Page 109 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

C o u n t a b l e a n d u n c o u n t a b l e n o u n s

Nouns can be either countable or uncountable. Countable nouns are those which can have the
word a/an before them or be used in the plural. Uncountable nouns are not used with a/an or in
the plural. This sentence includes countable nouns in bold:
• We've got three children, two cats, and a dog.
This sentence includes uncountable nouns in bold:
• It was good to get out into the countryside and breathe in some fresh air.

Some nouns in English are normally uncountable; in many other languages they are countable:
• There's always lots of housework to do. • Her jewellery must have cost a fortune.
Here are some more nouns like this: accommodation, advice, applause, assistance, baggage,
camping, cash, chaos, chess, clothing, conduct, courage, cutlery, dancing, dirt, employment,
equipment, evidence, fun, furniture, harm, health, homework, housing, information, leisure,
litter, luck, luggage, machinery, money, mud, music, news, nonsense, parking, pay, permission,
photography, poetry, pollution, produce, progress, publicity, research, rubbish, safety, scenery,
shopping, sightseeing, sunshine, transport, underwear, violence, weather, work.

Sometimes a noun is used uncountably when we are talking about the whole substance or idea,
but countably when we are talking about
• recognised containers for things. Compare:
• I prefer tea to coffee. and • Three teas (= cups of tea), please.
• a type, brand or make of thing. Compare:
• There's cheese in the fridge. and • There were dozens of cheeses (= kinds of cheese) to
choose from.
• a particular example of a physical or concrete thing. Compare:
• She has blonde hair. and • There's a hair in my soup!
• a particular instance of a substance or an idea. Compare:
I • • The statue was made of stone. and • • I had a stone in my shoe.
a winter sport in Britain.
Football is mainly
She was always good at sport.
and
There are many nouns like this, including beer, coffee, water; fruit, shampoo, toothpaste,
washing powder; cake, chicken, land, noise, rain, snow, sound, space, stone; abuse,
(dis)agreement, business, conversation, difficulty, dislike, fear, improvement, language, life, pain,
pleasure, protest, success, thought, war.
Some nouns have different meanings when they are used countably and uncountably. Compare:
• Bolivia is one of the world's largest producers of tin. (= the metal) and
• The cupboard was full of tins. (= metal food containers)
Other nouns like this include accommodation, competition, glass, grammar, iron, jam, lace,
paper, property, room, sight, speech, time, work.

Some nouns that are usually used uncountably can be used countably, but only in the singular,
including education, importance, knowledge, resistance, traffic:
• She has an extensive knowledge of property prices in this area.
• The decision to build the bridge later took on an unexpected strategic importance.
The noun damage can be used countably, but only in the plural:
• Sue is claiming damages (= money paid as compensation) for the injuries caused.

Determiners and quantifiers =