Countable and Non-Countable Nouns
There are two main groups of nouns in English. It is important to know the difference between these two groups as there are different grammar rules for each. These groups are known as countable and non-countable.
Most nouns are countable; this means we can count the object (or concept) they refer to. We can, for example, stand in a field and count:
A countable noun has two forms: singular and plural. We use the singular form when we talk about one object (or concept), and we use the plural form when we talk about more than one object (or concept). We can say:
When the countable noun is the subject of the sentence, the verb is singular or plural, depending on the noun (this is called subject-verb agreement):
Some objects (or concepts) cannot be counted. We cannot stand on the beach and count:
sand and water are examples of non-countable nouns and they only have a singular form:
Common non-countable nouns include:
| liquids | beer, cola, juice, lemonade, milk, tea, water, whiskey, wine |
| foodstuffs | butter, cheese, grain, meat, pepper, rice, salt, sugar, wheat |
| miscellaneous | advice, furniture, hair, knowledge, luggage, money, news, pasta, progress, research, spaghetti, toothpaste |
If the non-countable noun is the subject of a sentence, we use it with a singular verb:
Students often make mistakes with these non-countable nouns:
Remember, non-countable nouns have a singular verb and do not have a plural form:
Non-Countable Expressions
When we use non-countable nouns, we often use them in expressions:
With some common expressions, we can delete the container and make the non-countable noun, countable:
Some nouns are countable and non-countable but with different meanings:
In the first example, cold is non-countable and refers to cold weather and low temperature; in the second example, a cold refers to a blocked nose and lots of sneezing.
Often when we talk about an example of a non-countable noun then we make the noun countable:
In the first example we are talking about wine in general; in the second we are talking about a specific wine, an example of the whole.
Quantity
When we talk about quantity with countable and non-countable nouns, there are a number of different ways we can do this.
To express quantity with a countable noun, we can use a number and a plural noun:
If the number is one, we usually use an article instead:
Or we can be non-specific and talk about approximate numbers:
To express quantity with a non-countable noun, we cannot use a number and a plural form:
Instead, we must use some, any, much, little and a singular form:
When we talk about a non-countable noun, we can use an expression which shows an amount or a container:
Some other common expressions include: bar, bottle, box, cup, jar, kilo, l oaf, meter, mile, packet, piece, pound, sheet, slice, tin, ton, tube, yard.
See Also
Counting Cards - an activity to practice count/non-count nouns with your class.
Sticky Fingers - how to demonstrate countable/non-countable nouns to your class.
