Nouns can be either countable or uncountable (also known as mass nouns) in the English language. The former refer to individual things, while the latter name things we consider a whole or cannot count, including abstract nouns.
Countable Nouns
Rule 1: Most English nouns are countable nouns and can be used in their singular or plural form.
Rule 2: We can use numbers and indefinite articles in front of countable nouns.
Note: We cannot use singular countable nouns without articles or possessive pronouns, but we can use plural countable nouns alone.
Rule 3: We can use quantifiers some, any, (a) few, many with plural countable nouns.
Rule 4: To some collections or groups of countable nouns we can find a corresponding uncountable noun to describe them as a whole.
Here are some examples:
| Group of Countable Nouns | Corresponding Uncountable Noun |
|---|---|
| pants, t-shirts, socks | clothes |
| chairs, tables, sofas | furniture |
| blackberries, apples, avocados | fruit |
Uncountable Nouns
Rule 5: Some English nouns are uncountable and have only one form - usually, singular. They are used with verbs in the third person singular.
Note: Some uncountable nouns have only plural form and are used with verbs in the plural.
Rule 6: We use uncountable nouns without an article or possessive pronoun, and we cannot use numbers in front of them.
Rule 7: We use quantifiers some, any, little, much with uncountable nouns.
Rule 8: Uncountable nouns often refer to materials, liquids, and collections of things.
| materials | wood, paper, metal, glass, etc. |
| liquids | water, milk, oil, tea, coffee, etc. |
| collections | clothes, luggage, furniture, etc. |
How to Count Uncountable Nouns?
Rule 9: We can use different units to count uncountable nouns. This way, we count the units, not actual uncountable nouns.
Here are some of the most common units used with uncountable nouns:
| Unit | Uncountable Noun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a glass of / a cup of | water, juice, milk, coffee, etc. | Can we have two cups of tea and a glass of water, please? |
| a piece of | bread, paper, advice, equipment, furniture, clothing, etc. | He has an important piece of information to share. |
| a bottle of / a jar of | wine, water / jam, peanut butter, honey | She brought two bottles of wine and a jar of fig jam. |
| a gram / kilo of | rice, flour, butter, meat, etc. | We need a half of a kilogram of beef for this recipe. |
| a litre of | water, milk, broth, etc. | We need about two litres of chicken broth for soup. |
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Rule 10: Some English nouns can be have both countable and uncountable form. In this case, a countable noun refers to specific things and uncountable - to more general.
Quiz
1/4Choose the correct form of a noun. They need new ___ in their kitchen.