COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS count and mass nouns

COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS (count and mass nouns) By Inma Domínguez Images in http: //hcmc. uvic. ca/clipart/

COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS They refer to things that can be counted: They refer to immaterial concepts: life, love, . . . A banana A cherry They refer to stuff or liquid that cannot be counted: water, sugar, salt, . . . bread A Christmas tree jam icecream

COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS COUNTABLE UNCOUNTABLE They can be singular or They are always plural singular an apple coffee milk some apples money pasta

COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS COUNTABLE UNCOUNTABLE Before them you can use: A /an a house Some/any The table Numbers two children Some /any (when they are plural only) There are some apples on the table There is some water in the glass There isn't any cheese on the table But you can't use: a /an or numbers before them.

Quantifiers COUNTABLE UNCOUNTABLE Many Much There are many children in the park There isn't much sugar in my coffee. Few /a few Little / a little There are few apples (not enough). They know little English (not enough to manage) There a few apples (enough). They know a little English (enough to manage) How many apples do you want? How much money do you need?

How to “count” uncountable nouns: the use of partitives Uncountable nouns can be quantified using some expressions called partitives. We use partitives when we refer to a part of a whole. There are many different partitives. Here are some examples: ● A glass of water ● A bottle of whisky ● A tin of soup ● A piece of cheese ● A cup of coffee ● A carton of milk ● A jar of jam ● A tube of toothpaste ● A bag of crisps ● An item of news ● A loaf of bread ● A can of coke ● A bar of soap We can use numbers before the partitives: two cups of coffee, ten bottles of whisky, . . .