Uncountable nouns

John: Let’s make a list of what we need for the party.

Dora: Yes, we should buy six bottles of water.

John: OK. We also need ten packets of crisps.

Dora: Don’t forget the biscuits!

John: What about sandwiches?

Dora: Oh, we need a loaf of bread and twenty slices of cheese.

John: We should get some broccoli for salad, too.

Dora: What else do we need to buy?

John: How about a large cheesecake?

Dora: Great idea! OK, I think that should be enough.

What connects the words: water, crisps, bread, cheese and broccoli? The answer is: they are all uncountable nouns. What does this mean? Think about the word. If something is uncountable, then you can’t count it. You can’t have three waters, two breads, or cheeses. You can’t say broccolis.

In today’s lesson, we’ll look at uncountable nouns in more detail.

Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. They have both singular and plural forms.

The singular form can use indefinite article "a" or "an".

I’ve bought a house.

There’s an armchair in the room.

If you want to ask about the quantity of a countable noun, you ask "How many?" combined with the plural countable noun.

How many friends do you have?

Uncountable nouns (also called noncount nouns and mass nouns) are nouns that:

·        cannot be counted;

I need help.

·        cannot be made plural;

He usually listens to music while walking.

·        are not usually used with the articles "a" or "an";

There’s no money in the bank.

·        cannot be used alone with numbers.

We still have a lot of time to think.

There are different types of uncountable nouns. The table shows the categories (on the left) and the nouns that belong to each.

Groups of objects include nouns like: information, homework, mail, news.

Abstract words include nouns like: courage, time, health, love

Activities and sports are usually uncountable in English too. Examples are: ballet, football, research, billiards.

Subjects of study. For example: photography, astronomy, engineering, economics.

Languages: English, Arabic, Russian, Spanish

Food: corn, fruit, pasta, salad

Gases: air, oxygen, smog, nitrogen.

Liquids: blood, petrol, milk, water.

Materials: concrete, glass, leather, iron.

Particles: pepper, salt, rice, sand.

Weather: cold, lightning, sleet, steam.

Names of diseases: pneumonia, cancer, measles, mumps.

Some nouns can be countable or uncountable with different meanings.

Can you tell the difference between these pairs of words?

glass and a glass

wood and a wood

paper and a paper

The meaning of these nouns changes if they are countable or uncountable.

Glass, wood and paper (the uncountable nouns) mean the materials.

A glass is something you drink out of.

A wood is another way to say a forest.

A paper is another way to say a newspaper

Have you got some typing paper? (uncountable)

I want a paper. (countable)

This is strong coffee. Mike bought five coffees to go.

Jim took the test three times. We had hardly any free time.

The police found two hairs at the crime scene. Lin has beautiful hair.

Some uncountable nouns are always plural.

For example: trousers, jeans, pajamas, pants, scissors, spectacles, glasses, arms, goods, customs, groceries, clothes and thanks.

These nouns can never be singular – you can’t have one pajama, one trouser, or a scissor.

Have you bought the groceries?

Many thanks for your help.

He lays down his arms, but not his wiles.

Group nouns refer to a group of people. These nouns can take either a singular or a plural verb depending on whether we see the group as a whole or as individuals.

Such group nouns are: army, audience, class, club, committee, company, council, crew, crowd, headquarters, family, jury, government, press, public, staff, team, etc.

The team was the best. (The best as a group)

The team were all given medals. (each member separately as individuals)

You can modify uncountable nouns with quantity words and phrases.

Quantity words and phrases make uncountable nouns appear countable.

Here are some common quantity words and phrases to use with uncountable nouns:

some

any

a little

a little bit of

much

a lot of/lots of

enough

plenty of

no

Examples:

I need some fresh air.

Did you bring any luggage to the hotel?

Add a little sugar to my tea.

A little bit of kindness goes a long way.

I don't hear much noise.

I need a lot of money for my trip.

They don’t have enough work for him

Teachers need plenty of patience.

I have no coffee for my guests.

You can modify uncountable nouns by using a word that specifies a container or a form.

a piece of cake/information/advice/furniture

a glass/bottle of water/soda

a lump of sugar

an item/piece of news

a jar of jam

a tin of fish

a box of chocolates

a packet of biscuits/tea

a slice/loaf of bread

a pot of yoghurt

a tube of toothpaste

a bar of chocolate/soap

a sheet of paper

a bag of flour

a pair of trousers

a drop of oil

a can of cola

a carton of milk

a game of tennis

These were the rules of uncountable nouns. Now that you know them, it is time to practice.

Each of the sentences has an underlined noun. Say whether the noun is countable or uncountable.

They used a compass to find where they are. (countable)

She needs a lot of patience to become a dancer. (uncountable)

The dog has left white hairs all over the sofa. (countable)

Natalie has a good knowledge of history. (uncountable)

Sam needs to do a lot of work around the house. (uncountable)

Jason received a very expensive bill today. (countable)

Dan had a lot of exciting experience. (uncountable)

The news is not very good this morning. (uncountable)

Betty is very excited about the party tonight. (countable)

Mother cooked chicken for dinner. (uncountable)

Match the phrases below with the sentences.

a) lots of experience

b) some advice

c) a few days off

d) some work

e) an orange helmet

f) much furniture

g) much power

h) some money

i) a lot of problems

j) a few favorite toys

1. Is Eric still upset? He must have a lot of problems.

2. Helen has been a tap dancer for years. She has lots of experience.

3. Rick knows that safety is very important at work, so he wears an orange helmet.

4. Does a king have much power?

5. Nell sold a house with much furniture.

6. James gave me some advice about how to operate the new phone.

7. James is not a carpenter, but he is doing some work in his house.

8. Tommy loves to play. He has a few favorite toys.

9. He found some money!

10. She is taking a few days off work to relax.

Hopefully the information of the lesson was useful to you, guys!

Practise your grammar skills because practice makes perfect!