Equipment countable or uncountable. Count and Noncount Nouns in English (plurals, articles, quantities)

Very important from the point of view of grammar and understanding of native speakers is the rule “Countable and uncountable nouns” in English. It is known that some objects can be counted, while it is impossible to apply quantitative numerals to abstract concepts and substances.

Difference between countable and uncountable nouns

To understand how to determine the type to which a given part of speech belongs and correctly use words in sentences, you should focus on the following basic principles:

In a countable noun. there are forms of units. h. and pl. h. Together with them you can use digital symbols or the word some (several):

Uncountable nouns have no plural form. h., but can also be used with some to mean “a certain amount, a little”:

We have some chocolate. - We have some chocolate.

In negative and interrogative sentences with both types of nouns. the word any is used (any, any, etc.):

They haven't got any coins. - They don't have any coins. (a coin – countable noun)

Have they got any coins? – Do they have any coins?

There isn’t any information about this case. – There is no information about this case. (information – uncountable noun)

Is there any information about this case? – Is there any information about this case?

In the meaning of “many” with uncountable. noun use much, with calculus. – many:

Kate has much work to do. – Katya has a lot of work. Jack has got many subjects at school. – Jack has a lot of disciplines at school.

To report a small quantity or volume use little with uncount. noun and few (little) with calculus. noun:

The English also use the expressions “a little”, “a few” with uncountable. and calculus noun accordingly, to report a small but sufficient amount of any objects or substances:

Margaret put a little salt in the soup. Margaret put some salt in the soup.

Sam invited a few friends to the picnic. Sam invited several friends to a picnic.

From uncountable noun the verb is always used in the singular form. h.:

Love is a nice feeling. - Love is an amazing feeling.

Coffee helps people to stay active. – Coffee helps people stay active.

These basic rules will help you use countable and uncountable nouns in English without errors.

List of countable nouns in English

To understand which words belong to the group of concepts to be counted, you can look at some categories and examples for them:

items : a cup (cup), a book (book), a table (table);
animals, birds, insects, fish: a snow leopard (snow leopard), an eagle (eagle), a fly (fly), a shark (shark);
countable products: an apple (apple), an egg (egg);
containers or packaging: a box (box), a jar (jar), a bar (chocolate bar);
people, family members, representatives of different professions: a grandfather (grandfather), a baby (baby), a doctor (doctor), etc.

This list can be continued endlessly. The main thing is to understand the basic principle: calculus. noun you can recalculate and name their number using a numerical expression.

Some words can be used in plural. hours or units h., if they have a collective meaning: family, team, army, audience, etc. But noun. police (police) is always used with plural verbs. h.

My family is/ are on holiday now. – My family is on vacation now. The police are near his house. - The police are near his house.

Special cases

Some nouns are inconstant and move from the category of uncountable. in calculus depending on the meaning that the speaker puts into the sentence.

It is necessary to take into account such nuances when composing and translating English sentences.

Can everything be counted? Is it possible to count the stars in the Universe or the water in the seas and oceans? And if there are hotel stars and water in a glass, is it possible to count these objects? Why am I talking about this - we are talking about the English language. The fact is that in the English language, the possibility or impossibility of counting some objects, as it turns out, affects the grammar. A noun in English can be either countable or uncountable.

How to determine countability? Count!

To determine whether a noun is countable or not, you need to do a simple thing - try to count. In most cases, this will solve the problem immediately: two bottles, three friends, four cucumbers. And if it turns out to be some kind of nonsense, it means the noun is uncountable.

It would seem that the issue can be closed. Not really. The first problem that you may encounter here is to look carefully at what exactly you are counting, and do not fall into a logical trap.

For example: is vodka countable? Ha, you say, but what about: there may be 0.5 vodka, maybe 150 - why not calculate. But no, in this case we count liters and milliliters (or grams - as you are used to), and “one vodka, two vodkas” sounds strange. It turns out that vodka is an uncountable noun (and liter is a countable noun).

Section 1. Definition of countable and uncountable nouns

The main difference between countable and uncountable nouns is whether the things they represent can or cannot be counted one by one.

Countable nouns (count nouns) denote objects that exist as separate, individual units. Typically, each such object is perceived by our senses as separate.

Examples:

table (table)
finger (finger)
bottle (bottle)
chair (chair)
remark (remark)
award
word
girl (girl)
candidate

Example sentences:

I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you step in? Just one.)
I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you step in? Only one.)

I drank a glass of milk. (Glasses of milk can be counted.)
I drank a glass of milk. (You can count the glasses of milk.)

I saw an apple tree. (Apple trees can be counted.)
I saw an apple tree. (The apple trees can be counted.)

Uncountable nouns (noncount nouns) denote things that are thought of as a whole, in which the individual elements (parts) cannot be counted. Often we are talking about abstractions, abstract concepts or a “collective whole” (for example, furniture).

Examples:

anger
courage
progress
furniture (furniture)
education
weather
warmth
leisure (leisure)
precision

Example sentences:

I dove into the water. (How many waters did you dive into? The question doesn't make any sense; therefore water is noncountable.)
I dived into the water (How many “waters” did you dive into? The question is meaningless, therefore water is an uncountable noun.)

I saw the milk spill. (How many milks? Milk cannot be counted.)
I saw spilled milk (How many different “milks” are there? Milk cannot be “counted.”)

I admired the foliage. (How many foliages? Foliage cannot be counted.)
I admired the beauty of the foliage. (How many “foliage”? You can’t count the foliage.)

Imagine pie dough. Before it's been in the oven, it doesn't separate into non-draining pieces because it's liquid (though quite dense). After baking, the pie from this dough can be cut into pieces. Uncountable nouns are like dough (or liquid), and countable nouns are like pieces of (finished) cake.

Note: Since this issue is complex and we know that there are practically no absolute rules, exceptions are possible. The above gives us only a general idea of the concept of countability/non-countability. Don't forget that nouns that are countable in English may be uncountable in another language, and vice versa.

Section 2. Use of countable and uncountable nouns

Pluralizing

Rule

Perhaps from the above definitions of countable and uncountable nouns you have already guessed how their plural is formed:

for most countable nouns are pluralized adding an ending -s ;
uncountable nouns in general have no plural.

This rule works for all nouns from the examples in section 1.

Exception to the rule

This rule changes slightly for some English nouns that belong to both classes at once, that is, they have both countable, so uncountable meaning. As a rule, an uncountable value is abstract and general, while a countable value is concrete (real). Compare:

Count Nouns

I"ve had some difficulties finding a job. (refers to a number of specific problems)
I had some difficulties in finding a job (that is, several specific problems).
The talks will take place in the Krannert building. (refers to a number of specific lectures)
Lectures (talks) will take place in the Krannert building (that is, several specific lectures).
The city was filled with bright lights and harsh sounds. (refers to a number of specific lights and noises)
Lights were burning everywhere in the city and sharp sounds were heard (that is, specific lights and sounds).

Noncount Nouns

She succeeded in school with little difficulty. (references to the general idea of school being difficult)
At school she studied successfully, without difficulties (that is, difficulty as an abstract idea associated with learning).
I dislike idle talk. (refers to talking in general)
I don't like empty talk (that is, abstract "talking").
Light travels faster than sound. (refers to the way light and sound behave in general)
Light travels faster than sound (that is, light as an uncountable noun).

Comment: Sometimes uncountable nouns can also act as countable nouns. This occurs when a noun, which is usually uncountable, is understood as a separate unit (portion) distinct from other units of the same class. This often happens with the names of dishes (food) and drinks, wine, bread, fruit, etc. Examples:

There are several French wines to choose from (= kinds of wine).
There are several French wines (= varieties of wine) to choose from.
I prefer Sumatran coffees to Colombian (= kinds of coffee).
I prefer Sumatra coffees to Colombian coffees (= different types of coffee).
We use a variety of different batters in our bakery (= kinds of batter).
In our bakery we use different types of dough (= varieties of dough).

Recently, “homework” has entered the category of such nouns. Some students use it in the plural as a countable word. For example: "You"re missing three of the homeworks from the first part of the course. “You haven’t done (miss) three homework assignments from the first part of the course.” But such word usage has not yet become generally accepted and is used, as a rule, in informal communication.

This combination of the role of countability/uncountability by some nouns naturally affects the rule for the formation of the plural: in the countable role they form the plural like ordinary countable nouns, but in the uncountable role they do not have a plural, like other uncountable nouns.

Articles

Nouns and Articles

Choosing an article for a noun (if one is needed at all) is a difficult task, since it depends on 1) whether it is countable/uncountable and 2) whether it is singular or plural. Both uncountable and countable nouns (the latter in both singular and plural) can be used with the article.

Combinations of Nouns and Articles

The following table shows the compatibility of articles with nouns. Please note that among the articles we have placed demonstrative pronouns. They, like the definite article, indicate 1) a unique person/object or 2) a person/object/event that was already previously known or mentioned (in writing) - so that both the reader and the writer already know it.

	a, an	the	this, that this that	these, those these, those	no article without article
Count singular (countable nouns in singular )	XX	XX	XX
Count plural (plural countable nouns)		XX		XX	XX
Noncount (uncountable nouns)		XX	XX		XX

Examples:

I ate an apple.
I ate an apple.

I rode the bus.
I traveled by bus.

Does she live in this house? No, she lives in that house over there.
She lives in this house? No, she lives in that house over there.

I like to feed the birds.
I like to feed the birds.

Do you want these books? No, I want those books up there.
Do you need these books? No, I want the ones at the top.

Cats are interesting pets.
Cats are interesting pets.

The water is cold.
The water is cold.

This milk is going sour.
The milk will turn sour.

Music helps me relax.
Music helps me relax.

Quantity Terms

The following table shows the combinability of nouns with words denoting quantity. Please note that several words denoting quantity can appear in a row: many more (= a lot more), many fewer (= much less), much more (= a lot more for uncountable) and much less (= much less for uncountables). Negative particles can also be used with these phrases " not" And " no".

Examples:

Countable nouns in the singular (Count Singular):

I practice every day.
I work out (train) every day.

I"d like one donut, please.
Give me one donut, please.

Countable nouns in the plural (Count Plural):

Can I have some chips?
Can I (have) some chips?

She has a lot of books, and many are autographed.
She has many books, many of them autographed.

I have fewer pencils than you.
I have fewer pencils than you.

Uncountable nouns (Noncount):

Can I have some water?
Can I (drink) some water?

She has a lot of strength, and much is due to her upbringing.
She is very strong, largely thanks to her upbringing.

I have less courage than you.
I have less courage (courage) than you.

We are accustomed to not paying attention to which category a noun belongs to. In English everything is different. For example, some words that were uncountable, after adding the ending, not only become , but their meaning changes dramatically. But let's look at everything in order

With countable nouns everything is more or less clear. These include everything that we are able to count. In the singular the article a|an, the is used, in the plural - the zero article or the. With uncountable nouns the situation is somewhat more complicated.

The main features of Uncountable nouns in English

We never use them with the articles a\an, while they are freely used with the
After them there must be a verb in the required form according to the general scheme of the sentence
They are preceded by the words little, any, much, etc., and not just pronouns:

Flour is produced in many foreign counties - Flour is produced in many foreign countries

The latest news was good - The latest news was good

Knowledge was his main weapon - Knowledge was his main weapon

Category of uncountable nouns: study in more detail

Learning and remembering all the nouns and their category separately is difficult and completely useless. How can you determine which word is in front of you? Everything is very simple. In English, uncountable nouns include entire categories of concepts. For example, look at this list of uncountable nouns. There are many exceptions in the English language, but we will look at the basic rules.

Solids, food	butter - butter(The butter is not tasty today), spagetti - spaghetti(Italians adore spaghetti but I don't - Italians love spaghetti, but I don't), coal - coal(The coal was used for healing – Coal was used as medicine)
Liquids	water - water, blood - blood (The blood differs the water - Blood is not water). oil - oil (Give me some oil please, i’ll bake something - Give me some oil, I’ll bake something). coffee - coffee (If you like coffee you should try this one – If you like coffee, then you should try this variety)
Gases	pollution - pollution (The air pollution is caused by humanity - Air pollution occurs due to the fault of humanity) smoke - smoke from cigarettes (When we entered the room we felt the smoke - When we entered the room, we smelled cigarette smoke). oxygen - oxygen (We need oxygen not only for breathing – We need oxygen not only for breathing)
Games	Chess(I don’t like chess but adore droughts – I don’t like chess, but I’m delighted with checkers)
Languages of the world	Greek(If you think that English is difficult try Greek or Chinese - If you think that English is difficult, try to learn Greek or Chinese)
Diseases	flu - influenza She had flu a year ago - A year ago she had the flu
Natural phenomena	darkness - darkness (All little children are afraid of darkness), heat - heat (If you like heat you should visit Malta - If you like heat, you definitely need to visit Malta), fog - fog (The fog and rain is what I dislike in England - Fog and rain is what I don’t like in Great Britain), weather - weather, I don’t like such a weather - I don’t like this weather
Collective nouns	rubbish - garbage (There is a lot of rubbish after all the contests - After any event there is a lot of garbage left), luggage - luggage (I lost my luggage twice! - I lost my luggage twice)
Abstract nouns	behavior - behavior (Your behavior is awful - Your behavior is terrible), information - information (If you need more information, ask Julie - If you need more information, ask Julie)
School subjects and scientific disciplines	Math - mathematics (Math is the Queen of all the subjects - Mathematics - the queen of sciences), history - history (History and geography are sisters - History and geography - sisters)

Those sneaky nouns!

Since nouns are the oldest part of speech in the English language, they represent one of the most difficult topics to master. The problem is that an uncountable noun can easily change its category, and you need to keep an eye on this. For example, when specifying with the addition of an article, not only the category, but also the entire meaning changes. Below is a small table of uncountable nouns that change category and meaning:

I visited them a few times - I visited them several times

Time went by - Time has gone...

Your life is worth fighting - Your life is worth fighting for

A life of the man was difficult - This man’s life path was thorny

If an uncountable noun is used to denote a part of a whole, then it changes category and becomes countable, subject to the same rules. For example:

I like tea. Give me a tea - I love tea. Pour me a cup.

The wine is useful, would you like a wine? - Wine is good for you, would you like a glass?

I’d like a coffee and a cake please – Please give me a cup of coffee and one cake.

He hated coffee - He hated coffee

He hated an Indian coffee - He hated Indian coffee

Added ending - changed category

When you add an ending to some nouns, they change the meaning and category. This transformation very clearly demonstrates the mechanism of word formation and the transition of one meaning to another. For example:

The color of her eyes was dark blue – She had dark blue eyes

They saw the king’s colors and cheered him up - They saw the king’s banners and began to greet him

Strike iron while hot – Strike the iron while it’s hot

The irons were too heavy for the boy – The chains were too heavy for the boy

Articles with uncountable nouns

Both articles and uncountable nouns in English are difficult topics, to put it mildly. But nothing is impossible if you have the desire to learn and develop. Below we provide a short list of rules with examples that will help you figure out how to use articles with uncountable nouns.

The article the is placed before a real uncountable noun if we mean not the whole substance, but a specific part. For example, in the following sentence it is clearly visible that the article is used to clarify quantity.

I bought the bread at the supermarket – I bought a loaf of bread in the supermarket

Put the milk into my bag – Put the milk in the bag.

In this case, the reference is to a bottle of milk that both speaker and listener know about.

The meat was too hot – The meat chop was too hot

Here the article also indicates that we are talking about a piece of meat, and not about the meat as a whole.

They won’t ship the ore today - They will not load the ore today

This sentence refers to a consignment of goods that, for one reason or another, cannot be loaded onto a ship.

The article the is also used with real nouns according to the general rule. According to which it is put in the event that the object or substance has already been mentioned in the text and the listeners already know what is being discussed.

We bought some tea and some coffee. The tea was awful but the coffee was amazing. — We bought tea and coffee. The tea was terrible, but the coffee was great.

I ordered some milk for my cat. They told me that the milk was spoiled. — I ordered milk for my cat, but they told me that the milk was spoiled.

That is, we see that in both examples, when a substance is mentioned again, the article the is used according to the general rule.

If an uncountable noun somehow stands out from the class of its own kind. That is also used with the article the.

The silk made by these worms is the best - The silk that this type of silkworm produces is the best.

The ore explored in Africa will help our industry – An ore deposit discovered in Africa will support our industry

The stone used for this castle was delivered from Egypt – The stone that was used to build this castle was brought from Egypt.