Uncountable nouns denote objects that cannot be counted. The uncountablenouns are subdivided into the so-called singularia tantum and pluralia tantum.

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns denote objects that cannot be counted. The uncountablenouns are subdivided into the so-called singularia tantum and pluralia tantum.

1. S ingularia tantum are nouns used only in singular in English. They agree with a predicate in singular. Here belong the following:

a) material nouns such as air, water, paper, cotton, leather:

Sugar is sweet.

b) abstract nouns such as love, courage, weather, traffic.

The traffic is very heavy here.

Some abstract nouns are used only singular in English, but have both forms in Ukrainian: advice (порада – поради), information (інформація – відомості), knowledge (знання), progress (успіх – успіхи).

Your advice is the best. – Твої поради найкращі.

c) some collective nouns such as linen, equipment, luggage, furniture, currency, money, machinery.

There is a lot of equipment in this chemistry-lab.

The nouns money (гроші) and furniture (меблі) are singular in English, but plural in Ukrainian.

I don’t need this money. – Мені не потрібні ці гроші.

This furniture is broken. – Ці меблі зламані.

Note that these uncountable nouns can be made countable by means of partitives:

a piece of cake/information/advice/furniture; a glass/bottle of water; a jar of jam; a rasher of bacon; a box of chocolates; a packet of biscuits/tea; a slice/loaf of bread; a pot of yoghurt; a pot/cup of tea; a kilo/pound of meat; a bottle of vinegar, a tube of toothpaste; a bar of chocolate/soap; a bit/piece of chalk; an ice cube; a lump of sugar; a sheet of paper; a bag of flour; a pair of trousers; a game of soccer; a(n) item/piece of news; a drop/can of oil; a can of Coke; a carton of milk; a block of wood.

NB: Some of the above mentioned nouns can be used in singular and plural, but they have different meanings. Compare:

This glass is transparent. (скло) I have no time. (час) Her hair is wonderful. (волосся) I have no paper. (папір)

I’d like 3 glasses of juice. (склянка) I met him two times. (раз) I see a hair in my plate. (волосина) I need a paper. (газета)

d) Some nouns have plural forms but mean singular. Their final –s loses the meaning of the plural inflexion and the nouns are treated as singular. Here belong names of some subjects, games and activities: athletics (атлетика, гімнастика), economics (економіка), linguistics (мовознавство, лінгвістика), mathematics (математика), news (новина, новини, звістка, вісті), phonetics (фонетика), physics (фізика), classics (класична література), politics (політика), statistics (статистика), aerobics (аеробіка), billiards (більярд), dominoes (доміно), draughts (шашки), darts (дартс,дротики), bowls (гра в кулі), cards (карти), skittles (кеглі).

But when those nouns don’t refer to subjects of study and activities, they may be used in plural:

The statistics are not accurate. – Статистичні данні (цифри) не є вірними.

His politics are rude. – Його політичні дії дуже грубі.

2. Pluralia tantum are used only in plural in English. They agree with a predicate in plural. Here belong the following:

a) Names of things consisting of two similar halves. Here belong nouns which refer to clothes, tools and other things that people wear or use: scales (ваги), scissors (ножиці), spectacles, glasses(окуляри), binoculars (бінокль), tweezers (пінцет), handcuffs (наручники), pyjamas (піжама), trousers (штани), jeans (джинси)

Her jeans are black. – Її джинси – чорні.

If we want to refer to a single piece of clothing or a single tool, we can use “ some ” or “ a pair of ” in front of the noun:

She has a new pair of jeans. – В неї є нова пара джинс.

She bought three pairs of tights. – Вона купила три пари колгот.

b) some collective nouns such as: clothes (одяг, убрання, речі), contents (зміст), goods (товар, товари), proceeds (виторг, прибуток), riches (багатство, скарби), wages(заробітна плата), expenses (затрати, витрати), looks (зовнішній вигляд), greens (зелень, овочі), troops (війська), remains (залишок, рештки), premises (будинок з прилеглими будівлями, stairs (сходи, трап).

These nouns may have both forms in Ukrainian.

These traffic-lights are not working. – Цей світлофор не працює. / Ці світлофори не працюють.

c) Nouns of multitude people (люди), police (міліція, поліція), cattle (велика рогата худоба), poultry (домашня птиця). These nouns are singular in form but plural in meaning.

Do the police know about him? – Чи знає поліція про нього?

d) The nouns fruit (фрукт) and fish (риба) are singular in English, but have both forms in Ukrainian. They agree with a predicate in singular.

Fruit is cheap in summer.

Note that the plural is used to speak about different kinds:

There are apples, plums and other fruit s on the table.

Some – Any – No – Not Any – Every

	Adjectives	Pronouns	Adverbs
		people	things	places
+	some any	someone/somebody anyone/anybody	something anything	somewhere anywhere
?	any	anyone/anybody	anything	anywhere
-	no/ not any	no one/not anyone nobody/not anybody	nothing not anything	nowhere not anywhere
+ - ?	every	everybody (all the people) everyone	everything (all the things)	everywhere (in all the places)

v Some is normally used in a positive sentence before uncountable nouns or plural countable nouns.

There’s some cheese left.

Some is also used in questions when we want to make an offer, a request or when we expect a positive answer.

Would you like some hot chocolate?

Could I have some cake, please?

Did you buy some oranges? (= I expect you bought.)

v Any is normally used before uncountable nouns or plural countable nouns in questions.

Are there any more apples?

Any and its compounds can be used after if in a positive sentence.

I doubt if anyone can help me.

Any can also be used in positive sentences meaning it doesn’t matter when/which/who/where.

You can come any day you want.

You can go anywhere you want.

v No/Not any are used before plural countable nouns or uncountable nouns in negations.

There is no cheese left. or There isn’t any cheese left.

Any is always used after negative words (hardly, never, without, seldom, rarely).

There’s hardly any food left.

v Every is used before singular countable nouns. Every and its compounds take a verb in the singular.

Every student has a task. (= all the students)

Everything is ready for the wedding. (= all the things)

v The above rules apply to the compounds of some/any/no/every.

There’s someone in the office.

The Possessive Case of Nouns

To show possession, we can use both the of + noun and the possessive case.

English nouns denoting living beings (and some nouns denoting lifeless things) have two cases the common case and the possessive case.

To make the possessive case of nouns in writing, we add ’s (apostrophe s) to singular nouns and to irregular plurals that don't end in –s:

Philip’s car, the women’s hat

We add ’ (an apostrophe) to regular plurals (which end in –s):

the boys’ football boots

the girls’ room

the Carters’ house

possessive’s is used:	of + noun is used:
1. for people and animals Tom’s sister the cat’s tail	1. for things, ideas the name of the book the handle of the bag
2. for a group of people and organizations the team’s success the company’s decision	2. for a group of people and organizations the success of the team the decision of the company
3. for places the city’s streets the world’s population Kyiv’s parks	3. for places the streets of the city the population of the world the parks of Kyiv
	When we are talking about a process, or a change over time only this construction is possible: the reconstruction of the airport
4. with time expressions yesterday’s newspaper tomorrow’s meeting Monday’s lesson
5. with periods of time, distance, weight ten minutes’ walk two hours’ flight three miles’ trip nine kilos’ bag

Notes:

v We can use ’s after more than one noun:

Peter and Mary’s wedding

Mr and Mrs John’s house

v To make the possessive form of names ending in -s we can add either ’ or ’s:

It’s Derek Jones’ (or Derek Jones’s) new sports car.

v The noun following a possessive form can be left out when we talk about someone’s home or some shops and services, e.g. the newsagent’s, the chemist’s, the hairdresser’s:

We’re going to Linda’s for the evening. (= Linda’s home)

I must go to the butcher’s this morning. (= the butcher’s shop)

We also usually leave out the noun when the meaning is clear in cases like: “Whose hat is this?” – “ Richard’s. ” (rather than Richard’s hat.) This is the so-called absolute possessive.

v We use of + possessive case/possessive pronoun when there is a determiner, (this, some etc.) before the noun:

That’s a poem of Steve’s. (= one of Steve’s poem)

They have some books of mine. (= some of my books)

v When the noun is a long noun phrase we prefer to use of + noun:

What is the name of the man who phoned you?

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