Countable & uncountable nouns
A2 21 / 50
In short
Countable nouns can be counted: they have a singular and a plural, and take a/an and numbers (a book, two books). Uncountable nouns are seen as one whole mass: they have no plural and no a/an (water, money, advice).
The rule
A countable noun is a separate thing you can count one by one. It has two forms:
- singular with a/an: a car, an apple
- plural with -s or a number: cars, two apples, three cars
An uncountable noun is a mass, a material, a liquid, or an idea. You treat it as a single whole, so:
- no a/an before it:
a water-> water / some water - no plural -s:
advices, informations-> advice, information - it takes a singular verb: The news is good. The furniture is new.
Many nouns that are uncountable in English are countable in other languages. These cause the most common A2 errors. Learn this short high-frequency list as uncountable:
| Type | Uncountable nouns (no plural, no a/an) |
|---|---|
| Liquids / food | water, milk, coffee, tea, rice, bread, sugar, butter |
| Materials | wood, paper, plastic, gold, money |
| Abstract / info | information, advice, news, knowledge, work, music, fun, weather, luck, help |
| Group as a mass | furniture, luggage, baggage, equipment, traffic |
To count an uncountable noun, use a unit or container word + of:
| Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|
| a piece of + N | a piece of advice, a piece of information, a piece of furniture |
| a glass / cup of + N | a glass of water, a cup of coffee |
| a slice / loaf of + N | a slice of bread, a loaf of bread |
| a bit of + N | a bit of luck, a bit of help |
| a bottle / bag / kilo of + N | a bottle of milk, a bag of rice, a kilo of sugar |
This also makes them plural: two pieces of advice, three glasses of water, two pieces of luggage.
Forms & patterns
Use the right quantifier with each type. Some and any work with both.
| Word | Countable | Uncountable |
|---|---|---|
| a / an | a chair | - |
| numbers | two chairs | - |
| many | many chairs | - |
| much | - | much furniture |
| some (positive) | some chairs | some furniture |
| any (questions / negatives) | any chairs | any furniture |
| a lot of / lots of | a lot of chairs | a lot of furniture |
| How much / How many | How many chairs? | How much furniture? |
Some nouns are both countable and uncountable, with a change of meaning:
| Noun | Uncountable (the mass / idea) | Countable (a unit / a type) |
|---|---|---|
| coffee | I like coffee. | Two coffees, please. (= two cups) |
| hair | She has long hair. | I found two grey hairs. (single strands) |
| paper | I need paper to write on. | I bought a paper. (= a newspaper) |
| glass | The cup is made of glass. | a glass of water (a drinking glass) |
| time | I don’t have time. | three times (= occasions) |
Examples
| English | Note |
|---|---|
| I’d like some water, please. | Uncountable: some + no plural, no a. |
| She gave me a piece of advice. | Count uncountable advice with a piece of. |
| Can you give me some information about the course? | information is uncountable: no -s, no an. |
| We bought two pieces of furniture for the bedroom. | Make the unit word plural, not furniture. |
| The news is on at nine o’clock. | news looks plural but is uncountable -> is. |
| There were three coffees on the tray. | Countable here = three cups of coffee. |
| How much money do you have, and how many coins? | much + uncountable, many + countable. |
| He took too much luggage on the trip. | luggage is uncountable -> much, no plural. |
Common mistakes
an information-> some information / a piece of information - information is uncountable; no a/an, no plural.She gave me good advices.-> good advice / two pieces of advice - advice never takes -s.The news are bad.-> The news is bad. - uncountable nouns take a singular verb.How much chairs?-> How many chairs? - use many (not much) with countable nouns.I need to buy a new furniture.-> some new furniture / a new piece of furniture - furniture is uncountable.
Tips
- If you can put a number directly in front of it (two ___), it’s countable. If that sounds wrong, it’s uncountable.
- Memory hook for the tricky ones: advice, information, news, furniture, luggage, work, weather, money are all uncountable in English.
- Use a piece of as a safe counter for abstract nouns and group nouns: a piece of advice / information / news / furniture.
- much feels formal in positive sentences. In everyday English use a lot of for both types: a lot of money, a lot of friends.