Countable and uncountable nouns Countable nouns Countable nouns

Countable and uncountable nouns

Countable nouns • Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. • Countable nouns have a singular and plural form and refer to individual things. • The singular form can use the determiner "a" or "an". • You can count them. • If you want to ask about the quantity of a countable noun, you ask "How many? " combined with the plural countable noun.

Singular an egg a good restaurant one shop one idea one horse Plural two eggs good restaurants two shops two ideas two horses Examples: She has three dogs. I own a house. I would like two books please. How many friends do you have?

Uncountable nouns • Uncountable nouns refer to things seen as a mass rather than individual items. • Uncountable nouns are for the things that we cannot count with numbers. • Uncountable nouns only have a singular form. They usually do not have a plural form. • You cannot count them. • They may be the names for abstract ideas or qualities or for physical objects that are too small or too amorphous to be counted (liquids, powders, gases, etc. ).

• If we need to talk about one example of an uncountable noun, we use a phrase before it: spaghetti (a plate of spaghetti) coffee (a cup of coffee) • We cannot use a/an with these nouns. • To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or expression like some, a lot of, much, a bit of, a great deal of , or else use an exact measurement like a cup of, a bag of, 1 kg of, 1 L of, a handful of, a pinch of, an hour of, a day of. • If you want to ask about the quantity of an uncountable noun, you ask "How much? "

Examples: tea sugar water air rice knowledge beauty anger fear love money research safety evidence He did not have much money left. Measure 1 cup of water, 300 g of flour, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. How much rice do you want?

Some nouns can be countable or uncountable She never drinks wine. Australia makes a number of good wines. He ate a lot of food at the party. Certain foods cause an allergy.

Exercise 1 Put these words in the correct groups. chocolate broccoli potato rice coffee aubergine omelette salmon milk sugar salt prawn fruit chicken sandwich lettuce pizza spaghetti salad meal food tomato curry vegetable countable both uncountable meal omelette chocolate potato aubergine salmon broccoli coffee rice milk sugar prawn sandwich vegetable fruit chicken lettuce pizza salad food tomato curry salt spaghetti

Exercise 2 Complete the sentences with the correct options. 1 The lamb tikka is served with a rice / rices. 2 We’ve run out of bread / a bread / breads. 3 You’ve got an egg / eggs on your tie. 4 Waiter. There’s a fly / flies in my soup. 5 What a delicious chicken / delicious chickens! 6 Belgium produces an excellent beer / some excellent beers.

Exercise 3 Match the countable expressions with the uncountable nouns. 1 a pot of snails 2 a carafe of tea 3 a rack of lamb 4 a bottle of rice 5 a bunch of wine 6 a plate of fish 7 a fillet of mineral water 8 a bowl of grapes

Some and any • We use some in positive sentences and with offers and requests. • We use any in negative sentences and questions. • We use both some and any with plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

Some and any She made some sandwiches. Can I have some juice? Would you like some fruit? He never eats any vegetables. There isn’t any bread. Did you buy any milk?

Much, many, a lot (of) • We use much in questions and negative sentences with uncountable nouns. • We use many in questions and negative sentences with countable nouns. • We use a lot (of) in positive sentences with both countable and uncountable nouns.