Countable nouns

If a noun is countable

- we can use a/an in front of it a book an envelope

- it has a plural and can be used in the question How many? How many stamps'envelopes? - Four stamps/envelopes

- we can use numbers one stamp two stamps

Uncountable nouns

If a noun is uncountable

- we do not normally use a/an in front of it Sugar is expensive

- it does not normally have a plural and it can be used in the question How much? How much meat/oil? - A lot of meat'A little oil

- we cannot normally use a number (one two) in front of it

Concrete and abstract nouns

Many countable nouns are concrete (having an individual physical existence) for example

Persons, animals, plants a girl a horse a geranium

Objects a bottle a desk a typewriter

Groups an army a crowd a herd

Units of measurement a franc a kilo a litre a metre

Parts of a mass a bit a packet a piece a slice

Concrete uncountable nouns (sometimes having physical but not 'individual' existence) include words like Materials, liquids, gases cotton milk air 'Grains' and 'powder' barley rice dust flour

Activities camping drinking eating sailing

Languages Arabic Italian Japanese Turkish

A few countable nouns are abstract: e.g. a hope, an idea a nuisance a remark a situation. A number of abstract nouns can be used only as countables: e.g. a denial a proposal a scheme a statement Many uncountable nouns are abstract: e.g. anger, equality, honesty

Nouns which can be either countable or uncountable

Some nouns may be countable or uncountable depending on their use.

2.16.1 Nouns we can think of as 'single items' or 'substances'

e.g. a chicken/chicken an egg/egg. a ribbon/ribbon

When we use these as countables, we refer to them as single items; when we use them as uncountables, we refer to them as substances.

countable (a single item) uncountable (substance/material)

He ate a whole chicken! Would you like some chicken?

I had a boiled egg for breakfast There's egg on your face

I tied it up with a ribbon I bought a metre of ribbon

Nouns which refer to objects or material

e.g. a glass/glass an ice/ice, an iron/iron, a paper/paper

When we use such nouns as countables, we refer to e.g. a thing which is made of the material or which we think of as being made of the material; when we use them as uncountables, we refer only to the material.

countable ('thing') uncountable ('material')

/ broke a glass this morning Glass is made from sand.

Would you like an ice? Ice floats

I've got a new iron Steel is an alloy of iron

What do the papers say? Paper is made from wood

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