Count and Non-Count

Dear students,

We have talked about Count and Non-Count nouns. Now let's review them again. Please, make sure you understand everything. If you don't, ask me questions.

Irena

A noun will be either countable (Count) or uncountable (Non-Count). If it is uncountable (Non-Count), it generally cannot be taken apart as individual units. There are some general guidelines for figuring out which category a noun falls into, but many times you will simply have to memorize which nouns are countable and which are uncountable. Non-count nouns always come together with a singular verb "is" or "need" and singular determiners "this".

This information is not appropriate for school.
Some information is out of place.
A lot of information is incorrect.


You cannot say:

!!! Few information !!!
!!! Many information !!! 
!!! These information !!!

 

Here is another interesting video. Please, watch it.

Common Non-count Nouns

Abstractions:

advice, information, research, news, evidence, energy, grammar, knowledge, vocabulary, confidence, courage, education, fun, happiness, health, help, honesty, hospitality, importance, intelligence, justice, significance, justice, luck, music, patience, peace, progress, wealth, anger, secrecy, equality, friction, radar, combustion 



Abstractions that can be used as countable or uncountable, depending on the context:

proof, time, space, fear, law truth, work, pressure, force, current, power, temperature, share

For example:

As an abstraction:
Time is short when you are working hard.
(referring to the concept of time) 


Not an abstraction:
I have seen this student 3 times.
(not an abstraction, but a specific time)

There is often a countable noun that could be used in place of the non-count noun if more specific reference is desired.

Whole groups made up of separate items:
postage, software, research, machinery, hardware, cash, advice, mail, garbage, equipment, money, clothing, luggage, fruit, furniture, information, jewelry, jargon


Sports:

baseball, soccer, volleyball, football, cricket

General activities:

driving, studying, swimming, traveling, walking (and other-ing nouns) 

Illnesses, diseases:
measles, mumps, influenza or flu 

Natural events (phenomena), weather:
weather, dew, fog, smog, hail, heat, humidity, lightning, rain, snow, wind, darkness, light, sunshine, electricity, fire, gravity 

Academic subjects, fields of study:
chemistry, engineering, business, mathematics, economics, literature 

Food (fluids):
water, coffee, tea, milk, oil, soup, gasoline, blood, wine, liquid 


Food (solids):
ice, bread, butter, cheese, meat, gold, iron, silver, glass, paper, wood, cotton, wool 

Gas:
steam, air, oxygen, nitrogen, smoke, smog, pollution 


Particles:
rice, chalk, corn, dirt, flour, grass, hair, pepper, salt, sand, sugar, wheat, grain 


Languages:
Chinese, English, Spanish, German, Japanese 

Non-Count nouns 

      

luggage                                                    
postage                                                      
machinery                                                 
jewelry                                                      
equipment                                               

Count nouns

suitcases
stamps
machines
necklaces
computers 
machines

We can make non-count nouns countable or measurable by adding countable phrases:

3 pieces of equipment
3 types of software
3 kinds of information
3 cartons of juice
3 slices of bread
3 drops of water
3 teaspoons of oil
3 cups of tea
3 bottles of milk
3 watts of electricity
3 liters of gasoline
3 molecules of oxygen

For some non-count nouns, it is possible to change the non-count noun to an adjective, for example:

3 software packages... (the word software is now an adjective)
3 homework assignments...
3 postage stamps...

Here are links to an exercises. Please, do them.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Here are some exercises with Some, Any and No:

# 1

# 2

# 3



Difference between A Few and Few:

They both are used with countable noun (Count).

A few has positive meaning.
It means a small amount of something, but it is enough.

Few has negative meaning.
It means almost nothing, almost zero - a very small amount of something and it isn't enough.

Example:

I have a few apples.
This means that I have 2 or 3 apples, and it is enough for me.

This means that I have almost nothing, almost zero, and that is not enough for me. I need more. 



Difference between A Little and Little:

They both are used with uncountable noun (Non-Count).

A little has positive meaning.
It means a small amount of something, but it is enough.

Little has negative meaning.
It means almost nothing, almost zero - a very small amount of something and it isn't enough.

Example:

I have a little coffee.
This means that I have some coffee, and it is enough for me.

I have little coffee.
This means that I have almost nothing, almost zero, and that is not enough for me. I need more.



Here are some exercises:

Exercise 1

Exercise 2