Jumat, 15 April 2016
Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns
The
difference between countable and uncountable nouns can help you in many areas
of English grammar.
Countable Nouns
Countable
nouns are nouns that can be counted. Most nouns in English are countable.
Examples:
- I have two dogs.
- Sandra has three cars.
- Jessie has ten dollars.
Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable
nouns are not counted in English. This usually has to do with the way English
speakers think of these nouns. We often picture these nouns as a single concept
or one big thing which is hard to divide. Many of these words are countable in
other languages, but they ARE NOT countable in English. Generally, we do not
use plural forms of these words; however some of these words do end in
"s", so don't get confused.
Examples:
- Mack drinks a lot of water.
- Cindy gives great advice.
- Paul enjoys politics. Ends with "s" but uncountable
Uncountable
nouns tend to belong to one of the following categories:
Liquids and Gases
- water
- coffee
- milk
- air
- oxygen
Solid and Granular Substances
- wood
- metal
- cheese
- sand
- rice
Energy Words and Forces
- electricity
- sunshine
- radiation
- heat
- magnetism
Subjects
- French
- chemistry
- economics
- science
- math
Grouped Concepts
- fruit
- money
- food
- vocabulary
- news
Information and Abstract Concepts
- information
- advice
- education
- democracy
- intelligence
Uncountable Plurals
Sometimes
in English, we do use uncountable nouns in plural forms. This is most commonly
done with liquids and substances. It usually takes on the meaning of "cups
of", "bottles of" or "types of".
Examples:
- We'll have two coffees. Cups of coffee
- I bought three waters. Bottles of water
- The company produces two leathers. Types of leather
Different Meanings
There
are certain words which have multiple meanings. It is possible for one meaning
to be countable and the other to be uncountable. Take for example the word
"light":
Examples:
- I couldn't see anything because there was no light. Uncountable noun
- The Christmas tree was covered with hundreds of lights. Countable noun
Generally,
the rules are still the same. The first use of "light" is a form of
energy. The second use of "light" means "small light
bulbs", which are normal countable objects.
source: http://www.englishpage.com/minitutorials/countable-uncountable-nouns.htm
