are more than one thousand works of art in this museum. - This museum has more thousands of works art.
stone as material This palace was built of stone. - This castle was built from stone.	piece of stone A robber threw a stone at a bank's window. - Robber threw a rock at the bank window.
affairs, business I have some unfinished business to go here. - I have unfinished affairs.	Company He runs a small business. - He manages a small company.

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Test on the topic "Countable and uncountable nouns in English"

We hope that our article helped you understand the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. Of course, there are many nuances and exceptions, which are simply impossible to describe in one article. so as not to miss the following grammar articles - and there will be many, we promise!

Countable nouns (“to be counted”) are words denoting the names of specific objects and abstract concepts that can be counted. And since they can be counted, they are used both in the singular and in the plural. Here examples of countable nouns: table, picture, hour, holiday, offer, boy, decision, way-out, etc.

By using such words in the singular, you can precede them with the indefinite article a / an: a table, a picture, an hour, an offer, a boy, a decision, a way-out. Moreover, a countable noun in the singular must always be accompanied by some determiner. If there is no indefinite article, either a definite article (the) or a possessive pronoun (my, his, our, etc.), a demonstrative pronoun (that, this) is needed. Let me remind you that a determinative is a linguistic indicator with a noun, expressing the meaning of certainty. For example:
I saw a boy.
This picture is a masterpiece.
I approve of the decision you've made.
I broke my leg.

With countable nouns in plural we can use the indefinite pronouns some (any, many, few, many):
Some friends of mine will come to this party. Several of my friends will come to the party. (Some of my friends will come to the party).

In contrast to the previous uncountable nouns(“non-calculable”) are the names of substances, abstract concepts that cannot be counted. And, therefore, they are used only in the singular.

Examples: knowledge, silver, music, milk, water, happiness, furniture, advice, etc. These nouns cannot be used with the indefinite articles a / an, but with the other determiners mentioned above ( definite article, possessive, demonstrative pronoun) they can be combined.

They are also used with some indefinite pronouns: some, any, much, little. For example:
These ear-rings are made of silver.
I have some news for you.
I don't like the music you are listening to now.
Her beauty attracts me.

However, there are cases in which the use of an uncountable noun with the indefinite article a/an is allowed, as well as with numerals (one/two, etc.). This can be done when ordering food in a restaurant, cafe:
We'll have four coffees, please. We have four coffees.

Uncountable nouns include
- various edible products (meat, flour, milk, salt, etc.),
- liquids (petrol, coffee, etc.),
- substances and materials (gold, wood, glass, etc.),
- abstract concepts (help, education, etc.)
- and many other words (advice, weather, hair, etc.).

What if we need to use such a word in speech? how transfer any amount? Certain words serve this purpose: a piece of advice, a bowl of fruit, a carton of milk, a bar of chocolate, a glass of wine. ), a can of Coke (a can of Coca-Cola), a tube of paint (a tube of paint), a kilo of meat (a kilogram of meat), a cup of tea (a cup of tea), a loaf of bread (a loaf of bread), a rasher of bacon (thin slice of bacon).

If we are talking about material nouns, then we remember that there are nouns that denote not the substance itself, but the object that consists of this substance. Such a noun will already be countable. For example:
Their house is built of local stone. Their house is built from local stone. (uncountable noun)
I have a stone in my shoe. - I have a stone in my shoe. (countable noun)

In yet another way, real nouns can become countable: when they convey different sorts or kinds of a substance.
There is a live coal in the fire-place. - There is a burning coal in the fireplace.
You can read about four tips in choosing and using various body oils. - You can read four tips on how to choose and use different body oils.

What is the difficulty in understanding the principle of "computability-incomputability"? But the fact is that some nouns in English are uncountable, and in Russian or other languages, on the contrary, they are countable. Among them are the following words: baggage, bread, information, furniture, traffic, work, progress, accommodation, cash, clothing, cutlery, equipment, health, luck, money, photography, research, safety, sunshine, underwear, violence, etc.

Ports are open to internal passenger traffic. – Ports are open for international passenger traffic.
A change of underwear must be done at least once a day. - Change your underwear at least once a day.
The hotel checked our baggage. The hotel took our luggage for storage.

And there are nouns that can be used both as countable and as uncountable. But in this case, we will observe a difference in meaning. For example:
I ate three apples. - I ate three apples. (countable)
Is there an apple in this salad? Is there an apple in this salad? (uncountable)
Would you like a glass of lemonade? How about a glass of lemonade? (countable)
This sculpture was made of glass. This sculpture is made of glass. (uncountable)
I'm pressed for time. “I don't have time at all.
How many times did you read this article? How many times have you read this article?