A) Most nouns have singular and plural forms. They are countable nouns.
e.g. One letter, two letters
- There is a letter on the table for you. (singular)
- There are letters on the table for you. (plural)
B) Some nouns only have one form. They are uncountable nouns.
e.g. Money
- There is no money in my bank account.
- There is a lot of money in my bank account.
C) Many uncountable nouns refer to substances:
e.g. Chocolate, water, coffee, milk, sugar, salt, cheese, bread, rice, wood, glass, plastic, soap, toothpaste.
- Do you have any chocolate?
- The milk is sour - let's make cheese.
- Rice is only edible when it has been cooked.
D) Many uncountable nouns refer to abstract ideas or emotions.
e.g. love, sadness, happiness, education, knowledge, and grammar.
- Money can't buy love.
- We like to experience happiness.
- This education is priceless.
E) You can use a/an with singular countable nouns.
e.g. an umbrella, a wheel, a mistake.
- It's raining so I need an umbrella.
- I made a mistake.
- This is a job for superman.
F) You can use plural countable nouns alone.
e.g. apples, bees, clouds.
- There are clouds in the sky today.
- There are bees making honey.
- We eat apples for breakfast.
G) You can't use an article with an uncountable noun.
e.g. time, sand, electricity.
- We need electricity to use our heater.
- I lost track of time and we stayed up very late.
- The beaches in Brazil have very nice sand.
H) It is very common in English to use some / any with plural nouns and uncountable nouns (Refer to grammar notes on Some Any for more details).
e.g. They don't listen to any advice.
- We don't have any toys for the children.
- There are many lessons in life, this is just one more.
- It is important to have some knowledge of grammar.
I) There are a range of nouns that are uncountable in English but are countable in other languages.
These include: accommodation, advice, baggage, behaviour, bread, chaos, damage, furniture, information, luck, luggage, news, permission, progress, scenery, traffic, weather and work.
J) For comparison purposes, look at these sentences:
Countable | Uncountable |
---|---|
I'm looking for a job. | I'm looking for work. |
What a beautiful view! | What beautiful scenery! |
It's a nice day today. | It's nice weather today. |
We had a lot of bags and suitcases. | We had a lot of luggage. |
These chairs are mine. | This furniture is mine. |
It was a good suggestion. | It was good advice. |
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