Countable and uncountable nouns (1)

Countable and uncountable nouns compared

   1)       If a noun is countable:

a we can use dan in front of it: 1 bought a book. (Not *I bought book. ')

b it has a plural and can be used in questions with How many?: How many books ... ?

c we can use a number in front of it: one book, two books.

   2)       If a noun is uncountable:

a we do not normally use dan in front of it: I bought some bread. (Not *a bread')

b it does not normally have a plural and can be used in questions with How much?:

How much bread.. . ? (Not 'How many breads?')

c we cannot normally use a number in front of it.

   3)       We need to know whether nouns are countable or uncountable in English to be able to use a/an, some, any, much, many, a few, a little, etc. correctly.

Compare: It was a marvellous experience. (countable = something that happened)

We need someone with experience. (uncountable = skill and knowledge)

Nouns which can be either countable or uncountable: 'an egg/egg'

   1)      Some nouns are countable when they refer to single items, but the uncountable when they refer to substances:

countable (a single item) uncountable (substance/material)

He ate a whole chicken! Would you like some chicken?

I had a boiled egg for breakfast. There's egg on your tie.

   2)       Some nouns are uncountable when they refer to a material, but they are countable when they refer to an object made from that material:

countable ('thing')                                         uncountable ('material')

I broke a glass this morning.                        Glass is made from sand and lime.

I picked up a stone.                                       We used stone to build our walls.

Normally uncountable nouns used as countables (1): 'a coffee/ (some) coffee'

1) Words for drinks like coffee are normally uncountable. This means:

- we use no article: Coffee is important to the economy of Brazil.

- or we use some/any Is there any coffee? I'd like some coffee, please.

2)  However, when we are ordering coffee, etc., we normally treat it as countable:

I'd like a coffee, please. Two coffees, please. One coffee and a glass of milk, please.

Normally uncountable nouns used as countables (2): 'oil/a light oil'

Words like oil and plastic for substances and materials are normally uncountable:

Oil is produced in the North Sea.

We often use a/an with nouns like this when we are describing them with an adjective:

The North Sea produces a light oil which is highly prized in the industry.

Countable and uncountable nouns (2)

Singular equivalents of uncountable nouns: 'bread/a loaf'

   1)      A word like bread is uncountable. If we want ‘one item’, we use a different word:

I'd like some bread, please. -, I'd like a loaf (of bread), please.

   2)      Sometimes we have to say exactly what we want. We cannot say ‘a clothing’, so we ask for a coat, a shirt, etc. In the same way, we cannot say *a luggage*, *an accommodation*. We have to say what we want: e.g. a suitcase, a room.

Nouns not normally countable in English: 'information'

   1)      A number of nouns, like information, are countable in many languages, but they are uncountable in English. This means we cannot:

- use a/an in front of them: I'd like some information, please. (Not 'an information')

-give them a plural: I'd like some information, please. (Not *(some) informations')

Other examples: advice, clothing, flu, furniture, hair, homework, housework, jewellery, lightning, luggage, meat, money, news, permission, progress, rubbish, scenery, shopping, soap, spaghetti, thunder, toast, traffic, weather.

   2)       News is plural in form, but takes a singular verb: The news is bad. (Not 'the news are')

Hair (that grows on the head) is singular: My hair is long. (Not 'my hairs are')