Page 63 - English Vocabulary In Use upper intermediet and advance

28 Countable and uncountable with different
meanings

When we use a noun countably we are thinking of specific things; when we use it
uncountably we are thinking of stuff or material or the idea of a thing in general.
- -
stu ff/materials. things
a glass / glasses D
glass

cloth a cloth

fish a fish

work a work

Be careful! there's broken glass on the road. I need a cloth to wipe the table.
We had fish for dinner. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's most famous works.

Here are some more nouns used in both ways. Make sure you know the difference between
the uncountable and the countable meaning.
drink / a drink hair / a hair paper / a paper land / a land
people / a people home / a home policy / a policy trade /a trade
Drink was the cause of all his problems. [alcohol]
There's a hair in my sandwich, a dark one; it must be yours.
Did you buy a paper this morning? [a newspaperj
I love meeting people from different countries. [individuals]
The different peoples of Asia. [races / national groups]
Her grandmother lives in a home. [an institution]
I've lost my car insurance policy. [a document]
Trade with China has increased. [imports and exports]

The names of food items often have a different shade of meaning when used countably and
uncountably (see fish above).
* a coffee and two teas b&&

coffeehea

potato * just two potatoes, please!

would you like *
would you like a chocolate?
some chocolate?
%if-
-
salt and pepper *
* an onion @
a hot dog with onion

English Vocabulary in Use