Word means countable or uncountable

В английском языке имена существительные делятся на исчисляемые (Countable) и неисчисляемые  (Uncountable), и если с исчисляемыми существительными вопросов не возникает, то употребление неисчисляемых подразумевает наличие множества интересных нюансов, которые мы собираемся рассмотреть. 

Неисчисляемые существительные

Неисчисляемыми существительными являются названиями материалов  (materials), жидкости (liquids), абстрактных качеств (abstract qualities), совокупности чего-то (collections) и других предметов, которые мы не можем расценивать в качестве отдельных предметов.  Большинство неисчисляемых существительных всегда в единственном числе и не имеют множественного, например: зерно (wheat), песок (sand), погода (weather), вода (water), шерсть (wool), молоко (milk). Мы не можем сочетать числа, а также неопределенный  артикль с неисчисляемыми существительными: aid (помощь), behavior (поведение), clothing (одежда), employment (работа), equipment (оборудование), furniture (мебель), help (помощь), information (информация), pollution (загрязнение), software (программное обеспечение), transport (транспорт):

• Such behavior is below standards. – такое поведение недопустимо.
• Your clothing is out of fashion. – ваша одежда не модная.
• This furniture is of famous trademark. – эта мебель известной торговой марки.

Существительные, оканчивающиеся на «–ing», и описывающие какую-то деятельность или активность, также являются неисчисляемыми: advertising (реклама), farming (фермерство), shopping (покупки), swimming (плавание), training (обучение) и т.д.

• Swimming is good for health – плавание хорошо для здоровья.
• You can do the best shopping in the central mall. – в этом торговом центре вас ждет лучший шопинг.

Некоторые существительные могут использоваться как исчисляемые, так и неисчисляемые, в зависимости от контекста:

• You have no work experience in this field of activity – у вас нет опыта работы в этой сфере деятельности.
• Staying overtime isn’t a pleasant experience. – Сверхурочная работа — не самая приятная практика.
• How much time do you need to download this file? – сколько времени тебе нужно, чтобы загрузить этот файл?
• How many times have you travelled abroad? – сколько раз вы путешествовали за границу?
• At week-end we often go to the country. – На выходные мы часто едем за город.
• He travels a lot and has visited many countries. – Он много путешествует и посетил множество стран.

Исчисляемое или неисчисляемое?

Иногда нелегко понять, какое перед нами существительное, например, «travel» считается неисчисляемым, тогда как journey – исчисляемое. Невозможно всегда знать наверняка, однако следующие правила, несомненно, помогут разобраться.

Названия болезней обычно считаются неисчисляемыми в английском, например, chickenpox (ветряная оспа), measles (корь), cancer (рак), diabetes (диабет), flu (грипп) и т.д. Однако слова, перед такими словами, как «a headache» и «a cold» сопровождаются артиклем.

Некоторые неисчисляемые существительные относятся к множественному числу. У них нет единственного числа, и они не используются с числительными: trousers (брюки), jeans (джинсы), pyjamas (пижама), pants (брюки), scissors (ножницы), spectacles (очки), glasses (очки), arms (оружие), goods (товар), customs (таможня), groceries (бакалея), clothes (одежда), thanks (спасибо).

• Have you bought the groceries? – вы купили продукты?
• Many thanks for your coming. –благодарю за то, что вы пришли.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLhuS6V7gbY[/youtube]

Список неисчисляемых существительных в английском языке

Вот список самых распространенных  слов, относящихся к неисчисляемым, а рядом указаны соответствующие исчисляемые выражения.

• Accommodation (жилье) —> ( a place to live)
• Advice (совет) —> (a piece of advice)
• baggage (багаж)—> (a piece of baggage; a bag, a case)
• bread (хлеб)—> (a piece of bread; a loaf; a roll)
• chess (шахматы)—> (a game of chess)
• chewing gum (жевательная резинка)—> (a piece of chewing gum)
• equipment (оборудование) —> (a piece of equipment; a tool)
• furniture (мебель)—> (a piece/article of furniture)
• information (информация)—> (a piece of information)
• knowledge (знание)—> (a fact)
• lightning (освещение)—> (a flash of lightning)
• luck (удача)—> (a bit/stroke of luck)
• luggage (багаж) —> (a piece of luggage; a bag)
• money (деньги) —> (a note; a coin; a sum)
• news (новости)—> (a piece of news)
• poetry (поэзия)—> (a poem)
• thunder (гром)—> (a clap of thunder)
• travel (путешествие)—> (a journey/trip)
• work (работа)—> (a job; a piece of work)
• milk (молоко)—> a glass of milk
• coffee (кофе) —> a cup of coffee
• chocolate (шоколад)—> a bar of chocolate
• rice (рис)—> a kilo of rice
• honey (мед) —> a spoon of honey
• cheese (сыр)—> a slice of cheese
• dust (пыль) —> a cloud of dust
• sugar (сахар)—> a particle of sugar
• sand (песок)—> a grain of sand
• scissors (ножницы) —> a pair of scissors
• air (воздух) —> a breath of fresh air
• petrol (бензин) —> a litre of petrol
• salt (соль) —> a pinch of salt
• ice (лед) —> a sheet of ice / paper
• water (вода) —> a drop of water
• grass (трава) —> a blade of grass
• paper (бумага) —> a sheet / piece of paper

Для закрепления материала предлагаем пройти небольшой тест.

Countable and uncountable nouns

In English, nouns are divided into quantifiable (Countable Nouns) and uncountable nouns (Uncountable Nouns).

Countable nouns

Countable nouns (Countable nouns) denote objects, objects, concepts that lend themselves to counting and can be used both in the singular and in the plural:

a car — two cars (car — two cars)

a book — five books (book — five books)

a student — a lot of students (student — many students)

an idea — my ideas (idea — my ideas)

Features of the use of countable nouns

Countable nouns in the singular can be used with an indefinite article a / an:

a fox is an animal… — A fox is an animal.

Note that the singular countable noun must always be used with some qualifier. This qualifier can be the indefinite article a / an, the definite article the, the demonstrative this or that, one of the possessive adjectives my, his, her, its, our, your, or their:

I have got UN Chien. The dog is black. This dog s to swim. I love my dog very much.

Countable plural nouns can be used with the definite article the or with the zero article (that is, without the article), as well as with the words some, any, several, few, or many:

Where are the keys? — Where are the keys? (the definite article the indicates that we are talking about some specific keys)
I dogs… — I love dogs.
He has got some dollars… — He has a few dollars.

Have you got any pens? — Do you have pens?
There are several pens on the table. — There are several pens on the table.
I have got few best friends… — I have few best friends.
I haven’t got many pens.

— I don’t have many pens.

The words several (several), few (few) and many (many) are used only with countable nouns.

The noun people (people) is a countable noun, since in this meaning people is the plural form of the noun person (person, person):

there is one person here. — There is one person here.
There are three people here. “There are three people here.

Uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns (Uncountable nouns or Mass nouns) — these are the names of concepts, phenomena, substances that cannot be counted. Uncountable nouns are used only in the singular and agree with verbs in the singular.

Uncountable nouns can be:

abstract nouns (we cannot count such concepts as «humor, darkness»):

Peace (peace), Happiness (happiness), information (information), Darkness (darkness), humor (humor)

names of subjects and disciplines:

Maths (mathematics), French (French), History (story), Geography (geography)

substances, materials, liquids (including many food products, which are loose substances, drinks and a mass homogeneous in their composition in the form of butter, cheese, sauces, etc.):

gold (gold), metal (metal), wood (wood), plastic (plastic), sand (sand), sugar (sugar), rice (rice), water (water), torch (tea), butter (butter), cheese (cheese)

natural phenomena:

weather (weather), thunder (thunder), lightning (lightning), rain (rain), snow (snow)

some specific nouns with a generalized meaning:

furniture (furniture), equipment (equipment), rubbish (rubbish), Luggage (baggage)

 You should also pay attention to the fact that those nouns that are uncountable in English (for example, accommodation — accommodation, advice — advice, furniture — furniture, information — information, money — money, travel — travel, knowledge — knowledge, hair — hair) can be countable in other languages. For example, the nouns advice (advice) and knowledge (knowledge) are uncountable in English, but countable in Russian (advice is advice; knowledge is knowledge).

Features of the use of uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns are used in the singular and agree with verbs in the singular:

This information is very important. — This information is very important.
Your luggage looks heavy. — Your baggage looks heavy.

You also need to remember that uncountable nouns are not used with the indefinite article a / an, but at the same time they can be used with other determinants: with the definite article the, the demonstrative pronouns this or that, the possessive adjectives my, his, her, its, our, your, their, as well as with the words some, any, little, much.

The news

Source: https://myefe.ru/reference/nouns/countable-uncountable

Countable and uncountable nouns in English

All English nouns fall into two groups. Some lend themselves to counting, while others cannot be counted. It is important to take this factor into account when constructing a proposal. The agreement with one or another pronoun, verb and article depends on calculability. This category carries not only grammatical, but also semantic load. Let’s take a closer look at everything in order.

Countable nouns

These include words for people and things that can be counted. In everyday life, they are found in one copy or in a large variety. For this reason, they can be used in the plural and combined with all numbers.

I ate at the restaurant with four colleagues/ I ate at a restaurant with four colleagues

i play video games pretty often / I play computer games quite often

Compatible with articles.

We can easily imagine such words and can see them in reality every day. They mean a very specific thing or an animated person, therefore, in the singular, they always carry an indefinite article («a» or «an»).

There’s been a mistake/ It was a mistake

I’ll take to book with me for the trip / I will take a book with me on a trip

 there is an elevator/ There is an elevator

Quantifiers matching.

The nouns we can list are compatible with quantifiers, but not all. They are used in conjunction with indefinite pronouns to express a greater or lesser degree of an animate or inanimate object:

1. Any — Any
2. Many — Many
3. Some — Some
4. Few — Several

I have some friends in America / I have friends in America

do you have many sofas these in the house? / You have many of the same sofas in the house

Uncountable nouns

They express collective words, liquid substances, weather, emotions, substances, diseases. They defy counting. Some of them are difficult to imagine and impossible to see in everyday life. Such words cannot be distinguished from many others and are never used with numbers. They indicate an abstract concept, therefore they are often used only in the singular form.

Our love is something that I can’t explain

I’d cold water with a bit of ice / I would like some cold water and some ice

Nouns that cannot be counted in English are not so simple. Difficulties arise when translating such words into Russian or another language. Somewhere they are used in the plural, but somewhere they are not. In English, there is a group of uncountable, which can only be combined with verbs in the singular.

Travel	Furniture / Furniture	News / News	Advice
Traffic	Luggage	Knowledge	Money / Money

What is your advice for me? / What advice can you give me?

That is really bad News for me / This is really terrible news

The opposite situation is also observed. A number of uncountable are used only in the plural, in contrast to the Russian language. This must be taken into account when coordinating such words with verbs.

Source: https://www.wallstreetenglish.ru/blog/ischislyayemyye-i-neischislyayemyye-sushchestvitelnyye-v-angliyskom/

Countable and uncountable nouns in English

1. Food and drinks (liquids): bread (bread), cheese (cheese), salt (salt), chocolate (chocolate), water (water), tea (tea), milk (milk), oil (butter).
2. gold (gold), silver (silver), wood (wood), plastic (plastic).
3. Subjects of study and languages: mathematic (mathematics), history (history), literature (literature), Ukrainian (Ukrainian), Russian (Russian), English (English).
4. Diseases: flu (flu), cancer (cancer).
5. Sports and games: football (football), golf (golf), poker (poker).
6. Abstract concepts: music (music), advice (advice), happiness (happiness).
7. Weather conditions: snow (snow), fog (fog), rain (rain).

But how do you describe the number of uncountable items? It’s simple — use specific notation:

• a slice (of bread) — a slice (of bread);
• a bit (of sand) — a little (sand);
• a kilogram (of meat) — a kilogram (of meat);
• a piece (of cheese) — a piece (of cheese);
• a cup (of tea) — a cup (of tea);
• a bottle (of milk) — a bottle (of milk).

By the way, if you want to say that there is a lot — some of the uncountable nouns — use the word much: much time — a lot of time. And with countable nouns, use the word many: many books — many books. There is a phrase that can be used with both categories, it is a lot of: a lot of documents — a lot of documents, a lot of love — a lot of love.

If you need to say that something is not enough, the word is used with countable nouns few: a few pens — a few pens, and with uncountable ones — a little: a little time — little time.

Pronoun some can be used with both forms of nouns, only in the case of those that can be counted it will mean «several», «some», «some» and with those that cannot be counted — «a little»: some workers — several workers , some pure water — some pure water.

Thus, we are very close to the topic of the singular and plural of countable and uncountable nouns. Oil oil? Let’s figure it out now, and you will understand that everything is not so confusing!

Singular and plural

Countable nouns in the singular in front of them require the setting of the article a / an. In the plural, a certain amount. At the same time, add the ending –s to countable nouns.

Read more about the formation of plural nouns in our article Plural in English.

Let’s take a look at examples:

• I dont have a car. — I do not have a car. We have two cars. — I have two cars.
• He doesn’t have a sister. — He has no sister. He has three brothers. — He has three brothers.

Uncountable does not require an article in any case and, naturally, such nouns are not used in the plural. Putting an article in front of an uncountable noun will change the meaning of the word: life (life) — a life (path of life), light (light) — a light (lamp).

Do not forget that in English there are words that have only the plural: scissors, pants, glasses, shorts, pajamas, tights. But they, for example, can be counted in pairs:

• I bought a new pair of jeans. — I bought a new pair of jeans (new jeans).
• They gave me two pairs of sunglasses. “They gave me two pairs of sunglasses.

Well, the theory is described — it’s time to move on to practice!

Exercises on andcount and uncountable nouns

1. This bracelet is made of gold / from gold.
2. I ate a cookies / tree cookies.
3. I want tea / some tea.
4. He bought ten bottles of beer / beers.
5. Do you wear two glasses / glasses?
6. There is some juice / little juice in the glass.
7. My friend Tom doesn’t eat meat / meats.
8. Would you a piece of cake / some cake?
9. I need your advice / some advice.
10. He looked at her with interest / an interest.

Answers: 1. of gold, 2. tree cookies, 3. some tea 4. ten bottles 5. glasses 6. some juice 7. meat 8.

both answers are correct 9. some advice 10. interest

Countable and uncountable nouns are not a difficult topic, but very important from the standpoint of understanding the English language itself, because nouns are associated with almost all parts of speech and literate people just need to be able to use them correctly.

You can put your knowledge into practice at the English language school in Kiev Native English School. Come learn and develop conversational skills with our wonderful teachers!

Source: https://native-english.com.ua/blog/ischisljaemye-i-neischisljaemye-suschestvitelnye-v-anglijskom-jazyke/

Countable and uncountable nouns in English

In English, all nouns are divided into countable and uncountable.

• Countable — those that can logically be counted: individual objects, people, animals, something that has a certain physical form. Box, child, tree, table are all countable nouns.

• The uncountable cannot be counted in the traditional way. These are bulk products, liquids, shapeless objects, gaseous states, natural phenomena, general concepts, abstract phenomena and much more. Weather, water, grass, money are uncountable nouns.

For Russian people unfamiliar with such a grammatical concept, it is initially difficult to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns. It would seem that money can be counted, but this is a deceptive assumption. You can count rubles, dollars or euros (respectively, rouble, dollar and euro are countable nouns). But the very concept of money does not lend itself to account — the expression «two moneys» is not only meaningless, but also wrong from a grammatical point of view.

Calculus as a function of value

There are a number of words in the English language that can be both countable and uncountable, depending on their meaning and context. The table shows the most common ones.

Countable	Uncountable
Chocolate — chocolate as a substance that has no definite shape. I don’t milk chocolate. I don’t like milk chocolate.	A chocolate — chocolate, candy: a product made of chocolate, which has a specific shape. Try these chocolates, they are delicious. Try these chocolates, they are delicious.
Fruit — fruit as a general concept. (not: I love fruits) I love fruits.	A fruit is a certain type of fruit. I bought different fruits. I bought several types of fruit.
Hair — hair. In theory, all hair on a person’s head can be counted, but practically impossible. Her hair is blonde. Her hair is blonde.	A hair is a hair, a few individual hairs that can really be counted. There are hairs in my soup. There are hairs in my soup.
Wine, tea, coffee, all beverages — drinks in general. He drinks wine every day. He drinks wine every day.	A wine, a tee, a coffee, all beverages (except water) — individual beverages or portion if cup or glass are omitted. This is a French wine. This is French wine.
Paper — paper	A paper — newspaper, document
Coal — coal	A coal — coal
Wood — wood	A wood — forest
Room — space	A room — room
Time — time	A time — times
Light — light	A light — light
Iron — iron	An iron — iron
Fire — fire	A fire — fire, bonfire

There are a lot of such words that have a double meaning. Even the most mundane countable objects can turn out to be uncountable in a certain context (apple — an apple as a separate fruit, having a certain shape and undoubtedly subject to counting, and an apple as a substance, an ingredient in a dish). As a rule, the relationship between them is of the general-particular form, for example:

• Substance — an object made of this substance or a piece of it: stone (stone as a material) — a stone (separate stone, pebble)
• Product — product type: tea (tea as a drink in general) — a tea (specific type of tea)
• Product — product portion: coffee (coffee as a drink in general) — a coffee (cup of coffee)
• An abstract concept is a more specific concept: life (life as a phenomenon) — a life (someone’s life, a certain life path)

Exceptions

Many nouns that at first glance seem to be countable for Russian-speaking people turn out to be uncountable. In fact, they are not exceptions to the English rules, but for those who learn the language, it is easier to remember them as exceptions so as not to make serious mistakes.

Uncountable nouns:

• News — although it is plural, it is actually an uncountable noun in the singular.

This news is fantastic.

This news is amazing.

Your advice wasn’t helpful. (not: Your advices, even if there were several tips)

Your advice didn’t help.

Rules for the use of countable and uncountable nouns in English

A countable noun can be used in both singular and plural forms. In the singular, an indefinite article is placed in front of it, which can be called an indicator of calculability, since in fact it replaces the numeral one.

I have a cat and two dogs.

I have a cat and two dogs.

Uncountable nouns in English cannot be plural. Even if the noun is translated into Russian by the plural word (hair — hair), in the sentence it is used with singular verbs. The indefinite article is not needed in front of uncountable nouns.

Your hair is so curly and nice.

Your hair is so curly and beautiful.

Countable nouns use the words many and few / a few, with uncountable ones — much and little / a little.

He has many books, but he doesn’t have much time to read them.

He has many books, but little time to read them.

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Source: https://lingua-airlines.ru/kb-article/ischislyaemye-i-neischislyaemye-sushhestvitelnye-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

What is important to know about countable and uncountable nouns in English

The use of nouns in English has many nuances. But do not be discouraged: as you know, nothing is impossible for a person with intelligence! Let’s find out how countable and uncountable nouns combine with articles and adjectives, and how they form the plural.

Countable or Uncountable?

To understand the difference between countable and uncountable nouns, you just need to try to count the objects that they represent.

Countable nouns denote things that exist as separate units. Usually we can perceive such objects with the help of our senses. For example: pen, car, wall, cat, sentence, building.

Uncountable nouns refer to things that cannot be counted or divided into parts. Usually such nouns denote abstract or collective concepts. For example: water, oil, joy, happiness, collaboration, attitude, development, interaction.

Keep in mind that countable nouns in English can be uncountable in other languages, and vice versa.

Plural formation

Most countable nouns are plural by adding -s at the end of a word. Uncountable nouns have no plural at all.

An exception

This exception applies to a number of nouns in the English language, which are both countable and uncountable. Usually the countable meaning of such nouns is concrete and specific, while the uncountable carries a more abstract and general meaning. Let’s compare with examples:

Calculated value

• Tom faced a couple of difficulties repairing his car last evening. — I mean the specific amount of difficulty in repairing the engine.
• Having entered the Palace, Jane was delighted by the multitude of various lights. — It’s about the number of lighting elements in the palace.

Uncountable value

• He the figure of high difficulty perfectly and won the first prize. — It’s about difficulty in general.
• The light coming from the Sun is vitally important for our planet. — I mean light in general.

Uncountable nouns for food and drinks can sometimes be plural if they have the meaning of a separate item from a certain category of items: food (s), fruit (s), wine (s). Let’s look at examples:

• I have tasted twelve Italian wines. — I mean the varieties of wines.
• She ate her favorite salad consisting of four fruits. — It’s about the types of fruits.

Use with articles

Choosing the right article for a noun is not easy, as it depends on its countability (countable / uncountable) and number (singular / plural). However, all kinds of nouns can take the article.

In the form of a table, it will be easier for you to understand the features of the use of countable / uncountable nouns with articles. The pronouns this, that, these, those are also included in the table, since, similarly to the article, they indicate the definiteness of the noun.

a year	the	this, that	these, those	without article
Calculated in units. number of	+	+	+
Calculated in plural number of	+	+	+
Uncountable	+	+	+

Consider examples of the use of various nouns with articles:

Countable in the singular

• I bought a car.
• Tom kicked the ball.
• Does he this tall girl? No, Tom s that girl of medium height.

Plural countable

• Jane s to water the flowers.
• Did you plant these trees? No, I planted those trees.
• Dogs are faithful friends.

Uncountable

• The paper is white.
• This bread is going dry.
• Progress is inevitable.

Collective words

The use of nouns with collective words in English is presented in the form of a table. Some of them can be used in combination: many more, many fewer, much more, much less.

little, a little, much, less	some, a lot of, no, any, more, most	many, few, a few, a couple of, several, both	one, any, each, every
Calculated in units. number of	+
Calculated in plural number of	+	+
Uncountable	+	+

Consider examples of the use of nouns with different collective words:

Countable in the singular

• Jane has online lessons every day.

Plural countable

• Today most ESL students choose online courses by skype.
• Tom tried a couple of online lessons by skype and was pleased with them.

Uncountable

• He s to take some milk for breakfast.
• The engine was producing little power so was delivered for repair.

Now you know how to use countable and uncountable nouns with articles, collective words. In addition, you learned what are the exceptions and special rules in the formation of plural nouns in English.

This topic is often found in entrance exams and will come in handy when preparing for an interview in English.

Source: https://skyeng.ru/articles/chto-dolzhen-znat-kazhdyj-ob-ischislyaemyh-i-neischislyaemyh-sushchestvitelnyh-v-anglijskom

Lesson 23. Countable and uncountable nouns in English

Daria SorokinaLinguist-translator, teacher of foreign languages.

Countable and Uncountable nouns in English.
When using nouns in speech, we do not hesitate to put them in the right case, number, and so on. However, in English, on the one hand, everything is easier with the use of nouns, on the other hand, it is more complicated.

In English, a noun is a part of speech that denotes an object, abstract concept or process of action. There are no cases in English as such, therefore there are no case endings for nouns, which makes the task easier. Complicating this is the fact that all nouns fall into two classes: countable nouns и uncountable nouns.

Lesson assignments

Exercise 1. Determine which of the listed nouns are countable (C), which are uncountable (U).
Pen, happiness, tomato, weather, news, money, coin, pizza, meat, cheese.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences with the required verb is / are. 1. A carrot orange. 2. The weather fine today. 3. This furniture wooden. 4. Your advice good.5. These computers theirs. 6. The water in the lake pure.

7. This bread is fresh.

Exercise 1.
C, U, C, U, U, U, C, C, U, U.

Exercise 2.
Is, is, is, is, are, is, is.

Source: https://linguistpro.net/ischislyaemye-i-neischislyaemye-sushhestvitelnye-v-anglijskom-yazyke

Countable and uncountable nouns in English: differences and exceptions to the rules

27.06.2019

Nouns can be both countable and uncountable. Countable nouns are nouns that express something / object that we can count.
sofa — sofas

• Accordingly, uncountable nouns express an object / object that we cannot count.
• Countable and uncountable nouns in English can be presented in singular and plural, depending on the meaning and context of the word.
• So let’s start with the rules for using countable and uncountable nouns in English.
• Countable nouns are very simple. If there is only one object, then we substitute one and an entity without any endings:

— Chris decided to take one book. — Chris decided to take one book.

When there are several items, then it is necessary to substitute the numeral if we know a specific amount (two, twenty, ninety, etc.). To the very essence, we add the ending s / es or use a special form, if this is an exception word.

— Chris decided to take four books. — Chris decided to take four books.
— There were two policemen in the room. “There were two police officers in the room.

As for uncountable nouns, they are more often used in singular. and have no endings.

— The truth was so painful. “The truth was so bitter.

And also you can find the formulation «countable and uncountable nouns in English», do not be alarmed, this is just a variation of the translation of countable and uncountable nouns.

Be sure to watch the video where the characters use countable and uncountable nouns.

The most common uncountable nouns

Below we have presented a list of the most popular uncountable words in the English language.

Word	Translation
AdvertisingAidAdviceArtBusinessCashChildhoodClothingDataEducationElectricityFoodHappinessHealthHelpInformationLabourLiteratureMoneyMusicNatureNewsPaperPollutionProgressRainSafetyShoppinSoftwareSpeedStressTimeTravelWaterWeatherWork	AdvertisingHelpAdviceArtBusinessCashChildhoodClothesDataEducationElectricityFoodHappinessHealthHelpInformationLaborLiteratureMoneyMusicNatureNewsPaperPaperPollutionProgress

Despite the fact that the table contains uncountable nouns of the English language, words related to the topic of food can also be countable.

Countable words for food

For example, the English words fish and fruit are both countable and uncountable. If we are talking about a fish / fruit as a representative of a certain type of fish / fruit, then this word is used either in singular or in plural.

— There are different fish in the aquarium. — There are different fish in the aquarium.
— I try to buy various fruits. — I try to buy different fruits.

And if we talk about fish / fruit as a dish, then this is an uncountable noun.

— I’ve had fish for dinner. — I ate fish for dinner.
— Children should eat more fruit. — Children should eat more fruits.

The same goes for the word bread, it can be countable or uncountable. If we are talking about varieties of bread, then the use of plural is allowed.

— We sell three breads: white, poppy-seed, and sesame seed. — We sell three types of bread: white, with poppy seeds and with sesame seeds.

If we consider bread as a food product, then this is an uncountable noun.

— You eat too much bread. — You eat too much bread.

What about the words news and money? Countable or uncountable? Uniquely uncountable. News (news) and money (money) are uncountable nouns that cannot be used in the plural in any way.

— He was shocked when he heard this news. — He was shocked when he heard this news.
— We had a little money left. — We have little money left.

Uncountable nouns in pictures

Recall once again that common nouns are divided into count (countable) nouns and uncount (uncountable) nouns.

And to understand what uncountable nouns are in English will not be difficult, since these are the names of objects that cannot be counted.

They can be material (silver, milk) or abstract (love, friendship). Take a look at the diagram that shows how nouns are divided in English.

• Well, now is the time to find out which words are abstract nouns and which are real.

• Real nouns — Material nouns
• Academic disciplines and more

Uncountable nouns become countable in certain contexts

Both countable and uncountable nouns in English can also be time (time), truth (truth), hair (hair), room (room, space), art (art), science (science).

Let’s take a look at some examples:

— Have you had a good time at the party? — Did you have a good time at the party?

In this sentence, the word time is countable, since it is preceded by the article ‘a’ (we are talking about a specific time — spent at a party).

— I don’t think I have time to have breakfast before I Ieave. “I don’t think I have time for breakfast before I leave.

In this sentence, time is an uncountable noun, because it’s about time in general.

— There are five rooms in the house. — The house has five rooms.

With this sentence, everything is clear, the word room in the meaning of «room» is countable. However, in the meaning of «place, space» it is uncountable.

— There isn’t much room in this hall. “There isn’t much room in this hall.

As for the word hair, in the meaning of «hair» it is countable, and in the meaning of «hair» it is uncountable.

— There was a hair in her soup. — There was hair in her soup.
— That dog has a lot of hair. “That dog has a lot of hair.

Let’s take a look at the word truth as an example. It would seem that the truth cannot be counted in any way. Nevertheless, if we are talking about any facts, then it is quite possible for yourself.

— There is no truth in the rumors. — There is no truth in rumors.
— The fundamental truths about human nature. — Fundamental truths about human nature.

Comparisons of countable and uncountable nouns

You may have noticed that the quantifier word many is used with countable nouns in English, and much is used with uncountable nouns.

Despite the fact that both of them are translated as «many», there is a rule according to which many are combined only with countable, and much — only with uncountable.

Consider examples with countable and uncountable nouns in English:

— Students don’t seem to have much homework these days. “It doesn’t seem like the students have a lot of homework these days.

(homework cannot be counted, which means it is uncountable noun)

Those. this option is not possible in any way:

Source: https://tutorblog.ru/grammatika/ischislyaemye-i-neischislyaemye-sushhestvitelnye-v-anglijskom-yazyke-otlichiya-i-isklyucheniya-iz-pravil.html

Countable and uncountable nouns in English: comparison table, list of popular words, exercises

Nouns can be both countable and uncountable. Countable nouns are nouns that express something / object that we can count.
sofa — sofas

Accordingly, uncountable nouns express an object / object that we cannot count.
wine (wine)

Countable and uncountable nouns in English can be presented in singular and plural, depending on the meaning and context of the word.

Countable and uncountable nouns in English

Please note that this topic only applies to common nouns.

So let’s start with the rules for using countable and uncountable nouns in English.

Countable nouns are very simple. If there is only one object, then we substitute one and an entity without any endings:

— Chris decided to take one book. — Chris decided to take one book.

When there are several items, then it is necessary to substitute the numeral if we know a specific amount (two, twenty, ninety, etc.). To the very essence, we add the ending s / es or use a special form, if this is an exception word.

— Chris decided to take four books. — Chris decided to take four books.
— There were two policemen in the room. “There were two police officers in the room.

As for uncountable nouns, they are more often used in singular. and have no endings.

— The truth was so painful. “The truth was so bitter.

And also you can find the formulation «countable and uncountable nouns in English», do not be alarmed, this is just a variation of the translation of countable and uncountable nouns.

Be sure to watch the video where the characters use countable and uncountable nouns.

What are countable nouns

Countable nouns (countable nouns) denote objects, phenomena, concepts that can be counted in the speaker’s mind. For example: egg, house, suggestion, minute. Countable nouns in English can be used in both singular and plural:

I have a puppy… — I have puppy.

My sister has puppies… — My sister has puppies.

Other examples of countable nouns:

I have a few questions… — I have some questions.

There is an old tree in the valley. — There is an old one in the valley tree.

May I have a donut? — May I donut?

take any umbrella you want. — Take any umbrella, whatever you want.

This is my sister’s Photo. — It a photo my sister’s.

As you can see, countable nouns are combined with words that in their meaning are suitable for “piece” and not abstract objects, for example, with the article: we can say “a donut”, which literally is perceived as “one donut”, the article itself “a an ”already implies“ pieceiness ”,“ separateness ”of the subject. We can say “a few question” — “a few questions”, because the questions are not solid, tangible objects, but still something that can be counted.

Uncountable nouns cannot be combined with such words.

What are uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns (uncountable nouns) denote objects, substances, concepts that cannot be counted. These include the names of abstract concepts, substances, various masses, bulk materials and products, liquids: art — art, oil — oil, oil, salt — salt, tea — tea. Uncountable nouns are used only in the singular:

Source: https://langformula.ru/english-grammar/un-countable-noun/

Uncountable nouns in English

Uncountable nouns are nouns that denote substances and concepts that cannot be counted. These include both material (liquid, gaseous, solid materials) and abstract nouns (natural phenomena, actions, feelings, etc.). But in English, unlike Russian, many nouns can be used both as countable and uncountable.

So, uncountable nouns are used only in the singular and, accordingly, agree with verbs in the singular. Remember that in English they are not used with the indefinite article. a or If it is necessary to distinguish an uncountable noun from a general category of substances or concepts, the definite article is used tea.

In the role of the subject, they agree with the predicate in the singular. Can be replaced by singular pronouns. In most cases, this pronoun it.

Classification of uncountable nouns

There are a lot of uncountable nouns in the English language, and in order to better remember them, you can classify them into groups. We have compiled a list of commonly used uncountable nouns in colloquial speech.

1. Natural phenomena: darkness — darkness, snow — snow, fog — fog, gravity — gravity, heat — heat, humidity — dampness, light — daylight, hail — hail, lighting — lightning, rain — rain, thunder — thunder, sunshine — sunlight, weather — weather, wind — wind, etc.
2. Liquids: petrol — gasoline, oil — vegetable oil / oil, coffee — coffee, water — water, tea — tea, lemonade — lemonade, milk — milk, wine — wine, blood — blood, etc.
3. Gaseous substances: nitrogen — nitrogen, oxygen — oxygen, air — air, steam — steam, smoke — smoke, smog — thick fog, etc.
4. Food: bread — bread, cheese — cheese, butter — butter, meat — meat, spaghetti — spaghetti, yoghurt — yogurt, etc.
5. Languages: Russian — Russian, Greek — Greek, German — German, English — English, Arabic — Arabic, Chinese — Chinese, Spanish — Spanish, etc.
6. Substances consisting of many small particles: semolina — semolina, rice — rice, flour — flour, corn — corn, dust — dust, salt — salt, sugar — sugar, pepper — pepper, sand — sand, etc.
7. Diseases:

Source: https://englishfull.ru/grammatika/ischislyaemye-i-neischislyaemye.html

Countable and uncountable nouns

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The category of calculability and uncountability in English is quite important when studying not only nouns and articles, but also pronouns and verbs, because you have to reconcile the subject with the predicate.

In other words, more than one grammatical topic concerns this category, because many points depend on which noun we are working with — with a countable (countable noun) or uncountable (uncountable noun).

How do they differ from each other? This can be understood just by looking at their name.

Countable nouns

Countable nouns («countable») are words that denote the names of concrete objects and abstract concepts that can be counted. And since they can be counted, they are used both in the singular and in the plural. Examples of countable nouns are: table, picture, hour, holiday, offer, boy, decision, way-out, etc.

When using such words in the singular, you can use the indefinite article a / an in front of them: a table, a picture, an hour, an offer, a boy, a decision, a way-out.

Moreover, a countable noun in the singular must always be accompanied by some kind of determinative. If there is no indefinite article, either a definite article (the) or a possessive pronoun (my, his, our, etc.), a demonstrative pronoun (that, this) is needed.

Let me remind you that a determinative is a linguistic indicator for a noun, expressing the meaning of certainty. For example:

• I saw the boy.
• This picture is a masterpiece.
• I approve of the decision you’ve made.
• I broke we leg.

With countable plural nouns, we can use the indefinite pronouns some (any, many, few):

some friends of mine will come to this party. — Several of my friends will come to the party. (Some of my friends will come to the party).

Uncountable nouns

In contrast to the previous, uncountable nouns («not countable») are the names of substances, abstract concepts that cannot be counted. And, therefore, they are used only in the singular.

Examples: knowledge, silver, music, milk, water, happiness, furniture, advice, etc.

These nouns cannot be used with the indefinite articles a / an, but you can combine them with the other determinants mentioned above (definite article, possessive, demonstrative pronoun).

They are also used with some indefinite pronouns: some, any, much, little. For example:

• These earrings are made of silver.
• I have some news for you.
• I don’t the music you are listening to now.
• Her beauty attracts me.

However, there are cases in which it is allowed to use an uncountable noun with the indefinite article a / an, as well as with numerals (one / two, etc.). This can be done when ordering food in a restaurant, cafe:

We’ll have four coffees, please. — We have four coffees.

Uncountable nouns include various edible products (meat, flour, milk, salt, etc.), liquids (petrol, coffee, etc.), substances and materials (gold, wood, glass, etc.), abstract concepts (help, education, etc.) and many other words (advice, weather, hair, etc.).

What if we need to use such a word in speech? How to transfer any quantity? Certain words serve this purpose: a piece of advice, a bowl of fruit, a carton of milk, a bar of chocolate, a glass of wine ), a can of Coke, a tube of paint, a kilo of meat, a cup of tea, a loaf of bread, a rasher of bacon (thin slice of bacon).

If we are talking about real nouns, then we remember that there are nouns that denote not the substance itself, but an object that consists of this substance. Such a noun will already be countable. For example:

Their house is built of local stones. “Their house is built from local stone. (uncountable noun)

I have a stone in my shoe. — I have a pebble in my shoe. (countable noun)

In another case, real nouns can become countable: when they convey different varieties or types of a substance.

there is a live coal in the fire-place. — There is a burning ember in the fireplace.

Source: https://engblog.ru/countable-uncountable-nouns

LESSON 7 English

Abstract of the 7th lesson in PDF format can be viewed, printed and downloaded at this link

In this lesson we will study words that indicate the quantity and measure of something, as well as the degree of manifestation of any properties (qualities). In addition, let’s talk about adverbs that describe the frequency of any events (phenomena).

Countable and uncountable nouns

To begin with, let’s remember the concepts of countable and uncountable nouns. They are, to a certain extent, conditional and rather related to the linguistic tradition.

К countable noun include objects (objects) that are mainly perceived by the interlocutors as separate objects.

К uncountable noun refer to objects (objects), which are primarily perceived by the interlocutors as a single mass or volume of something (for example, liquid, air).

Of course, if we approach the question formally, then the objects described by the so-called uncountable nouns can also be counted. Milk can be three liters, work can be three hours, etc.

But uncountable nouns do not directly combine with numerals. For example, you cannot say “two money” or “three airs”. But at the same time, «two chairs» or «three cars» sounds natural.

This is one of the signs by which you can determine whether a noun is countable or not.

Why do you need to know this? Which nouns are countable and which are uncountable should be remembered without fail, since grammar rules differ for them. For each of the mentioned subspecies of nouns, different words are used denoting measure and quantity (we will consider them below).

In addition, uncountable nouns are not plural, and the indefinite article is not used with them. a/an (apparently because in the intuitive sense of the «single mass» — it is «a single mass» and is). But for countable nouns, there are no such restrictions.

All of this will be discussed below with examples.

The words ‘much’ and ‘many’

Both English words, much и manyare translated as «a lot». Choosing between words much и many is determined by whether a countable or uncountable noun was used in the construction of the sentence.

In combination with countable nouns, the word ‘many’ is used.

many students

many students

many workers

many workers

many hotels

many hotels

many countries

a lot of countries

In combination with uncountable nouns, the word ‘much’ is used.

Words much и many in modern colloquial English, they are used mainly in interrogative and negative sentences, and in affirmative sentences they correspond to the construction a lot of (lots of), which is used with both countable and uncountable nouns. A lot of means «a lot» lots of — a more expressive and more colloquial word with the meaning of «a lot», «mass».

• You have a lot of time to find him.
• I have lots of friends.

There is also a common design plenty of, which means «a lot» and «more than enough.»

• He needs plenty of power.
• They ate plenty of food.

In this case, much и many are used in affirmative sentences if they are preceded by particles very («very»), too («too much»), so («So»), as as («As well as», «as much as») and how («How») — see below.

• There are too many people here.
• You can take as much money as you wish.

When constructing interrogative sentences, constructions are used how much и how many… Moreover, if the question is addressed to an uncountable noun (for example, to the amount of milk, money or time), the construction is used how much… If the question is addressed to a countable noun (for example, we ask about the number of people, animals, objects), then the construction is used how many.

How much + [uncountable noun]

How many + [countable noun]

• Do you know many people?
• How many books does he read?
• We will not read many books.

Word much also used with verbs.

• How much do you draw?
• They don’t play much.

Both English words, little и feware translated as «little». Unlike much и many («Many»), which, as a rule, are used only in questions and denials, little и few («Little») are used in statements, questions and negations. Choosing between words little и few is determined by whether a countable or uncountable noun was used in the construction of the sentence.

The word ‘few’ is used in combination with countable nouns.

few students

few students

In combination with uncountable nouns, the word ‘little’ is used.

little fruit

little fruit

NOTE! Using the indefinite article in conjunction with words few и little noticeably changes the meaning of the statement. Adding an indefinite article forms stable phrases a few («Several») and a little («Little»). At the same time, the phrase loses its negative connotation, because «a little» and «a little» sounds more reassuring than «little» (not enough).

• They usually drink little water.
• We will spend a little money.
• Few students work.
• Did he read a few books?

Word

Countable nouns

Uncountable nouns

A lot of

many a lot oflots of

plenty of

much a lot oflots of

plenty of

Several,
slightly

a few

a little

In English, in affirmative sentences, in order to strengthen (emphasize, emphasize) a statement, reinforcing particles are used very («very»), too («Too»), and so («So»). These particles are placed in front of the words much и many («Many»), and little и few («few»).

• You drink too much water.

Source: http://en1632.com/f/lesson_07_synopsis.html

Uncountable — these are usually common nouns, more often with a single agreement, not amenable to counting. They are divided into material (animate / inanimate) and abstract. They, as a rule, lack a grammatical ending and can be specified with a definite article.

I prefer rice — I prefer rice

Give me the food I prefer — Bring me the food I prefer

The only uncountable

Single uncountable can be defined by single demonstrative pronouns (this / that) and are consistent with single verbs.

• substances (materials, food, liquids, gases)

bread, butter, sugar, tea, coffee, leather, paper, wood, silver, crystal, plastic, porcelain, metal, silver, water, air, bread, meat, butter, wine, flour, spaghetti, yoghurt, cheese, lemonade, oil, petrol, plasma, blood, carbon, steel, oak, rubber

running, swimming, shopping, singing, gardening, football, tennis, snooker, squash, badminton

news, travel, knowledge, information, education, weather, progress, intelligence, behavior, fun, research, advice, accommodation, beauty, hunger, poverty, freedom, justice, help, chaos, damage, luck, permission, scenery, work, love, hatred, joy, pleasure, strength, weakness, history, music, law, art, the Renaissance, the Reformation

London, the Mississippi, furniture, luggage, baggage, equipment, traffic, hair, rubbish, litter

Russian, Greek, German, English

Uncountable drink becomes plural in the form of drinks in containers using the definite article or numbers — a cup / glass / bottle of.

Plural uncountable

Plural uncountable ones end in — (e) s, can be defined by plural demonstrative pronouns (these / those) and indefinite pronouns some, any, much, little. Some here means some scope. Uncountable collective:

tactics, politics, maths, physics, lyrics, economics, linguistics, optics, mechanics

darts, billiards, dominoes, socks

police, clergy, gentry, cattle, poultry, the British Isles, the Azores, the Andes

Groups as collective uncountable (when the participants are divided) agree in the plural, except in cases of generalization.

The police react too slowly — Police react too slowly

Multiple games and theories (in –ics) agree in only one way except in the cases of personalization of qualities.

Phonetics is a branch of linguistics — Phonetics — branch of linguistics

Her phonetics have become much better this term — Her phonetics have improved significantly this semester

уроки

English Joke

«Yes, ma’am,» the old salt confided to the inquisitive lady, «I fell over the side of the ship, and a shark he come along and grabbed me by the leg.»

«Merciful providence!» his hearer gasped. «And what did you do?»

“Let ‘im’ ave the leg, o ‘course, ma’am. I never argues with sharks. «

Source: https://www.lovelylanguage.ru/grammar/rules/433-uncountable-nouns