1) Countable nouns
- In English, nouns can be countable or uncountable. Countable nouns are things that we can count.
Example:
He has one book and two pens. ('book' and 'pens' are countable nouns)
- Countable nouns can be singular or plural. They often have 'a', 'an', 'this', 'the', 'some' and 'these' in front of them.
Examples:
He has a dog. ('dog' is a countable noun)
She has an umbrella. ('umbrella' is a countable noun)
Where are the keys? ('keys' is a countable noun)
2) Uncountable nouns
- Uncountable nouns are things that we can’t count.
Example:
She doesn’t like butter. ('butter' is an uncountable noun)
- Uncountable nouns have only one form. They don’t have a plural form.
Example:
She likes milk. ('milk' is an uncountable noun)
- Uncountable nouns don’t have 'a' or 'an' in front of them. They often have 'some' in front of them.
Example:
Give me some water please. ('water' is an uncountable noun)
- Uncountable nouns are always used with verbs in the singular.
Examples:
Sugar is sweet. ('sugar' is an uncountable noun)
There is some rice. ('rice' is an uncountable noun)
- Some common uncountable nouns are: materials (metal, wood, plastic, etc.), food (bread, meat, sugar, etc.), drinks (milk, tea, coffee, etc.), school subjects (geography, art, music, etc.), and languages (English, Spanish, French, etc.).
Examples:
Do you like coffee?
Susan speaks English.
3) Nouns that can be countable or uncountable
Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable, depending on meaning.
Examples:
We keep four chickens in our garden. ('chickens' is a countable noun that means 'animals')
She likes chicken. ('chicken' is an uncountable noun that means 'meat from a chicken')
I would like two teas, please. ('teas' is a countable noun that means 'cups of tea')
Tea comes from India. ('tea' is an uncountable noun that means 'dried leaves')