Count and Non-count nounsGonzalo Smith Sifuentes Zavala
NounNouns represent persons , places , things and ideas .
refers to
types
Proper NounsProper nouns name particular persons , places or things.
They are usually unique and are capitalized in writing.
Example:China
Dr. Olsen
The Empire State Building
Common NounsCommon Nouns refer to people , places , or things but are not the names of particular individuals.
Examplescientist
building
department store.
Count NounsCount Nouns refer to things that you can count separately .
They can be singular or plural.
You can use a or an before count Nouns.
ExampleNine planets
That`s an interesting question
This is a delicious sandwich
Non- Count NounsNon-Count Nouns refer to things that you can`t count separately.
They usually have no plural form.
We don`t usually use a or an with non-count Nouns , though they are often preceded by some or the.
Common mistakes:
I have a lot of homeworks to do
Se is washing her hairs
The equipments weren`t working well.
ExampleI bought rice
Let me give you some advice
Be careful!Many words have both count and non-count meanings.
Check your dictionary to avoid mistakes.
She heard a noise in the attic.
Noise can be harmful to health
We normally use a singular verb with a non-count noun.
Example: Rice feeds millions.
We use a singular pronoun to refer to the noun.
Example: It feeds millions.
Categories of Non-Count NounsMedical Condition:
Cancer
AIDS
Typhoid
Syphilis
Scientific process or procedures:
anesthesia
dissection
electroshock
Wholes composed of individual parts:
clothing
garbage
baggage
jewerly
Abstractions:
honesty
love
hate
education
beauty
maidhood
Activities:
basketball
dancing
tennis
soccer
golf
Foods:
beef
bread
fish
fruit
meat
Gases:
air
carbon dioxide
oxygen
smoke
Liquids:
coffee
gasoline
milk
tea
water
Natural Phenomena:
snow
heat
rain
thunder
Particles:
dust
pepper
salt
sand
sugar
Solid elements:
gold
iron
plutonium
silver
Subjects:
Chinese
English
physics
science
Others:
equipment
furniture
money
news
We frequently make non- count nouns countable by adding a phrase that gives them a form , a limit or a container.
Non count noun countable form
furniture a piece of furniture
lightning a bolt / flash of lightning
meat a piece of meat
rice a grain of rice
tennis a game of tennis
thunder a clap of thunder
Non Count Noun Countable Form
water a cup of water milk , juice a carton of juice , milk lettuce a head of lettuce banana a bunch of bananas butter a piece / stick / bar of butter
Non Count Noun Countable Form
chocolate a bar of chocolate margarine a tub of margarine bread a loaf / slice of bread ice cream a tub , scoop of ice cream mermelade a jar of mermelade sugar a lump of sugar garlic a clove of garlic
We use many non-count nouns in a countable sense without the addition of a phrase ( such as a piece of).
We can use these nouns with a / an or in the plural to mean kind / type / variety of
Example:
Do you like pasta?
In Italy , I tasted a new pasta.
A / an and plurals can also be used to indicate discrete amounts.
Example:
I drank a soda
Please bring us two orange juices
Some nouns are irregular:
A) A few non-count nouns end in -S
NewsMathematicsEconomicsphysics
B) A few count nouns have irregular plurals:
Singular Plural criterion Criteria phenomenon phenomena nucleus nuclei
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