English is an old language. It’s been spoken in one form or another for over 1000 years. During that time, it has picked up many irregularities and idiosyncrasies. The interaction between the plural forms of words and countability is one of these phenomenon. Words can be either countable or uncountable. Usually, countable nouns have plural forms and uncountable nouns do not. However, there are instances where the opposite can be true. The plural for food is one of these instances.
The plural for food is ‘food’. However, both ‘food’ and ‘foods’ is correct. Regularly, ‘food’ is an uncountable noun, so it doesn’t have a plural form in most cases. You can use the word ‘foods’ when you are talking about multiple types of food. The same is similar for the words ‘fish’ and ‘people’.
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
In English, the two categories of nouns are countable and uncountable nouns. You may also hear uncountable nouns referred to as mass nouns.
As you may have guessed, the main difference between these two categories of nouns is whether they can be counted or not. You may be saying to yourself, “That doesn’t make any sense! Why can’t I count everything?” But if you think about it, it actually makes perfect sense. Let me show you what I mean.
The fundamental difference between a countable and uncountable noun lies in whether it can be divided into distinct individuals or not. It’s easy to split a group of pencils or books into separate pieces. You can count these things.
The same is not true for nouns that refer to a single grouped (or mass) object. It isn’t as easy to split air or electricity into individual pieces, so it isn’t possible to count these nouns.
You can quickly tell the difference between countable and uncountable nouns if you think about the divisibility of the object in question. If you can separate a group of objects into several individual, distinct pieces, then there is a good chance that you are dealing with a countable noun. On the other hand, if it is difficult or impossible to separate a group into individual pieces, then you are dealing with an uncountable noun.
This was a very quick overview of countable and uncountable nouns. If you would like more information on the subject, you can check out my in-depth article on countable and uncountable nouns here.
Is Food Countable or Uncountable?
So that brings us to the word ‘food’. What is the status of this word?
Most frequently, the word ‘food’ is an uncountable noun. When we usually talk about food, we are referring to it as a mass entity. Whether that is a single type of food or several types grouped into a single meal, each of these ideas frames food as a single entity. Food is a nondescript word that refers to any substance that can be consumed by a living being to sustain its life.
As such, we can treat the word like any other uncountable noun.
So What About Foods?
However, there have probably been situations where you have seen the word ‘foods’ used. Believe it or not, this is actually a correct usage too, but it is only used in a specific case.
This case is when you are talking about different types of food. For example:
- Cookies are a food made from sugar.
You may be asking yourself, “Kyle, what gives? You didn’t use ‘foods‘! You only used ‘food‘!” Look a little closer. You’ll notice that I used the indefinite article ‘a’ as well. You can only use the indefinite article with countable nouns because the indefinite article only refers to a single object.
- a cat (one cat)
- a lion ( one lion)
- a cookie (one cookie)
- a food (one type of food)
We can further build upon our example above like so:
- Italian cuisine has of many different foods: pasta, pizza, gabagool, among others.
In the example above, we can finally see our plural form of food used in the correct context. We are talking about multiple types of Italian meals. In cases like these, we pluralize food to become foods.
Other Instances
‘Food’ isn’t the only word this happens with. There are a handful of other nouns in English which normally do not have a plural form, but we make use of one in cases where we are talking about multiple types of something. Here are examples of a few:
- You can see many different fishes at the aquarium.
- The various peoples of Africa all have unique cultures.
- You can buy many different meats from the butcher.
For the words above (besides fish), their fundamental uses are uncountable. However, this changes when we use them in the situations detailed above.
Conclusion
The differences between countable and uncountable nouns, along with their exceptions and irregularities can make your head spin! We just took a quick look at the word ‘food’ and its various forms. While you’re studying English, you may come across words that are only used as plurals occasionally. In these situations, the writer or speaker is referring to multiple types of that object. Whereas, regularly, the word has a mass, or grouped, sense about it.
If you’re ever stuck trying to decide whether you should use ‘food’ or ‘foods’, keep what you’re trying to say in mind. If you’re talking about eating food, that’s uncountable. However, if you’re talking about multiple types of food, that’s countable.
English is often difficult to completely master, even for a native speaker. The English language is continually evolving. While plurals seem straightforward, there are numerous exceptions, such as food and foods; and how to know what the difference is between the two.
“Food” is almost always an uncountable noun used to refer to food in general, while “foods” is the countable plural noun, meaning kinds of food. When used as an attributive noun, “food” functions much like an adjective for either singular or plural nouns although we might find the word “food” used as a countable singular noun in rare cases.
This article will discuss food versus foods, count and noncount nouns, determiners, and issues related to words of quantity. Read on to become an expert not just on food vs. foods, but all count and noncount nouns you encounter.
Is Foods the Plural of Food?
The short answer is yes, but we’ll need to understand the function of count and noncount nouns to know when to use this form properly. Food is most often used in the singular form as a noncount noun for the category of food; however, we use the plural form “foods” when referring to multiple food types (source).
For example, you might have Chinese food, Italian food, Mexican food, all in one place during a festival or some special buffet. If you sampled them all, you could claim to have tried various foods from around the globe.
There are various noun categories, including singular, plural, common, collective, noncount, count, and attributive nouns (source).
Singular nouns refer to a specific subject such as food, cabin, boy, wall, door.
Plural nouns refer to more than one, such as foods, cabins, boys, walls, doors.
Common nouns, as opposed to capitalized proper nouns, are not specific, referring to a very broad class of something, like milk or coffee.
Common nouns do not refer to individuals as individuals but by the common characteristics denoted by the noun. Food is a common noun.
Collective nouns are also known as group nouns that reference a group of individuals as a single entity. The three types of collective nouns are persons, animals, or things, whether objects or concepts.
Examples include a child, a herd, or a bouquet of flowers. We can use them with indefinite articles and they have plural forms.
Uncountable, noncount, or mass nouns refer to a substance we can divide indefinitely or an abstract concept.
They differ from collective nouns in that we do not use them in English with an indefinite article unless they are double nouns, and they do not have a plural form.
Many foods are noncount nouns like sugar, rice, pepper, or tea (source).
Count nouns refer to kinds of people, animals, or things that can be counted individually, such as foods, chairs, pens, and dollars. We can easily assign numbers or definite articles to them, and they have singular and plural forms.
Attributive nouns often function as adjectives, describing another noun as in the case of “food group” or “food groups.” Merriam-Webster lists “food” as a noun and one that is often attributive (source).
It is interesting to note that attributive nouns sound like compound nouns when spoken — for example, a steel bridge or a wood house — but they are not compound nouns.
Compound nouns such as “rowboat” or “rainbow” are not attributive nouns. Row does not modify the boat, and rain does not modify the bow.
The noun that the attributive noun modifies can be either singular or plural.
| Noun | Example Sentences |
|---|---|
| Noncount | Food makes me happy. |
| Countable Singular | Cereal is a food. The girl is eating an orange. |
| Noncount | Cereal is food. Let’s go out for some food. We ate a lot of food. |
| Countable Plural | There are so many foods to choose. The buffet was a smorgasbord of foods from different countries. There are many Asian restaurants that serve foods from China and Korea. |
| Attributive | What are the major food groups? Do you have food allergies? The food choice was limited. |
In the second example, “Cereal is a food,” the word “food” is a countable singular noun, placing the uncountable noun “Cereal” as one type of food.
We can also omit the article “a” and simply state that cereal is food. Adding an article helps to emphasize something as a particular example of a larger concept.
Food and Foods as Count Nouns
Both the words “food” and “foods” can be countable nouns, depending on the context. When used in the countable category, the definition always refers to the different types.
A count noun is just what it sounds like — something made up of distinct, countable units, so they can take singular or plural forms.
A count noun will often have a quantity word, number, or article in front of it. For instance, the count noun “table” is written as “a table,” “the table,” “one table,” “five tables,” or “the tables” (source).
The key to understanding the use of countable and uncountable nouns is their relationship to determiners, which includes definite articles, indefinite articles, possessives, quantifiers, and numbers (source).
A determiner is similar to an adjective, except a determiner can only go before the noun.
Again, “foods” is always a countable noun, while “food” can be countable or uncountable. When used in the uncountable category, “food” refers to the things we eat. When used as a countable noun, food refers to particular types of food (source).
| Countable Singular Food | Noncount Singular Food |
|---|---|
| Food = particular types of food. | Food = the things we eat. |
| The fruit is a food. | I ate too much food. |
| The pears are a food. | I ate the food on my plate. |
| He has a food allergy. | Hey, that was my food! |
| There are five food groups. | We went out for some food. |
| He prepared 10 food dishes. | We watched him prepare the food. |
Count Nouns and Indefinite Articles
When we add an “a” or “an” in front of a noun, we turn it into something we can break down into smaller pieces or elements.
“A” and “an” are used as modifiers for nonspecific nouns, so they are called indefinite articles. The articles “a” or “an” are only used with singular count nouns and never with noncount nouns.
Since food begins with the consonant “f,” we use the article “a” instead of “an,” which is only used for words beginning with the vowel sound (source).
| Singular | Example Sentence | Plural | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| food | An apple is a delicious food. | foods | Many types of food are served in the cafeteria. |
| food | What type of food is your favorite, Asian or American? | foods | I like a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables. |
| orange | I ate an orange. | oranges | I like oranges. |
| bean | What kind of bean do you like? | beans | There are many varieties of beans. |
| boy | John is a boy. | boys | John and Bill are boys. |
| soup | My favorite soup is tomato. | soups | I can never decide which soups to buy at the store. |
| cookbook | Jane borrowed one cookbook from the library. | cookbooks | John borrowed four cookbooks. |
| coat | I have a coat. | coats | I have a few winter coats. |
| hat | John’s hat is over there. | hats | John has many hats. |
Count Nouns and Definite Articles
“The” is used when referring to specific nouns, so we call it a definite article.
A definite article is when the reader knows the noun’s identity — for example, “The orange was delicious.” “The” can also modify noncount nouns — for example, “The food” or “The coffee” (source).
It is essential to remember that count nouns have both singular and plural forms, whereas noncount nouns do not have a plural form.
| Noncount Nouns | Definite Article The |
|---|---|
| Food | The food is delicious. |
| health | The health of our students is in jeopardy. |
| English | The English test was easy. |
| fur | The fur on the cat was fluffy. |
Count Nouns: Quantifiers and Numbers
We can only add numbers before counts nouns, but we can add quantifiers before either count nouns or noncount nouns. We can attach quantifiers like some, enough, all, more, less, no, any, none, plenty of, lots of, and not to either count or noncount nouns.
However, there are some quantifiers that we can only use with count nouns, like several, many, few, a number of, and a majority of.
| Quantifier | Count Noun | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| some | grapes | I have some grapes. |
| several | foods | There were several foods to choose from. |
| many | food | The caterers wanted to ensure there were many food options. |
| few | food | The menu listed few low-fat foods. |
| enough | apples | I can never have enough apples. |
| Number | Count Noun | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| one | food | I had to choose one food. |
| two | food | They gave me two food options. |
| three | foods | The meal centered around three foods. |
| nine | potatoes | I have nine potatoes. |
| four | eggs | He added four eggs. |
Food as a Noncount Noun
Inversely, an uncountable, noncount, or mass noun is not countable. Noncount nouns are considered whole, undividable into different parts. Noncount nouns generally refer to abstractions and sometimes have a collective meaning (source).
Noncount nouns do not always require articles, and when they use them, they always use “the” and never “a” or “an.”
Noncount nouns do not have a plural form. The categories included under noncount nouns are a mass, an organic substance, food, abstract concepts, games, disease, school subjects, and a language. However, we will discover rules have exceptions.
| Category | Noncount Nouns |
|---|---|
| A mass | Clothes, money, work |
| Organic substance | Hair, blood |
| Food | Milk, bread, cream, water |
| Abstract concept | Health, time, education |
| A game | Lacrosse, chess, volleyball |
| Diseases | Flu, virus, cold, chickenpox |
| School subject | English, science, math |
| A language | German, Portgegese, Polish |
| Noncount Nouns | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Food | Food makes me happy.The food was great! |
| Money | Joe made a lot of money over the summer. |
| Hair | My hair is greasy. |
| Cream | I enjoy cream in my coffee. |
| Health | Marvin is in good health. |
| Lacrosse | Lacrosse is not an easy sport to play. |
| Chicken Pox | The little girl has chickenpox. |
| Math | Math was never my favorite subject. |
| German | German is not an easy language to learn. |
Noncount Nouns: Quantifiers
While we can apply qualifiers to count and noncount nouns, there are some quantifiers we can only use with noncount nouns. These include much, little, a bit, a large amount of, a great deal of, and a large quantity of.
| Quantifier | Count/Noncount | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| much | noncount | I have so much food. |
| many | count | I have so many bananas. |
| A lot of (much) | noncount | I have a lot of food. |
| Lots of (many) | count | I have lots of food. |
| little | uncountable | I have very little food to eat. |
| few | count | A have a few pieces of candy. |
| A little bit of | uncountable | There is a little bit of wine in the stew. |
Others that can modify both count and noncount nouns are some, any, plenty of, enough, and no, all referring to a nonspecific amount. “Foods” will always be countable, while “food” is usually uncountable.
| Quantifier | Count/Noncount | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| some | noncount | There is some juice on the counter. |
| some | noncount | I have some food. |
| any | noncount | I don’t have any candy. |
| any | count | Do you have any apples? |
| Plenty of | noncount | I have plenty of food for the party. |
| enough | count | I have enough apples for every child. |
| no | count | There are no more bananas to eat. |
Food and Double Nouns
Food can function as a count or noncount noun. However, the meaning changes a bit depending on the use. According to the writing center at Walden University, the name for such nouns is double nouns (source).
When double nouns are in the noncount form, they refer to a whole idea. When used in the count form, it must be used with an indefinite article or changed to plural. Most double nouns refer to food.
A few examples of double nouns as food and different food types, such as wine, cheese, and tea. Here are examples using the same noun as both count and noncount:
| Count | Example Sentence | Noncount | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| food | An apple is food. | food | Let’s go out for some food. |
| wine | There are so many varieties of wine. | wine | The Sonoma Valley in California produces some of the finest wine. |
| glass | I have a glass of milk. | glass | We use glass cups for milk. |
| tea | I drank four cups of tea today. | tea | My favorite tea is red rooibos. |
| life | She leads a dangerous life. | life | Life is precious. |
Final Thoughts
No discussion on nouns would be complete without delving into articles, the function of determiners for both count and noncount nouns, and the function of adjectives apart from articles.
You will most often encounter “food” as an uncountable noun, but “foods” will always be a countable noun. When you do encounter “food” as a countable noun, it will have the indefinite article “a” in front of it.
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#1
Hi.
Is food countable or uncountable in the phrases
I do not eat much/many food?
Is there any food?
Thanks.
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#2
Hi.
Is food countable or uncountable in the phrases
I do not eat much/many food?
Is there any food?
Thanks.
Hello Ediskvaka and Privet.
Well, as far as I am concerned I don’t eat much either. There are a lot of different kinds of food out there. I like fresh food. Sometimes I buy frozen foods. They are convenient to prepare. I avoid rich foods like pastries.
Is there any particular type of food that I like most? I think it is fish, especially trout. I also eat a lot of vegetables.
It depends on how you look at «food» — in general or in particular.
Please tell us what kind of food you like most and what kind of food you usually buy. This will give us a better picture of how you understand the uncountable and countable use of the word food.
Last edited: Jan 27, 2011
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#3
Food is uncountable in general use, as it is in your examples.
Like most non-count nouns it can be countable when considering types of food. In this case it takes the plural foods, and may take the indefinite article, a.
Which foods should I avoid during pregnancy? (which kinds of food?)
Cotton, and its seed, is not a food. (not a kind of food)
I do not eat much/many food?
It is «much food» (food in general), but «many foods» (many kinds of food).
Is there any food?
Food takes singular concord with verbs («food is«, not «food are«), so if it were countable here it would say «Are there any food» (which isn’t correct).
Last edited: Jan 27, 2011
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#4
The test here is «Can we say ‘two food, three food, four food’?» The answer is «No, we cannot.» «Food» is therefore uncountable. We cannot say *»I do not eat many food.»
«Foods» is a different matter.
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#5
The test here is «Can we say ‘two food, three food, four food’?» The answer is «No, we cannot.» «Food» is therefore uncountable. We cannot say *»I do not eat many food.»
«Foods» is a different matter.
That is a good test as far as the word «food» is concerned (in its countable meaning). Because it has a plural form — «foods».
But there are words that do not take ‘s’ in their plural form, e.g. trout. But that is a different matter as well.
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#6
That is a good test as far as the word «food» is concerned (in its countable meaning). Because it has a plural form — «foods».
But there are words that do not take ‘s’ in their plural form, e.g. trout. But that is a different matter as well.
«Foods» isn’t a common word (not sure I’ve ever heard it). Where did you come across it? Normally I think the plural would be «foodstuffs» (which itself isn’t particularly common).
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#7
timpea[I said:
c;[/I]10232772]»Foods» isn’t a common word (not sure I’ve ever heard it). Where did you come across it? Normally I think the plural would be «foodstuffs» (which itself isn’t particularly common).
What I have really wanted to say is: That is a good test as far as the word «food» is concerned (in its uncountable meaning). And in its countable meaning it takes «s». But then it is the particular food. I wanted to agree with Sound Shift. (I made a boo-boo when I wrote: «(in its countable meaning)». I’m sorry.)
I also wanted to point out that there are other words (food words) that do not take «s».
I agree that the word foods is not used very often in colloquial speech. But sometimes it can be used. I found these examples in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, New 8th Edition:
«Campaigners are challenging the safety of genetically-modified foods.»
«Does the food taste good?»
Last edited: Jan 27, 2011
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#8
«Foods» isn’t a common word (not sure I’ve ever heard it). Where did you come across it? Normally I think the plural would be «foodstuffs» (which itself isn’t particularly common).
Foods is common enough if you read diet plans where you can choose two or three foods from a range of food groups, for instance.
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#9
Matching mole alrady gave examples but here’s another couple:
Some foods are better than others at building your immunity.
Certain foods are proven to stimulate faster cancer growth.
These are not rare uses.
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#10
Matching mole alrady gave examples but here’s another couple:
Some foods are better than others at building your immunity.
Certain foods are proven to stimulate faster cancer growth.
These are not rare uses.
Well, I think colloquially you can take pretty much any uncountable noun and pluralise it to mean «types of…» To my mind that doesn’t mean that «food» has a plural form «foods». You can’t say, even colloquially, «there were three foods on the table». You can say, albeit only formally, «there were three foodstuffs on the table».
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#12
Very interesting discussion!
I have a question in a way related to the topic.
Is a sentence: «My favourite food are pancakes» completely unacceptable?
Because the verb should match the subject, and not the object, right? But at the same time we might reverse the order and say «Pancakes are my favourite food» and everything is fine. And the fact that the order can be thus reversed makes me wonder whether «My favourite food are pancakes» is completely wrong (prescriptively speaking, at least).
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#13
Well, I think colloquially you can take pretty much any uncountable noun and pluralise it to mean «types of…» To my mind that doesn’t mean that «food» has a plural form «foods». You can’t say, even colloquially, «there were three foods on the table». You can say, albeit only formally, «there were three foodstuffs on the table».
There was also an earlier suggestion of «foodstuff» as an equivalent of «food» as a type of food. I wonder if this isn’t a British usage. While the term «foodstuff» is familiar to me as an American, I would expect to see it only in the formal technical discussions of economists and agricultural experts. Perhaps they use it more broadly, but I associate it with the material from which food is made; e.g., wheat is a foodstuff, bread is a food. I would certainly not expect to hear it at the dining table.
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#14
Well, I think colloquially you can take pretty much any uncountable noun and pluralise it to mean «types of…» To my mind that doesn’t mean that «food» has a plural form «foods». You can’t say, even colloquially, «there were three foods on the table». You can say, albeit only formally, «there were three foodstuffs on the table».
There are 2085 example of «foods» in the British National Corpus. Naturally, a proportion (a small proportion) are the names of food-producing businesses.
«Like so many peasant foods, the essence of pasta is its simplicity»
«The passion for ‘health’ foods and mineral water, and exercises such as ‘jogging’ and aerobics, were largely middle-class enthusiasms.»
«The Lappish diet is restricted to these basic foods and the result has been both anger and concern.»
«Alternatively, you could fill the basket with his favourite foods or toiletries.»
«… foods rich in fat or refined sugar might seem very attractive …»
The use of «foods» is far too common in written work to be dismissed as colloquial pluralisation by adding ‘s’.
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#15
Indeed, far from colloquial «foods» is used routinely by the most up-market purveyors of fine foods.
Fortnum & Mason,
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#16
Last edited: Jan 28, 2011
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#17
There are 2085 example of «foods» in the British National Corpus. Naturally, a proportion (a small proportion) are the names of food-producing businesses.
«Like so many peasant foods, the essence of pasta is its simplicity»
«The passion for ‘health’ foods and mineral water, and exercises such as ‘jogging’ and aerobics, were largely middle-class enthusiasms.»
«The Lappish diet is restricted to these basic foods and the result has been both anger and concern.»
«Alternatively, you could fill the basket with his favourite foods or toiletries.»
«… foods rich in fat or refined sugar might seem very attractive …»The use of «foods» is far too common in written work to be dismissed as colloquial pluralisation by adding ‘s’.
I stand by what I say. To use another example «water» doesn’t have a plural (referring to the stuff you drink, not the more poetic meaning for rivers or seas) yet you can say «like many French mineral waters, Evian is mostly exported…» As long as you can’t say «how many foods do you want for dinner?» I’m not going to be convinced that «foods» is anything other than a plural of an uncountable noun indicating «kinds of», just as you can do with any uncountable noun.
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#18
There was also an earlier suggestion of «foodstuff» as an equivalent of «food» as a type of food. I wonder if this isn’t a British usage. While the term «foodstuff» is familiar to me as an American, I would expect to see it only in the formal technical discussions of economists and agricultural experts. Perhaps they use it more broadly, but I associate it with the material from which food is made; e.g., wheat is a foodstuff, bread is a food. I would certainly not expect to hear it at the dining table.
Could be, the Oxford English Dictionary gives the definition familiar to me — a substance suitable for consumption as food — whereas the first definition in Meriam Webster (AE dictionary) is a substance with food value; specifically : the raw material of food before or after processing
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#19
I stand by what I say.
…snip…
I’m not going to be convinced that «foods» is anything other than a plural of an uncountable noun indicating «kinds of», just as you can do with any uncountable noun.
Ahh, we were slightly at cross-purposes. I was objecting to your describing it as a colloquialism. I regard it as a normal part of standard English.
In our inimitable forum style, we have wandered away from the original question (helped on the way by some of the mods ).
Is food countable or uncountable in the phrases
I do not eat much/many food?
Is there any food?
Do we agree that in the examples it is uncountable, but in a different context it becomes countable?
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#20
Hi.
Is food countable or uncountable in the phrases
I do not eat much/many food?
Is there any food?
Thanks.
If we remove the word many from the examples above then they will look like this:
I do not eat much food?
Is there any food?
Now the word food can be substituted by pasta or any other food (or foodstuff <e.g. spaghetti, parboiled rice> or even chow <from Chinese pidgin English>) related item. Thus we get this:
I do not eat much pasta.
Is there any pasta? (= e.g. Is there any pasta in the bowl?)
In the above sentences pasta is definitely uncountable. It is a mass.
The trouble is that Ediskvaka’s examples contain the word many. Now we have to take it into consideration. And, of course, many goes together with countable nouns.
If we keep the word many then we can create these sentences:
I do not eat many pastas. = I do not eat many pasta dishes. But I really like «Cincinnati Chili» (http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/CincinnatiChili.htm)
Is there any pasta? = Is there any pasta dish on the menu?
Could we say: I do not eat many foods.? It looks that we cannot, doesn’t it?
Last edited: Jan 28, 2011
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#21
Ahh, we were slightly at cross-purposes. I was objecting to your describing it as a colloquialism. I regard it as a normal part of standard English.
In our inimitable forum style, we have wandered away from the original question (helped on the way by some of the mods
).
Do we agree that in the examples it is uncountable, but in a different context it becomes countable?
Answering the second part first — I’d like to say yes as we’re basically on the same page, I think — but in my opinion, no.
My point is that you can take pretty much any uncountable noun and add -s to mean «types of» (or in terms of coffee, for example, «cups of» etc) just as long as the uncountable noun is something that can come in different types. As such if you say «food» is sometimes uncountable and sometimes countable then you are effectively doing away with the whole of the category of uncountable nouns because you can say the same about any of them.
What I mean is that «types of xxx» is not really a plural of «xxx». To give an example, «coffee» is uncountable yet I can say «some coffees contain more cafeine than others» and «I like two coffees before breakfast». Does that make «coffee» countable? I’d argue not. Another example — «I’ve drunk all of the wines in the pub» means you sampled all the (types of) wine on offer. It’s very different from «I’ve drunk all the wine in the pub» or «I’ve drunk all of all of the (types of) wine in the pub».
Back to the first part — the colloquial question — as I say I think you can take any uncountable noun and pluralise it to give a different nuance of meaning as long as it’s possible to conceive there are different types of the item in question. I think that the ease with which this is done varies depending on how commonly it occurs. For example, a common occurrence is if someone says «I’ll have a tea, please» (instead of «some tea»). Being a bit of a pedant that always grates on my ear when I hear it (not that I’d say anything), it sounds colloquial to me. It hasn’t yet for me reached the status of being standard. «The petrols sold at this station are all terrible» sounds even worse to me. «I like a tall cool beer», however, sounds fine. «The punishments used at this institution are terrible» also sounds fine.
So it seems to me that this countable use of an uncountable noun has to earn its spurs before it can be considered standard — and most aren’t. With «foods» I agree that it is not colloquial in the phrase «fine foods» and in the shop context. In other contexts, yes you’re probably right «colloquial» is a bit too harsh. Nonetheless something like «certain foods are proven to stimulate faster cancer growth» still niggles a little at my ear — at the very least it sounds like business speak.
Bringing it right back to the original question I’d say that «food» is uncountable, although the plural-looking form can be found in some fairly specialised contexts where it no longer means «food as in human fuel» but specifically «types of food».
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#22
Well, I think colloquially you can take pretty much any uncountable noun and pluralise it to mean «types of…» To my mind that doesn’t mean that «food» has a plural form «foods». You can’t say, even colloquially, «there were three foods on the table». You can say, albeit only formally, «there were three foodstuffs on the table».
Your persistence in denying some very ordinary uses of the word FOODS is puzzling.
Saying what cannot be said is not nearly so interesting as accpeting that FOODS is current in many contexts and not really specialised ones, diet planning and food retail are pretty mainstream contexts for foods of all sorts.
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#23
To give an example, «coffee» is uncountable yet I can say «some coffees contain more cafeine than others» and «I like two coffees before breakfast». Does that make «coffee» countable? I’d argue not.
Keep digging
One meaning of coffee from the COED is «a hot drink made from the roasted and ground bean-like seeds of a tropical shrub.»
«I’ll have a hot drink made from … etc»
«And I’ll have a hot drink made from … etc»
«Waiter, that makes two hot drinks made from … etc»
Seems to me that coffee, when it means «a hot drink made from … etc» fits pretty well to the concept of a countable noun.
«I’ll have two coffees please»
I think you’ll find a meaning of tea that is very similar.
I would, however, agree that «food» is only pluralised when used to mean «type of food», but to my mind it then becomes countable
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#24
Your persistence in denying some very ordinary uses of the word FOODS is puzzling.
Saying what cannot be said is not nearly so interesting as accpeting that FOODS is current in many contexts and not really specialised ones, diet planning and food retail are pretty mainstream contexts for foods of all sorts.
Which common usage of the word FOODS have I denied? Despite your use of the word persistence, I see you quote one of my first posts in the thread. Did you read the later ones?
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#25
Keep digging
One meaning of coffee from the COED is «a hot drink made from the roasted and ground bean-like seeds of a tropical shrub.»
«I’ll have a hot drink made from … etc»
«And I’ll have a hot drink made from … etc»
«Waiter, that makes two hot drinks made from … etc»Seems to me that coffee, when it means «a hot drink made from … etc» fits pretty well to the concept of a countable noun.
Then we really do disagree. Yes «a hot drink made etc» is countable, but only if you have several types, otherwise it’s uncountable. You (as in one) like coffee, you like a lot of coffee, and there’s certainly nothing stopping you liking several coffees but if you do you either like several different brands of coffee or you like several cups. It’s a classic use of pluralising an uncountable noun just as you can any uncountable noun to mean «types of» or in this case «cups of».
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#26
Keep digging
One meaning of coffee from the COED is «a hot drink made from the roasted and ground bean-like seeds of a tropical shrub.»
«I’ll have a hot drink made from … etc»
«And I’ll have a hot drink made from … etc»
«Waiter, that makes two hot drinks made from … etc»Seems to me that coffee, when it means «a hot drink made from … etc» fits pretty well to the concept of a countable noun.
«I’ll have two coffees please»
I think you’ll find a meaning of tea that is very similar.
I would, however, agree that «food» is only pluralised when used to mean «type of food», but to my mind it then becomes countable
What is interesting I have just come across an interesting article «»THE QUEEN TEA; Royal drops in for a cuppa with Susan.» (http://www.google.pl/search?hl=pl&rlz=1C1GPCK_enPL398PL398&q=%22THE+QUEEN+TEA;+Royal+drops+in+for+a+cuppa+with+Susan.%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=) where the word «cuppa» is mentioned. Cuppa means a cup of tea. A cuppa is definitely a countable noun.
Last edited: Jan 29, 2011
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#27
Your persistence in denying some very ordinary uses of the word FOODS is puzzling.
Saying what cannot be said is not nearly so interesting as accpeting that FOODS is current in many contexts and not really specialised ones, diet planning and food retail are pretty mainstream contexts for foods of all sorts.
The word foods was used by Louis Alexander — A revolutionary teacher of English to the world (http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/jul/09/guardianobituaries.obituaries) In his famous book Practice and Progress (New Concept English) by Louis George Alexander, Longman, page 131, chapter 51: Reward for Virtue — Why did Herbert’s diet not work?, we read:
“My friend, Herbert, has always been fat, but things got so bad recently that he decided to go on a diet. He began his diet a week ago. First of all, he wrote out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden. The list included most of the things Herbert loves: butter, potatoes, rice, beer, milk, chocolate, and sweets.”
Below the story about Herbert and his diet there is a list of questions. Among them there is this one:
«Has he forbidden himself all the foods he likes, or has he forbidden himself all the foods he does not like?»
The word foods occurrs in the context of things that we eat every day, like butter, potatoes, milk and sweets.
I wonder if foods is interchangeable with foodstuffs in British English. Maybe the word foodstuffs is used more often by the Americans.
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#28
I really like the discussion and I believe I learned a lot from it… however I have a very simple and maybe stupid question:
Junk Food would be countable or uncountable when I’m using less and fewer. I was thinking of using it as an example in class then I start wondering… I would say less junk food, but now I’m not completely sure about it.
Cagey
post mod (English Only / Latin)
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#29
Hello danialencar.
Welcome to the forum.
I think that ‘less’ is usually right. I would say, for instance, «Eat less junk food.»
If we are thinking of specific examples of junk food, we might use the countable version, but I think this is less likely. Here is one example I thought of: Today he likes fewer junk foods than than he did when he was a child.
(It’s not a good example. It’s just the best I could to right now. )
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#30
Thanks for the welcome. I’ve never tried one of these forums before and I really like the idea of sharing and learning.
Well, I can totally see the difference when using fewer and less in this case… thanks.
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#31
I read through the whole thread but still don’t understand the difference.
When you purchase any frozen or chilled food/foods, you can get a free bottle of oil.
Would you use «food» or «foods», and why?
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#32
I’m assuming this means any one item, so for me it would be «When you purchase any item of frozen or chilled food…» I would happily omit «item», making it «any frozen or chilled food…»
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#33
Does «any frozen or chilled foods» (with an s) mean «any kinds of frozen or chilled food» (without an s)?
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#34
It would mean more than one kind of food. «Foods» is not commonly used in everyday speech. We more often say different kinds of food, than different foods. Using «foods» also makes it unclear whether you have to buy more than one frozen item and whether the items have to be different kinds of items to get the oil.
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#35
How about this (treating food as countable and adding «a»):
When you buy a frozen or chilled food, you can get a free bottle of oil.
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#36
How about this (treating food as countable and adding «a»):
When you buy a frozen or chilled food, you can get a free bottle of oil.
No. To paraphrase Myridon, countable «food» is not commonly used in everyday speech. There has to be a particular reason to use the countable form: for example «which foods contain vitamin C?» «Fruit and vegetables». Here «foods» is used to mean «types of food». «Dark chocolate is a food from Heaven»: here the countable form identifies dark chocolate as a particular and special type of food, but allows for the possibility that there is another food from Heaven, perhaps manna. I thought this had been explained previously.
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#37
Hi all,
I’ve been reading this thread and I was wondering if you could help me.
Should I say «wide rage of food» or «a wide range of foods«?
«A great variety of food» or «a great variety of foods«?
Many thanks
Cagey
post mod (English Only / Latin)
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#38
Hi all,
I’ve been reading this thread and I was wondering if you could help me.
Should I say «wide rage of food» or «a wide range of foods«?
«A great variety of food» or «a great variety of foods«?Many thanks
Hello, Lecword.
I would say a wide range of foods. The point of having a wide range is that you have a lot of different kinds of food, which is when we use the countable form.
I would say «a great variety of foods» for the same reason.
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#39
Keep digging
One meaning of coffee from the COED is «a hot drink made from the roasted and ground bean-like seeds of a tropical shrub.»
«I’ll have a hot drink made from … etc»
«And I’ll have a hot drink made from … etc»
«Waiter, that makes two hot drinks made from … etc»Seems to me that coffee, when it means «a hot drink made from … etc» fits pretty well to the concept of a countable noun.
But those examples strike me as exclusively related to ordering/buying. On the other hand though, if you were offering it to a friend at your place, you’d probably say «Do you want some coffee?» or «Would you like a cup of coffee?», but not «Would you like a coffee?», right?
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#40
I could say any of those in that situation.
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#41
I could say any of those in that situation.
Really? I always assumed there was some difference, but then again I’m not a native speaker. I thought it sounded fine to ask a «friend» «Do you have some coffee?», but weird to ask «Do you have a coffee?» or «Do you have an orange juice?»
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#42
Food is uncountable in general except a few case where name of the food item is specified exactly as mango, pizza etc. In other cases food has the similar usage as water. I do not eat much food would be the correct usage according to me.
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#43
Really? I always assumed there was some difference, but then again I’m not a native speaker. I thought it sounded fine to ask a «friend» «Do you have some coffee?», but weird to ask «Do you have a coffee?» or «Do you have an orange juice?»
Yes, really, why do you think I wrote it? But I wouldn’t say «Do you have …» as a way of offering somebody a drink, because that’s not English. I certainly say «Would you like a coffee?», often.
Don’t confuse that with:
Me «Would you like a drink?»
Friend «Do you have coffee?» not «… a coffee?»
but this is normal:
Friend «Could I have a coffee?»
But this is wandering from the thread topic, which is «food».
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#44
Yes, really, why do you think I wrote it? But I wouldn’t say «Do you have …» as a way of offering somebody a drink, because that’s not English. I certainly say «Would you like a coffee?», often.
I didn’t mean «Do you have a coffee?» an a way of offering, but rather as a way of requesting (sorry if I wasn’t clear). If it’s ok to offer saying «Would you like a coffee?», why isn’t it ok to request saying «Do you have a coffee?»
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#45
1. All of the food was prepared by seven.
2. All of the foods were prepared by seven.
Are both sentences OK? Do you see any difference in meaning between them? Thanks!
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#46
Baab, I’ve moved your question to one of the many other threads we have on this topic. If your questions aren’t answered already, you’re welcome to add them to this thread.
JustKate
English Only moderator
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#47
1. All of the food was prepared by seven. -> the food = the things that were edible -> food is a mass noun (uncountable)
2. All of the foods were prepared by seven. -> foods = different types of food. (countable)
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#48
Thank you, JustKate and PaulQ.
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#49
I would urge baab to add «o’clock» to the sentence. I was wondering for a minute or so why it took seven people to prepare the food, and who they were.
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#50
…and it is worthwhile mentioning that the use of «foods» is rare.
Все существительные относятся к одной из двух групп: исчисляемые (countable) или неисчисляемые (uncountable). Разделение на исчисляемое и неисчисляемое в английском языке отличается от русского, поэтому эта тема вызывает сложности для изучающих язык.
В зависимости от принадлежности к одной из двух категорий, в английском меняются некоторые грамматические показатели: выбор числа существительного и согласование с ним глагола, использование артиклей, употребление слов much / many и few / little.
В статье рассмотрим, какие слова относятся к каждой группе и разберем, на что влияет выбор в английском исчисляемых и неисчисляемых существительных.
Что можно или нельзя посчитать
К исчисляемым существительным относятся объекты, которые можно перечислить и посчитать. Например, a pencil — карандаш. Это слово принадлежит классу исчисляемых существительных, потому что мы можем пересчитать множество карандашей: one pencil (один карандаш), two pencils (два карандаша), three pencils (три карандаша) и так далее. Для таких существительных существуют формы единственного и множественного числа.
Неисчисляемые существительные — такие, для которых мы не можем перечислить объекты и посчитать элементы множества. Пример таких слов — water (вода). Когда мы говорим о воде, то посчитать, сколько в ней элементов, просто невозможно.
Именно принцип счетности лежит в основе выделения исчисляемых и неисчисляемых слов. В теории все кажется простым, но на практике возникают спорные ситуации. Чтобы их избежать, посмотрим на каждый тип существительных подробнее.
Исчисляемые существительные в английском языке
К классу исчисляемых существительных относятся, как мы уже сказали, объекты, которые можно посчитать. Это привычные нам бытовые предметы (table — стол), люди (boy — мальчик) и многие другие слова.
Исчисляемые существительные изменяются по числу. Во множественном числе к ним добавляется -s: pencil (карандаш) — pencils (карандаши). Глагол to be при таких существительных принимает формы как единственного, так и множественного числа:
There are many cars on the road — На дороге много машин.
His car is very expensive — Его машина очень дорогая.
При исчисляемых объектах может стоять как неопределенный, так и определенный артикль:
I have a car — У меня есть машина.
The car needs to be repaired — Машина нуждается в починке.
Неисчисляемые существительные
В список неисчисляемых существительных в английском языке попадают следующие категории:
- Ощущения, чувства, эмоции: hate (ненависть), fear (страх), happiness (счастье) и другие. Психическое состояние не поддается перечислению, мы либо испытываем эмоцию, либо нет, поэтому такие слова относятся к классу неисчисляемых.
- Абстрактные существительные: information (информация), space (пространство), time (время) и другие. Мы не можем увидеть или потрогать абстрактные существительные и не можем их посчитать. Эти понятия нематериальны и не существуют в объективном мире, поэтому они определяются как неисчисляемые. Никаких сомнений в том, исчисляемое information или нет, у вас оставаться не должно.
- Погодные явления: weather (погода), cold (холод), wind (ветер)… Такие слова также относятся к классу неисчисляемых.
- Вещества и материалы: wood (дерево), salt (соль), flour (мука), water (вода)… Особенностью веществ является то, что они не состоят из элементов, которые можно посчитать. Любая часть муки — та же мука, любая часть воды по-прежнему является водой.
Теперь разберем, употребляется ли is или are с неисчисляемыми. Эти существительные могут стоять только в единственном числе, поэтому и глагол согласуется с ними в единственном числе:
Fear is a destructive feeling — Страх — разрушающее чувство.
Salt is necessary for the human body — Соль необходима для человеческого организма.
Со словами этого класса может употребляться определенный артикль, однако невозможен неопределенный. В неопределенном артикле a / an заложена идея выделения одного объекта из множества, что противоречит идее неисчисляемых существительных. Тогда как определенный артикль the может использоваться с неисчисляемыми объектами:
The weather is great today — Сегодня прекрасная погода.
Сложные случаи
Но и список неисчисляемых существительных в английском языке может вызывать вопросы. Не всегда легко определить, к какому типу относится объект. Усложняет ситуацию то, что в русском языке распределение по двум классам может происходить несколько иначе.
Например, в русском языке мы можем употребить одно и то же существительное в обоих смыслах: как исчисляемый объект и как неисчисляемый. Тогда как в английском часто используются разные слова для двух типов. Например, абстрактное work (работа) относится к неисчисляемому типу. Если же мы хотим сказать о конкретной работе, о рабочем месте или занимаемой позиции, используется исчисляемое существительное job (работа):
I have a lot of work to do — У меня много работы (то есть дел, которые нужно сделать — абстрактное существительное, неисчисляемое)
I’ve found a new job — Я нашел новую работу (то есть пост, рабочее место — конкретное употребление, исчисляемое)
Та же ситуация и со словом food (еда, пища). Чтобы не сомневаться, исчисляемое food или нет, нужно запомнить его различие со словом meal (еда, прием пищи). Когда речь идет об определении съестных продуктов, используется слово food, а когда о приеме пищи — meal. При этом первое слово относится к неисчисляемым, а второе — к исчисляемым.
I want to live long so I only eat healthy food — Я хочу долго жить, поэтому ем только здоровую пищу.
Try to have more than three meals a day — Постарайся употреблять пищу чаще, чем 3 раза в день.
Другой пример — слово «дерево», которое в русском может обозначать и материал, из которого делают предметы, и конкретное дерево. В английском же для материала используется слово wood (дерево), а для конкретного объекта — tree (дерево).
This table is made of wood — Этот стол сделан из дерева (материал — неисчисляемое)
This tree on the side of the road is very old — Это дерево на краю дороги очень старое (конкретное дерево — исчисляемое)
Неисчисляемые существительные употребляются в предложениях в единственном числе. И здесь также бывают расхождения с русским языком: некоторые слова по-русски имеют вид множественного числа, тогда как в английском они стоят в единственном. Например, является ли исчисляемым или нет money (деньги)? Множественное число в переводе на русский не должно сбивать вас с толку: в английском это слово принадлежит к классу неисчисляемых.
Money doesn’t always bring happiness — Деньги не всегда приносят счастье.
Показательным является пример со словом news (новости). Формально оно имеет вид множественного числа. Но это неисчисляемое существительное, и оно всегда согласуется с глаголом в единственном числе:
In the modern world news is everything — В современном мире новости значат все.
Сложности также возникают, когда одно и то же понятие в английском и русском относится к разным классам. Например, принадлежит ли к исчисляемому или неисчисляемому advice (совет)? А исчисляемое или неисчисляемое furniture (мебель)? Посмотрим, какие из слов в английском языке относятся к другому классу, нежели в русском.
Неисчисляемыми в английском являются существительные:
- news — новости
- advice — совет
- work — работа
- knowledge — знание
Разбираясь, например, исчисляемое или нет knowledge (знание), мы не должны ориентироваться на другие языки. Ведь на русский мы можем перевести это слово как единственным, так и множественным числом:
Knowledge is the key to success — Знание / Знания — ключ к успеху.
Часто у изучающих возникают вопросы и о следующих словах:
- furniture — мебель
- damage — урон
- baggage — багаж
- traffic — транспортное движение
- food — пища
Запомните, что все эти примеры относятся к классу неисчисляемых слов.
Перевод из одного класса в другой
Слова из одного класса могут переноситься в другой. Для этого используются названия емкостей или единицы измерения. Мы не можем пересчитать само вещество, но мы всегда можем посчитать упаковки или количество килограмм.
Чтобы посчитать неисчисляемые объекты, используются слова:
- bottle — бутылка: a bottle of wine — бутылка вина
- plate — тарелка, порция: a plate of meat — порция мяса
- bar — кусок: a bar of soap — кусок мыла
- sheet — лист: a sheet of paper — лист бумаги
- slice — ломоть: a slice of bread — ломтик хлеба
- glass — стакан: a glass of water — стакан воды
- jar — банка: a jar of jam — банка варенья
- cup — чашка: a cup of coffee — чашка кофе
- kilo — килограмм: a kilo of meat — килограмм мяса
- litre — литр: a litre of water — литр воды
- piece — кусок: a piece of bread — кусок хлеба
Выражение «a piece of» используется не только для материальных объектов, но может переноситься и на абстрактные понятия. Так advice (совет) становится исчисляемым в конструкции a piece of advice.
Если мы используем подобные конструкции, то глагол согласуется в числе именно с ними, а значит, может принимать форму множественного числа:
Here are two bottles of juice — Вот две бутылки сока.
Обычно на вопрос, исчисляемое или неисчисляемое soup (суп), мы отвечаем, что неисчисляемое. Однако при употреблении в конструкции «a bowl of soup» (миска супа) становится возможным посчитать отдельные предметы.
Когда какой-то из приведенных способов указать на количество оказывается очень частым, то слово, обозначающее емкость, может опускаться из предложения. Например, для кофе или чая характерно употребление слова «чашка» (cup). Поэтому оно может только подразумеваться во фразе, но не выражаться. Тогда слова coffee и tea выступают как исчисляемые.
Two coffees, please — Два кофе, пожалуйста.
Переход из одного класса в другой возможен и без специальных указателей. Некоторые неисчисляемые существительные можно поставить во множественное число. При этом меняется их значение.
Возьмем слово time: исчисляемое или нет? Мы уже говорили, что time (время) как абстрактное существительное является неисчисляемым. Однако, у него есть и другое значение: при употреблении в качестве исчисляемого существительного time приобретает значение «раз»: one time (один раз), two times (два раза):
I’ve seen him four times today — Я его сегодня видел четыре раза.
Уже рассмотренное слово work (работа), которое в обычном употреблении относится к неисчисляемым существительным, может менять класс и переходить в исчисляемые. Тогда это слово принимает значение «произведение»:
I love the works of this painter — Я люблю работы этого художника.
Начинающих изучать английский может поставить в тупик вопрос, исчисляемое или неисчисляемое fruit (фрукты). Дело в том, что, когда мы употребляем это слово в значении вида пищи, существительное выступает в качестве неисчисляемого. А когда оно ставится во множественное число, слово приобретает дополнительные значения: разные виды фруктов или плоды дерева.
In order to be healthy, you need to eat fruit — Чтобы быть здоровым, тебе нужно есть фрукты (употребление в качестве неисчисляемого).
What fruits can we buy here? — Какие фрукты мы можем здесь купить? (Употребление в качестве исчисляемого).
Для слов, относящихся к пище, такие переводы из одного класса в другой являются характерной чертой. Существительное wine (вино) обозначает вид напитка в неисчисляемой форме, но в значении разных сортов вин становится исчисляемым и имеет множественное число:
When I drink wine I always feel bad — Когда я пью вино, мне всегда плохо (тип напитка)
We tasted some marvelous wines — Мы попробовали восхитительные вина (разные сорта).
В качестве примеров можно привести и другие слова этой тематики. Попробуйте определить, potato: исчисляемое или неисчисляемое?
You shouldn’t eat potato — Тебе не стоит есть картошку.
One potato is enough, I’ve had lunch recently — Достаточно одной картофелины, я недавно обедал.
Как и в приведенных ранее примерах, когда мы используем potato (картофель) как тип пищи, мы употребляем слово в качестве неисчисляемого. А в исчисляемом виде слово получает значение «картофелина».
Существительное hair (волосы) обычно употребляется в единственном числе как неисчисляемое, когда мы говорим о всей совокупности волос на голове:
His hair is dark — У него темные волосы.
Но если речь идет о единичном волосе, hair становится исчисляемым. По-русски мы можем подчеркнуть единичный объект, используя выражение «один волос» или оставить множественное число:
There is a hair in my tea! — В моем чае волос / волосы!
Различные употребления существуют и для слова paper (бумага). Исчисляемое или нет paper? В значении «бумага» это существительное выступает как неисчисляемое. А в качестве исчисляемого оно обозначает газету / документ / письменную работу.
Do you have enough paper? — Тебе хватает бумаги?
I love to read papers — Я люблю читать газеты.
Указание на количество
От счетности слова зависит выбор показателей количества. К ним относятся many / much, few / little. В каждой паре первое слово употребляется с исчисляемыми существительными, второе — с неисчисляемыми.
Именно распределение на исчисляемое и неисчисляемое в английском определяет выбор количественного слова. Например, apple (яблоко) является исчисляемым, поэтому с ним будут использоваться показатели many. Тогда как со словами типа water (вода) употребляется much.
Приведем примеры к каждому употреблению:
- many — много (с исчисляемыми): Many years have passed — Прошло много лет.
- much — много (с неисчисляемыми): There is much love in the world — В мире много любви.
- few — мало (с исчисляемыми): Too few people agreed to do this — Слишком мало людей согласилось это сделать.
- little — мало (с неисчисляемыми): I have little time — У меня мало времени.
Asked by: Mr. Max Jacobs MD
Score: 5/5
(13 votes)
Countable nouns are those, which can be used with numbers and have plural forms. Food is an example of uncountable noun because you cannot say «four foods».
Can we count food?
Some nouns can be either count or noncount, as in food/foods, meat/meats, bread/breads, etc. The change in countability depends on the context.
Does food have plural?
Food in its commonest sense is a non-countable noun, with all the effects of that. It’s already a plural. You would eat «some food» not «a food». You would say «less food» not «fewer foods».
What foods are uncountable?
Uncountable Food List
- bread.
- cheese.
- water.
- juice.
- flour.
- meat.
- chocolate.
- soup.
Is food much or many?
@0227_junya many is used for countable nouns and much for uncountable nouns, food as it is, it’s not countable, so you should use much food.
15 related questions found
Is a lot of countable or uncountable?
A lot of (or lots of) can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. There are lots of apples on the trees. There is a lot of snow on the road. Notice that we don’t usually use many or much in positive sentences.
Is bread countable or uncountable?
Partitive Structure with Uncountable Nouns
For example, we cannot usually say “two breads” because “bread” is uncountable. So, if we want to specify a quantity of bread we use a measure word such as “loaf” or “slice” in a structure like “two loaves of bread” or “two slices of bread”.
Is Rice countable or uncountable?
In contrast, uncountable nouns cannot be counted. They have a singular form and do not have a plural form – you can’t add an s to it. E.g., dirt, rice, information and hair. Some uncountable nouns are abstract nouns such as advice and knowledge.
Is pizza countable or uncountable?
We use the uncountable word «pizza» to describe the food in general. When we order specific pizzas, then we use it as a countable noun: I love pizza. (in general) I want to order three mushroom and sausage pizzas.
Is butter countable or uncountable?
Yes, it is uncountable. That’s why we always use a counter — and not the same counter, at that, in sentences. We can say one pat of butter or two pounds of butter or three ounces of butter.
Is fruit countable or uncountable?
Fruit is usually uncountable: I love fruit. ✗Don’t say: I love fruits. Fruit is used as a countable noun when talking about particular types of fruit: They grow mainly citrus fruits.
Do you say foods or food?
“Food” is an uncountable noun, but you can sometimes use “foods” when you’re referring to specific kinds of food. Here are some examples where you can use “foods”. However, please bear in mind that even if you were to use “food” (without the “s”), the sentences would still be grammatically correct.
Is vegetable countable or uncountable?
“Fruit” is usually used as an uncountable noun (“How much fruit did you buy?”, “I love fruit”), but can when talking about varieties or species of fruit be countable (“The selection of fruits”). “Vegetables” is simply a countable noun.
What are countable words?
Countable (or count) nouns are words which can be counted. They have a singular form and a plural form. They usually refer to things. Most countable nouns become plural by adding an ‘s’ at the end of the word.
Is garlic countable or uncountable?
The word ‘garlic’ is a non-countable noun because : It cannot be counted as one garlic, two garlics, three garlics etc. It does not have a plural form (garlics)
Is ice countable or uncountable?
‘Ice cubes’ are countable noun, ‘ice’ is uncountable noun.
Is banana a countable or uncountable noun?
Banana is a countable noun. A countable noun can be singular (banana)or plural (bananas). Countable nouns are things we can count. So we can say ‘one banana’, ‘two bananas’ etc.
Is lemonade countable or uncountable?
«Lemonade» is usually uncountable, but it can be used as a countable noun to mean «a glass of lemonade».
Is Potato countable or uncountable?
Potato is a countable noun. You can have a potato and potatoes. Uncountable nouns have no plurals, and cannot normally be used with a/an.
Is Strawberry countable or uncountable?
(countable) A strawberry is a red, triangle-shaped fruit. (countable) A strawberry is a small plant that grows close to the ground and makes these berries. (uncountable) Strawberry is a type of red similar to the color of this fruit.
Is coconut countable or uncountable?
[countable] the large nut of a tropical tree (called acoconut palm). It grows inside a hard shell and contains a soft white substance that can be eaten and juice that can be drunk.
Is toothpaste countable or uncountable?
Anyway, «toothpaste» is an uncountable noun, like sugar, warter, etc.
Is countable many?
In plural, these nouns can be used with a number (that’s why they are called ‘countable nouns’). Countable nouns take many. … These nouns cannot be used with a number (that’s why they are called ‘uncountable nouns’). Uncountable nouns take much.