![]() | > Other English exercises on the same topics: Frequent mistakes | Plural | Quantities [Change theme] |
> Similar tests: - Plural - Placement test beginners: Check your spelling - Past simple or present perfect - Plural forms - Placement test 1 - Countable or Uncountable? - Some / Any / Much / Many - Although / in spite of / despite | |
> Double-click on words you don't understand |
Countable nouns - uncountable nouns... - English lesson
When studying nominal groups, one of the most important points is to know if the nouns used in the different sentences are COUNTABLES (which means they can be counted) or UNCOUNTABLES (they can't be counted). This difference has, indeed, a lot of consequences on these nouns and on the sentences in which they're used. Therefore, you must know these words and their constructions.
I) COUNTABLES: Characteristics of countable nouns:
- They indicate elements which can be counted: they can be used either in the singular or in the plural.
- They can be preceded by a numeral (either cardinal or ordinal), by 'many', 'few', 'a few', 'several', 'these' and 'those', 'a' ou 'an'...
- There were many books in the school library; a lot of these books had no pictures at all; on the top shelf, I saw a few books in Chinese.
II) UNCOUNTABLES: 1) Characterictics of Uncountable Nouns:
a) They have no plural. The verb which accompanies them is ALWAYS IN THE SINGULAR.
- Your hair is too long! You should have it cut!
b) In front of them, it's impossible to have a numeral [(either a cardinal one : one, two, three...) or an ordinal one : (first, second, third ...)], 'few/ a few/ many', or the indefinite article: 'a/ an'.
c) An uncountable noun can be preceded by 'some, any, no', 'little', 'a little', much, this/ that (but not 'these/ those' [which are plurals].
If we want to be more precise, 'a lot of', or 'a piece of'... or even, the absence of indefinite article [0] must be used.
- Your father gave me a lot of advice. On the contrary, your mother only gave me one piece of advice, but it was a very important one.
- What a disaster! We've run out of chocolate.
2) UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS: WHAT ARE THEY?
a) CONCRETE nouns expressing MATERIALS and FOOD:
MATERIALS | FOOD |
Cotton/ silk/ velvet/ wool | chocolate/ butter/ flour/ meat |
Plastic/ concrete/ stone | beer/ wine/ water |
Iron/ steel/ gold/ silver | tea/ coffee/ milk |
Wood/ water | juice/ beer/ wine |


- HUMAN ACTIVITIES:
play(ing) | swimming |
work | housing |
business | singing |


- GROUPS of ELEMENTS: when wanting to speak about one item only, use "a piece of..."
Furniture | News |
Luggage | Knowledge |
Information | Trouble |
Progress | Evidence |
Advice | Nonsense |


Here is what you need to know about COUNTABLES and UNCOUNTABLES. The following test shouldn't be too difficult for you... I give you THE FORCE...


English exercise "Countable nouns - uncountable nouns..." created by here4u with The test builder. [More lessons & exercises from here4u]
Click here to see the current stats of this English test

End of the free exercise to learn English: Countable nouns - uncountable nouns...
A free English exercise to learn English.
Other English exercises on the same topics : Frequent mistakes | Plural | Quantities | All our lessons and exercises