Learn English

The lesson of the newsletter

COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

 

I) What is a countable noun?

a) It is a noun which is for things we can count.
Examples of countable nouns: table, bag, school
We can say: one table, two tables... one bag, two bags...

b) It usually has a plural form:
Examples: table > tables | bag > bags | school > schools

 

II) What is an uncountable noun?
a) It is a noun which is for things we cannot count.
Examples of uncountable nouns: tea, sugar, water, air, rice.

b) Uncountable nouns are often the names for abstract ideas or qualities.
Examples: knowledge, beauty, anger, fear, love.

 

c) They usually do not have a plural form. They are used with a singular verb.
Examples: we cannot say "sugars, angers, knowledges".

d) We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of one of these nouns, we use a word or expression like:
some, a lot of, a piece of, a bit of, a great deal of...

Examples:
He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview.
They've got a lot of furniture.

 

 

III) TEST

What have you understood?

Write the letter "C" in front of Countable nouns and the letter "U" in front of Uncountable nouns.

The first one has been done for you:

___U_____ water

_________ boat

_________ record

_________ money

_________ tree

_________ furniture

_________ evidence

_________ TV set

_________ happiness

_________ bottle

_________ wall

_________ garden

_________ advice

_________ baggage

_________ information

_________ window

_________ news

 

 

 

IV) CORRECTION

Here are the Uncountable nouns: water, money, furniture, evidence, happiness, advice, baggage, information, news