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Countable nouns - uncountable nouns...

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: 

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A. 'Where are're'sI don't know your luggageluggagespieces of luggagesI don't know ?' ' They'reItsThereIt'sI don't know upstairs…' 'Can you take himthemitI don't know down for me, please?'

B. 'Can you give me a few informationsfew informationsome informationinformationsI don't know about uncountable nouns?'

C. 'They've got manyplentya lot ofI don't know furniture. If you ask them nicely, they might give you furnituresa few piecessome furnituresI don't know of themittheyI don't know for your new flat.'

D.' Look at these students’ pieces of hairshairhairsI don't know. thereThey'reIt'sI don't know much too long.' 'They’ll have to have itthemtheyI don't know cut to respect the dress code.'

E. 'Can we talk? I need your adviceadvicespiece of advicesI don't know.' 'Come in an hour, I’ll see what I can do.'