Countable nouns and uncountable nouns

Countable nouns

Countable nouns are used for things that can be counted, using numbers, i. e. 2 things, 3 things, 4 things. Countable nouns have a singular and a plural form. The singular form can use the determiner "a" or "an".

Below are quantifiers that can be used with countable nouns:

• a few
• a number of
• a great number of
• a large number of
• several
• some
• any
• a lot of
• lots of
• plenty of
• no
• not any
• none

Uncountable Nouns

Because an uncountable noun can never have a plural suffix "-s" and , we cannot use the article "a/an" with these nouns. In addition, uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb. To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or expression like some, a lot of, much, a bit of, a great deal of or else use an exact measurement like a cup of, a bag of, a handful of, a pinch of, a piece of.

Below are quantifiers that can be used with uncountable nouns:

• a little
• a bit of
• a great deal of
• a large amount of
• some
• any
• a lot of
• lots of
• plenty of
• no
• not any
• none

Typically, uncountable nouns are:

• - materials and substances (water, rice, cement, gold, milk)
• - abstract concepts (advice, information, progress, news, luck, fun, work, chaos, motivation)
• - Names for groups or collections of things (furniture, equipment, rubbish, luggage)
• - natural phenomena (sunshine, snow, rain, weather)
• - states of being (sleep, stress, childhood)
• - feelings (anger, happiness, enthusiasm, courage)
• - Other common uncountable nouns include: machinery, research, baggage, homework, knowledge, money, permission, traffic, travel.

Below is a list of common uncountable nouns. Learn them because students commonly mistake them for countable nouns.

Uncountable Noun Example Sentences

We recommend you go through the following example sentences carefully. Remember uncountable nouns use singular verbs, never use a plural form, and are not preceded with the articles "a" and "an".

• The study finds little evidence of overt discrimination
• Hotel accommodation is included in the price of your holiday.
• Ask your teacher for advice on how to prepare for the exam.
• Cigarette advertising has been banned.
• I have a career in advertising.
• The company provides advice and assistance in finding work.
• Not enough aid is given to third world countries
• We loaded our baggage into the car.
• When he left school, he went into business with his brother.
• Workers at the factory wear protective clothing.
• The cost of household goods and clothing fell this month.
• The earthquake caused damage to the property estimated at $6 million.
• This data was collected from 69 countries.
• My brother majored in economics.
• The electricity is off.
• Graduates are finding it more and more difficult to find employment.
• There will be live entertainment at the party.
• It was typical family entertainment.
• A lot of equipment is required to play hockey safely.
• We need to buy some new furniture.
• Students don’t seem to have much homework these days.
• Our information is that the police will make an arrest shortly.
• I like wearing jewelery.
• The study of genetics confirms that we are all very closely related biologically.
• The drugs he was prescribed did him more harm than good.
• Employers are using immigrants as cheap labor.
• Most blue-collar jobs are considered manual labor.
• Let's have lunch so we can talk at leisure.
• These days we have more money and more leisure to enjoy it.
• The bumblebee has developed complex machinery for collecting pollen.
• That's great news.
• Heavy traffic flow is a major source of noise pollution in urban areas.
• If we can reduce the cost of production, we can sell our products at cheaper prices.
• There has been a great deal of publicity surrounding his disappearance.
• She works in publicity.
• Products of high quality are usually more expensive than products of low quality.
• Recent research on deaf children has produced some interesting findings about their speech.
• He has carried out extensive research on renewable energy sources.
• Research on animals has led to some important medical advances.
• Do you have room for a computer on your desk?
• The animals huddled together for warmth.
• The increasing use of pesticides poses a real threat to the wildlife of the area.
• There is too much violence on TV
• We did an hour of work yesterday.
• He had been a talented musician in his youth.
• I didn't make much progress today.