is speech countable or uncountable noun

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Definition of speech noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• speaker noun
• speech noun
• spoken adjective (≠ unspoken)
• Several people made speeches at the wedding.
• She gave a rousing speech to the crowd.
• speech on something to deliver a speech on human rights
• speech about something He inspired everyone with a moving speech about tolerance and respect.
• in a speech In his acceptance speech , the actor thanked his family.
• a lecture on the Roman army
• a course/​series of lectures
• a televised presidential address
• She gave an interesting talk on her visit to China.
• to preach a sermon
• a long/​short speech/​lecture/​address/​talk/​sermon
• a keynote speech/​lecture/​address
• to write/​prepare/​give/​deliver/​hear a(n) speech/​lecture/​address/​talk/​sermon
• to attend/​go to a lecture/​talk
• George Washington's inaugural speech
• He made a speech about workers of the world uniting.
• In a speech given last month, she hinted she would run for office.
• She delivered the keynote speech (= main general speech) at the conference.
• He wrote her party conference speech.
• His 20-minute speech was interrupted several times by booing.
• Her comments came ahead of a speech she will deliver on Thursday to business leaders.
• She concluded her speech by thanking the audience.
• He gave an impassioned speech broadcast nationwide.
• We heard a speech by the author.
• This is very unexpected—I haven't prepared a speech.
• The guest speaker is ill so I have to do the opening speech.
• He read his speech from a prompter.
• the farewell speech given by George Washington
• He made the comments in a nationally televised speech.
• During his victory speech the President paid tribute to his defeated opponent.
• In his concession speech, he urged his supporters to try to work with Republicans.
• The Prime Minister addressed the nation in a televised speech.
• He delivered his final speech to Congress.
• He delivered the commencement speech at Notre Dame University.
• His speech was broadcast on national radio.
• In her speech to the House of Commons, she outlined her vision of Britain in the 21st century.
• President Bush delivered his 2004 State of the Union speech.
• She gave a speech on the economy.
• She made a stirring campaign speech on improving the lot of the unemployed.
• The President will deliver a major foreign-policy speech to the United Nations.
• The candidates gave their standard stump speeches (= political campaign speeches) .
• The prizewinner gave an emotional acceptance speech.
• a Senate floor speech
• her maiden speech (= her first) in the House of Commons
• the Chancellor's Budget speech
• the Prime Minister's speech-writers
• She's been asked to give the after-dinner speech.
• You will need to prepare an acceptance speech.
• a political speech writer
• in a/​the speech
• speech about

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• in speech This expression is used mainly in speech, not in writing.
• a defence of free speech (= the right to say openly what you think)
• speech sounds
• the use of language in everyday speech
• The kids pepper their speech with a lot of slang and terms from social media.
• the difficulties of transcribing conversational speech
• Computer-generated speech has become significantly more intelligible and naturalistic.
• The poems are delivered in a style between speech and song.
• Improvements in speech recognition have produced digital assistants that can respond to spoken commands.
• A blind user can 'read' a newspaper using a Braille display or speech synthesizer.
• Her singing style is close to the natural rhythms of everyday speech.
• the speech rhythms of the Polish language
• He learned to successfully mimic American speech patterns.
• birds that mimic the intonations of human speech
• They were able to communicate without speech.
• In English, a letter does not always represent the same speech sound.
• Speech codes have been instituted by some universities (= to stop language that is sexist, racist, etc.) .
• The country continues to suppress free speech and censor the internet.
• When the government restricts speech, this may be a violation of the First Amendment.
• racist hate speech
• a figure of speech
• freedom of speech
• the power of speech
• I seemed to have lost the power of speech.
• a speech impediment
• The child was referred to a speech therapist .
• He temporarily lost the power of speech after the accident.
• It's a story about a kid who loses his powers of sight, hearing and speech.
• a child who has problems with speech and language
• a speech and language therapist
• After the stroke he had some difficulties with speech.
• the development of speech in humans
• Symptoms may include visual and speech impairment.
• Her speech was slurred—she was clearly drunk.
• Clear speech with crisp consonant sounds is very important.
• She could tell by his slurred speech that he had been drinking.
• She was slurring her speech.
• I find his speech very hard to understand.
• I don't like it when people correct my speech.
• His speech was incoherent, responding to questions that had not been asked.
• In halting speech, she began to tell her story.
• She has a very idiosyncratic style of speech.
• She has the longest speech in the play.
• dramatic irony

Other results

Nearby words.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Table of contents, introduction, what are countable and uncountable nouns.

1. Countable Nouns

2. Uncountable Nouns

Example sentences with uncountable nouns:

Quantifying Uncountable Nouns

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Countable and Uncountable Nouns in English

What makes one noun countable and the other uncountable in English? 

Countable nouns are specific items that can be counted individually, such as “apples” or “dogs.” Uncountable nouns , on the other hand, represent something as a whole, like “music” or “sand” and are not counted as separate units.

Read on to learn more about the differences between countable and uncountable nouns.

You’ll also find examples and resources for perfecting your noun skills!

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What Are Countable Nouns?

What are uncountable nouns, how to turn an uncountable noun into a countable noun, main differences between countable and uncountable nouns, resources for practicing countable and uncountable nouns, and one more thing....

A countable noun, as the name suggests, is a noun that can be counted or numbered. It can also be turned into a plural.  Often countable nouns refer to things or objects that we can see, feel or touch (but not always!).

For instance:

If you aren’t sure if a noun is countable or not, ask yourself if you can place a number right before it. Since all countable nouns can be expressed in terms of a number, they all have singular and plural forms .

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There are five red cars on the road.

She’s carrying three eggs in a basket.

Two people are standing outside the gate.

Only one sandwich is left.

In their singular form, these nouns usually have an article (“a,” “an” or “the”), or the number “one” before it.

For example:

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An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

A century (100 years) has already passed.

Similarly, their plural forms usually have a number before it or are preceded by words like “few,” “many,” “several” and so on. 

Eight out of 10 apples were rotten.

There are a few girls in the class.

How many countries have you visited?

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Several centuries have passed.

Most objects around us, as well as collective nouns (such as teams, groups and bands) , are countable nouns.

Uncountable nouns are nouns that can’t be counted , or rather, which can’t be directly expressed in terms of numbers . Often, uncountable nouns also refer to abstract nouns.

• information

Here are examples of how they look in a sentence: 

We all seek happiness in our lives.

She makes a lot of money .

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His success as a movie star is a result of his hard work , rather than his luck .

My kids find it relaxing to play with clay .

Certain materials are uncountable nouns , like:

Some food or drink items are also uncountable nouns , such as:

You’ll also notice that most uncountable nouns don’t have a plural form. So, to express the amount or quantity, such nouns are often used with words like “some,” “much,” ” a lot” and so on.

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Can I borrow some milk to bake the cake?

His mother has placed much hope in him.

A lot of effort is needed to finish this task.

If you want to express an uncountable noun in terms of exact numbers or measurements, you need to add a countable noun before it that is used to specify amounts .

Take a look at the following examples:

Can I have some water ? Yes, there’s a glass of water on the table.

Is there any cheese in the fridge? Yes, there are three slices of cheese still left.

She gave me some terrible advice about my love life! Really? When I spoke to her, I came away with at least two pieces of good advice .

However, for certain tricky words, it depends entirely on the context. You have to study the sentence carefully to know if the noun is countable or not.

The floor is covered with loose hair . (uncountable) A stray hair clung to her sweaty face. (countable)

The hotel has 20 rooms . (countable) Is there room for me on the bus? (uncountable)

And sometimes, an abstract noun can be used as a countable noun.

Only the t ruth can set you free. (uncountable) There are two truths in this story. (countable)

Helen’s beauty can’t be surpassed. (uncountable) What are you two beauties doing here by the pool? (countable)

If you’re confused if a noun is countable or not, look for articles (“a” or “the”) or words like “some,” “few” and “many” to figure it out. And if there are none, then they’re probably uncountable nouns.

To summarize, countable nouns …

• can be expressed with numbers
• have singular and plural forms
• can have a numeral or an article before it
• can be preceded by words like “few,” “many” and “several”

And uncountable nouns. ..

• can’t be directly expressed with numbers
• usually don’t have a plural form
• can have words like “some,” “much” and “a lot” before them
• can be preceded by a number and a countable noun

To test your understanding of countable and uncountable nouns, there are plenty of online exercises that can help you keep track of your progress.

• Perfect English Grammar : Brush up on nouns before moving on to countables and uncountables.
• AgendaWeb : Focus purely on countable and uncountable nouns.

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• MyEnglishPages : Take short quizzes. For each sentence, choose whether the nouns are countable or uncountable.

By now, the differences between countable and uncountable nouns should be clear to you. 

Try to reread the differences between countable and uncountable nouns to memorize them and then test your understanding with the practice exercises I’ve listed above. 

It’s okay if you make mistakes in the beginning. Just keep practicing regularly and you’re sure to make a lot of progress!

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Countable and Uncountable Nouns in English

Countable and uncountable nouns are used in everyday speech and writing, but they can be confusing for language learners due to their different forms and rules. In this reference, you will explore the differences between countable and uncountable nouns, how to identify them, and see examples that help you better understand their usage.

You will also learn about common mistakes and misconceptions, as well as the use of quantifiers and articles with these nouns. Additionally, you will discover how some nouns can be both countable and uncountable . Dive in to grasp more about this essential aspect of the English language!

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

What are Countable Nouns?

Countable nouns refer to items that you can count individually. They have both singular and plural forms. You can use numbers with them. Examples include:

• Book  / Books
• Apple  / Apples
• Chair  / Chairs

You can say “one book,” “two books,” or “many books.” Countable nouns often use words like  many, few, several . For instance:

• “There are  many  chairs in the room.”
• “She has  few  apples left.”

What are Uncountable Nouns?

Uncountable nouns  refer to things that cannot be counted individually. They do not have a plural form. You can’t use numbers directly with them. Examples include:

You cannot say “one water” or “two waters.” Instead, we use words like  some, much, a lot of :

• “There is  some  water in the glass.”
• “He listens to  a lot of  music.”

Uncountable nouns often refer to abstract ideas or mass substances. For example:

• Love  (an abstract idea)
• Sand  (a mass substance)

Using these guidelines helps you correctly use countable and uncountable nouns in sentences.

Quantifiers with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

With countable nouns.

For countable nouns, which are items that can be counted one by one, some  common quantifiers  include:

• Example: She has a few books on her shelf.
• Example: He bought several apples at the market.
• Example: There are many cars parked on the street.
• Example: They have a lot of friends attending the party.

These quantifiers can also be used in negative statements or with questions:

With Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are substances, concepts, or things that can’t be counted individually. Some common quantifiers for uncountable nouns include:

• Example: I have a little sugar left in the jar.
• Example: She needs some advice on the project.
• Example: I don’t have much time before the meeting.
• Example: There is a lot of information to digest in this report.

In negative statements or with questions, you can use:

Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

When using articles with countable nouns, both definite ( the ) and indefinite ( a ,  an ) articles are applicable. Singular countable nouns require an article:

When referring to plural countable nouns, you can use  the  when talking about a specific group, and no article when discussing a general sense:

• The  books (referring to specific books)
• Books (referring to books in general)

Note the use of articles with countable nouns:

• The definite article  the  can be used with both singular and plural countable nouns.
• The indefinite article  a  is used with singular countable nouns starting with a consonant.
• The indefinite article  an  is used with singular countable nouns starting with a vowel.

When using articles with uncountable nouns, the definite article  the  is commonly used, but the indefinite articles  a  and  an  are typically not applicable. In some cases, you can use  some  or  any  to convey quantity. For instance:

• The  water is cold.
• She has  some  knowledge about the topic.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

One common mistake is using countable terms for uncountable nouns. For example, saying “an advice” or “some advices” instead of the correct “some advice.” Uncountable nouns don’t have plural forms, so articles like “a” or “an” are not appropriate.

Examples of incorrect usage:

• a news (Instead: some news)
• two luggages (Instead: two pieces of luggage)
• my hairs are long (Instead: my hair is long)
• the equipments are new (Instead: all the equipment is new)
• a lot of traffics (Instead: a lot of traffic)

Another common error is using uncountable nouns as countable. Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable, depending on context. For example, “coffee” and “wine” are uncountable when referring to substances, but countable when referring to servings or types.

• Uncountable: I’d like some coffee.
• Countable: I’d like a coffee, please. (meaning a cup of coffee)

Adjectives and quantifiers are also important when working with countable and uncountable nouns. Use “few” or “many” for countable nouns, while “little” or “much” is suitable for uncountable nouns. Some quantifiers, like “some” and “any,” work for both.

• Countable: a few books, many students
• Uncountable: a little sugar, much water

Nouns that Can be Both Countable and Uncountable

There are certain  nouns  in the English language that can function as both countable and uncountable, depending on their usage. For these nouns, the uncountable form generally refers to the abstract or general idea, while the countable form pertains to a specific instance or item.

For example, consider the word “chicken.” As an uncountable noun, it refers to the meat in general, as in “I like to eat chicken.” However, when used as a countable noun, it refers to the individual animal: “We have fifteen chickens on our farm.”

Here are more examples of words that can function as both countable and uncountable nouns:

• Paper : Used as an uncountable noun, it refers to the material in general: “I need to buy more paper for the printer.” As a countable noun, it denotes a specific sheet or document: “She handed in three papers for the project.”
• Light : As an uncountable noun, it refers to the natural phenomenon of illumination: “The room was filled with light.” When used as a countable noun, it signifies a source of artificial illumination: “There are two lights hanging above the table.”
• Coffee : When used as uncountable, it refers to the beverage in general: “He drinks coffee every morning.” As a countable noun, it denotes a specific serving of the drink: “Please order two coffees at the counter.”
• Bread : Usually, “bread” is an uncountable noun. However, when we refer to different types of bread, we can use it as a countable noun. For example, “She bought three different breads at the bakery: whole wheat, rye, and sourdough.”
• Water : Typically, “water” is an uncountable noun as well. If we want to make it countable, we can add a unit of measurement, like “a glass of water” or “two bottles of water.” When talking about varieties of water, such as those from different sources, we can use the plural form: “We tasted the waters from three different springs.” Water in plural can also be used in the same way as coffee, as in “I’d like three waters please.”
• Fire : As an uncountable noun, fire refers to the natural phenomenon of combustion that produces heat and light. For example, “The fire was raging out of control,” or “I love sitting by the fire on a cold winter night.” As a countable noun, fire refers to a specific instance or occurrence of fire. In this context, fire is a countable noun that can be quantified and pluralized.
• Memory : As an uncountable noun, it refers to the mental capacity to store and recall information. As a countable noun, it refers to a specific instance or piece of information that has been stored in one’s mind.

To determine whether these nouns function as countable or uncountable , keep the following tips in mind:

• Identify the context in which the word is being used—does it refer to a general idea or a specific instance?
• Pay attention to any determiners or quantifiers accompanying the word, such as articles (a, an, the), numbers, or expressions like “a few,” “many,” and “a lot of.”
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All you need to know about countable and uncountable nouns

What’s the difference between countable and uncountable nouns , and what grammar rules do you need to know to use them correctly?

Also known as  count and noncount nouns , this vocabulary point can trip you up when you’re learning English as a second language. It’s especially tricky because:

• There are no concrete rules for classifying nouns as countable or uncountable (although there are some general guidelines that we will explain later).
• Certain nouns that are countable in other languages may be uncountable in English, so you’ll have to un-learn what you know from your native language and learn a different set of rules for English words.

So, let’s take a detailed look at countable vs uncountable nouns, with plenty of examples showing how to use them with the correct articles, quantifiers, and other determiners.

The basics of countable and uncountable nouns

What is a countable noun.

A  countable noun (also called a count noun) is a noun naming something that can be counted using standard numbers. Countable nouns usually have singular and plural forms. 

Examples of countable nouns include chair, table, rabbit, page, part, and lemon .

So, we can have one chair, five tables, ten rabbits, twenty-three lemons, and three hundred pages .

You are probably already familiar with this pattern of counting things in English.

What is an uncountable noun?

An uncountable noun (also called a mass noun or a non-count noun) is a noun naming something that cannot be counted in English using standard numbers. These nouns cannot be made plural.

Examples of uncountable nouns include rice, money, advice, news, and happiness .

We cannot have one rice, five monies, two advices, or a happiness .

Instead, we must use different determiners to quantify these particular things: a cup of rice , a bag of money , and a piece of advice .

Now you know these basics, it’s time to take a deeper look at what this means in practice. You need to know whether you’re dealing with a countable or uncountable noun so you can select the correct determiners and plural forms in your writing and speech.

Rules for using countable nouns

We’ll begin by going over the rules for using countable nouns, since these are most straightforward.

Countable nouns:

• Can be separated into whole, individual, countable units
• Broadly refer to people, places, and things
• Have a singular and a plural form (with a few exceptions like sheep, deer, fish) – see this site for more about how to form plurals
• May take indefinite articles (a/an) as well as the definite article (the)
• May take other determiners such as this/that/these/those, some/any/few/many/several, my/your/his/her/our/their
• To form a question about a countable noun, we say ‘How many…’

Countable noun example sentences

Most of the nouns we use in English are countable. Here are some example sentences showing correct usage:

• I have two cats as pets .
• She bought a few books from the store .
• We went to the zoo and saw several giraffes .
• The school has six classrooms for different subjects .
• He has a collection of ten stamps .
• My father owns a few bikes .
• The store has a variety of balloons in different colors.
• He has five siblings : three brothers  and two sisters .
• There are many oranges in the fruit basket .
• The bakery doesn’t have any bread left.
• I would like to buy that handbag .
• How many meals should I order at  the restaurant ?

Read about the difference between few vs a few here.

Rules for using uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns are used less often in English, and they:

• Are abstract ideas, qualities, or masses that can’t be separated and counted individually
• Do not have a plural form and are treated as singular nouns (and therefore take the singular form of the verb)
• May take the definite article (the) but do not take the indefinite articles (a/an)
• May take other determiners such as much/little/less/any/some and my/your/his/her/our/their
• Can be quantified with phrases that contain countable nouns (e.g. a bag of rice)
• To form a question about an uncountable noun, we say ‘How much…’

See also: What’s the difference between less and fewer?

Uncountable noun examples

We can group uncountable nouns into some broad categories. Although we cannot list them all here, the following groups are a general guide that may make it easier for you to identify others in the future:

This may seem like a long list of uncountable nouns; however, there are hundreds more. 

Quantifying an uncountable noun

Although we can’t quantify uncountable nouns using numbers, we can add a countable unit of measurement to refer to one or more quantities of these things. Below are some of the most common quantifiers we can use to refer to things that are uncountable.

• A piece of… advice, art, cheese, equipment, evidence, furniture, homework, information, luck, luggage, music, news, paper, poetry, publicity, rubbish, software
• A bottle of… beer, water, wine, sauce, salad dressing
• A carton of… juice, milk, cream
• A packet of… ketchup, rice, gum
• A plate/bowl of… cereal, pasta, rice
• A drop of… blood, oil, rain, water
• A game of… badminton, chess, football, soccer, tennis
• A ray of… hope, light, sun
• A grain of… sand, rice, sugar, dignity
• A cube of… ice, sugar
• A blob of… toothpaste, mayonnaise, glue
• A pane of glass
• A round of applause
• A bar of soap
• A mode of transport
• A bolt of lightning
• A blade of grass
• A rasher of bacon
• A sheet of paper

Determiners for count and noncount nouns

You’ll have seen from the examples above that certain determiners can only be used for one type of noun, whereas others can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. Here’s a handy reference table for these, although this is not an exhaustive list.

Most other adjectives can modify both countable and uncountable nouns.

See also:  What’s the difference between advice vs advise?

Some nouns can be countable and uncountable

You might often hear people say something like “I take two sugars in my tea”. What they really mean is “two teaspoons of sugar”, but the noun “sugar” has taken on that meaning and become countable.

In this way, uncountable nouns can sometimes be used as countable when referring to a complete unit or measurement of something, normally in relation to food and beverages. Here are some more examples:

• I’ll have three coffees , please. (three cups of coffee)
• I’ve had too many beers tonight! (glasses/cans/bottles of beer)
• Could I get two more ketchups ? (two sachets of ketchup)

Uncountable nouns may also be used as countable when they refer to a specific type, example, or category of something . For example:

• You should have at least five different cheeses on your cheese board.
• The best wines in the world are produced in France.
• We used three woods to make this beautiful box.
• They encountered a lot of difficulties while completing the project.
• These juices are all freshly squeezed.

These plural countable nouns are exceptions to the rule given earlier.

Nouns with different countable and uncountable meanings

To make things even more confusing, certain nouns in English have two or more meanings. When a noun refers to different things, one countable and one uncountable, you must remember which is which in order to form a correct sentence. Here are some common examples of words with dual meanings:

As you can see,  English can be hard to learn . Fortunately, you can always check in a dictionary to see whether a noun is countable or uncountable. Some dictionaries, such as  Oxford Dictionaries , specify this in the definition.

We hope this information about countable vs uncountable nouns has been helpful. It can be quite a tricky English grammar topic to get right because, even once you have mastered the rules of count and noncount nouns, there is still no hard-and-fast way to know which words are which, unless you look them up.

Leave a comment below if you have any more questions about this topic or want to check your understanding of a particular point we’ve mentioned.

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Count on Us To Teach You the Difference Between Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable and uncountable nouns have a few differences. One of them is obvious; the others aren’t. Read on to learn more.

What Are Countable and Uncountable Nouns?

A countable noun , like apples and bottles , can be counted. An uncountable noun , like love and oxygen , cannot be counted. Countable nouns can be preceded by the indefinite article “a” or “an,” or by a number, whereas uncountable nouns cannot.

Countable Nouns vs. Uncountable Nouns

What do puppies , dinosaurs , giraffes , and donuts have in common?

They’re countable nouns —meaning they can be counted. Their counterparts are uncountable nouns , which, as you may have guessed, are nouns that cannot be counted: happiness, air, water, research, advice, etc .

There’s a bit more to the difference between countable and uncountable nouns , which we’ll examine thoroughly below.

What Are Countable Nouns?

Countable nouns (also known as count nouns ) differ from uncountable nouns in that they: can be counted, can be preceded with the articles “a,” or “an,” or a number, and usually have singular and plural forms.

Sloane was looking for a jacket .

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

I read ten books this past summer.

There were a total of 15 doctors at the national conference.

In the examples above, jackets , apples, books, and doctors are countable nouns.

Examples of Countable Nouns

Remember, nouns that can have singular and plural forms are countable nouns. A few examples are:

• penny/pennies, horse/horses, color/colors, candle/candles, key/keys, alarm/alarms, flower/flowers

What Are Uncountable Nouns?

Uncountable nouns (also known as non-count or mass nouns ) can’t be counted, can’t be used with “a,” “an,” or a number, and usually only have a singular form. These tend to include things like liquids and abstract ideas, but also nouns like bread and rice.

I need to buy honey at the market.

He asked for some advice .

Happiness is running through me.

She showed a great display of bravery .

You have probably heard someone say, “Can I have a water?” And although you most likely understood them, what they meant was, “Can I have a bottle of water?”

The only way the amount or quantity of an uncountable noun can be determined is if a quantifier like much or a little comes before it.

I needed a milk .

I needed a bit of milk .

He was asking for informations .

He was asking for information .

He was asking for a lot of information .

Examples of Uncountable Nouns

Other examples of uncountable nouns include:

love, hate, envy, snow, oxygen, information, humanity, cooperation, furniture

Nouns That Can Be Countable and Uncountable

There are nouns that can be countable and uncountable, depending on the meaning of the word and the context of the sentence . Take the word light as an example.

When I went outside, the bright light of the sun took me by surprise.

They switched on the lights of the cabin.

Because the light of the sun is something that cannot be counted, it’s considered an uncountable noun in the first sentence. However, in the second sentence, light refers to lamps or light bulbs, things that can be counted.

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Knowing if a noun is countable or uncountable is important because it can help you correctly construct a sentence and helps you determine whether to use words like fewer or less and many or much .

If you want to be certain whether a noun is countable or uncountable, you can always check the dictionary, or you can simply use LanguageTool as your intelligent writing assistant. Not only will the multilingual spelling and grammar error ensure you’re using nouns correctly, but it can also check for various types of errors and help rephrase your sentences.

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Countable and Uncountable Nouns in English

Countable nouns, uncountable nouns, counting uncountable nouns, countable and uncountable nouns, singular/plural uncountable nouns, introduction.

Nouns in English grammar can be either countable or uncountable . Countable nouns refer to individual things and we can use them in the singular or plural (e.g. coin/coins ). Most nouns in the English language are countable. Uncountable nouns, also known as mass nouns , refer to things we consider a whole or mass and cannot be counted (e.g. money ). Many abstract nouns (e.g. happiness ) are uncountable in English.

Learn the rules for countable and uncountable nouns in English grammar with Lingolia’s online grammar explanations and interactive exercises.

Mike and his sister Sandra are shopping. They need milk , apples , and bread .

Sandra wants to make a cake tomorrow. She needs 6 eggs , 400 grams of flour, a bar of chocolate and some strawberries .

At the checkout, Mike doesn’t have any money , just a few coins in his pocket – oops!

• Most English nouns are countable nouns . This means they can be used in both the singular and the plural. Example: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apples are healthy.
• We can put numbers and indefinite articles in front of countable nouns. Example: one banknote, two banknote s one coin, two coin s a cake a sister
• We cannot use singular countable nouns without articles or possessive pronouns (a/the/your). Example: I saw your sister yesterday. ( not: I saw sister yesterday. )Can you give me a hand? ( not: Can you give me hand? ) However, we can use plural countable nouns alone. Example: Did you buy apples ? Yes, but I forgot to buy stawberries .
• We can use some/any /(a) few / many with plural countable nouns. Example: We need some apples. I don’t have any eggs. There are a few strawberries in the fridge. Mike dosen’t have many coins.
• Some collections of countable nouns have a corresponding uncountable noun which describes them as a whole/mass. Example: suitcases, bags, trunks = baggage tables, chairs, couches = furniture peaches, bananas, apples = fruit ( but: one vegetable, two vegetables) socks, dresses, t-shirts = clothes
• Some English nouns are uncountable nouns. This means they only have one form. Most uncountable nouns are singular, but some are plural see below singular/plural uncountable nouns. Example: I drink milk everday. Milk is healthy. ( not: Milks are healthy. ) My trousers are too big. (not: My trouser is too big. )
• We cannot usually put numbers in front of uncountable nouns. Example: money ( not : one money/two moneys ) milk ( not: one milk / two milks ) bread ( not: one bread/ two breads )
• We can use many uncountable nouns without an article or possessive pronoun. Example: We need flour and chocolate to make a cake. ( not:  … a flour and a chocolate… ) Can you buy milk on the way home? ( not: can you buy a milk… )
• We use some/any/ little / much with uncountable nouns. Example: We can buy some bread at the bakery. We don’t have any milk. There’s a little flour in the pantry. Mike doesn’t have much money.
• Materials, liquids, and collections are often uncountable nouns. Example: materials – paper, wood, gold, glass etc. liquids – water, milk, oil, coffee, etc. collections – furniture, luggage, traffic etc.

Although we can’t count uncountable nouns themselves, we can use different units, such as a bottle/grain/ glass/loaf/ piece/kilo/gram of, to count them. Here, we are counting the units rather than the actual uncountable nouns.

Some nouns have both a countable and an uncountable form. The countable form usually refers to something more specific and the uncountable form to something more general.

Some uncountable nouns are used in plural and some are used in singular.

• Singular uncountable nouns are used with verbs in the third person singular. Here is a list of common singular uncountable nouns: advice, bread, chewing gum, equipment, fun, furniture, grass, information, knowledge, luck, luggage, money, milk, news, pasta, poetry, progress, rain, research, rice, snow, traffic, travel, weather, work, … Example: money – Money makes the world go around. ( not: Money make the world go around. ) milk – The milk has gone sour. ( not: The milk have gone sour. ) news – The news was wonderful. ( not: The news were wonderful. )
• Plural uncountables are used with verbs in the plural. Here is a list of common plural uncountable nouns: clothes, remains, thanks, groceries, glasses, jeans, scissors, trousers/pants Example: clothes – His clothes are too big. ( not: His clothes is too big. ) groceries – The groceries were expensive.. ( not: The groceries was expensive. )

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Countable and Uncountable Nouns (List, Examples & Exercise)

Countable and uncountable nouns.

The nouns are the names of things, people, or places. The nouns have different classifications. Countable and uncountable nouns are types of nouns. These can be counted or not. Let’s discuss their usage with the help of examples and exercise.

Countable Nouns

Uncountable nouns.

Uncountable nouns are the things that we cannot count. For example, sand, advice and yoga etc. These words are in singular form.

Some words are used with the Countable Nouns only such as few, a few, many

10 Examples of Countable Nouns

20 examples of uncountable nouns, list of uncountable nouns (a-z).

You can find here list of uncountable nouns with meaning and sentences.

Exercise / Worksheet

Read the bold words in the given sentences and point out whether it is a countable noun or uncountable noun.

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Countable and Uncountable Nouns Explained for ESL

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Nouns are words that represent things, places, ideas, or people. For example, computer, Tom, Seattle, history are all nouns. Nouns are parts of speech which can be both countable and uncountable.

Countable Nouns

A countable noun is something you can count such as apples, books, cars, etc. Here are some sentences using countable nouns:

How many apples are on the table? She has two cars and two bicycles. I don't have any books on this shelf.

Uncountable Nouns

An uncountable noun is something you can't count such as information, wine, or cheese. Here are some sentences using uncountable nouns:

How much time does it take to go to the station? Sheila doesn't have a lot of money. The boys enjoy eating cake.

Uncountable nouns are often liquids or items that are difficult to count such as rice and pasta. Uncountable nouns are also often concepts such as honesty, pride, and sadness. 

How much rice do we have at home? She doesn't have much pride in her country. We bought some past for lunch.

Nouns That Are Both Countable and Uncountable

Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable such as "fish" because it can mean the meat of the fish or an individual fish. This is true with words like "chicken" and "turkey" as well.

I bought some fish for dinner the other day. (meat of the fish, uncountable) My brother caught two fish last week at the lake. (individual fish, countable)

Test Your Knowledge

Check your understanding of common countable and uncountable nouns with this short quiz:

Are the following words countable or uncountable?

• uncountable

When to Use A, An, or Some

• Use "a" with objects we can count that begin with a consonant like a book, a car, or a house.
• Use "some" with objects we cannot count like some milk, some time, or some pasta.
• Use "an" with objects we can count that begin with a vowel like an orange, an ocean, or an eternity.

Test your knowledge with this exercise. Do we use a, an or some for these words?

When to Use Much and Many

The use of "much" and "many" depends on whether a word is countable or uncountable. "Much" is used with a singular verb for uncountable objects. Use "much" in questions and negative sentences. Use "some" or "a lot of" in positive sentences.

How much time do you have this afternoon? I don't have much fun at parties. Jennifer has a lot of good sense.

"Many" is used with countable objects with a plural verb conjugation. "Man" is used in questions and negative sentences. "Many" can be used in positive questions, but is more common to use "some" or "a lot of."

How many people are coming to the party? She doesn't have many answers. Jack has many friends in Chicago.

Test your knowledge. Complete the questions and sentences "some," "a lot of," "much," or "many."

• How ____ money do you have?
• I don't have ____ friends in Los Angeles.
• How ____ people live in your city?
• She wants _____ time off work this month.
• How____does that book cost?
• They don't have ______ time this afternoon.
• How ____ rice is there?
• I would like to have _____ wine, please.
• How ____ apples are there in the basket?
• Peter bought ______ glasses at the store.
• How ____ gas do we need?
• He doesn't have _____ rice on his plate.
• How ____ children are in the class?
• Jason has _____ friends in Miami.
• How ____ teachers do you have?
• some, a lot of
• some, a lot of, many
• much, a lot of
• many, some, a lot of

Here are some final tips to help you understand how to use "how much" and "how many."

Use "how many" for questions using countable or plural objects.

How many books do you have?

Use "how much" for questions using a non-countable or singular object.

How much juice is left?

Use "how much" for questions asking about one object.

How much does the book cost?

Test your knowledge of what you have learned on this page. Take the "Much or Many?" quiz! 

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• Countable and Uncountable Nouns
• Express Quantity in English for Beginning Speakers
• ESL Lesson Plan on Countable and Uncountable Nouns
• Expressing Quantity for Large Amounts
• Learn the Seven Types of English Nouns
• Some or Any for Absolute Beginner English
• Essential Basic English Lessons
• How to Place 'Too' and 'Enough' in English Sentences
• Common Mistakes in English: A Little vs. a Few, Little vs. Few
• English for Information Technology
• Countable or Uncountable Noun - Quiz
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• The Use of Most in English
• The Use of More in English

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The 8 Parts of Speech | Chart, Definition & Examples

A part of speech (also called a word class ) is a category that describes the role a word plays in a sentence. Understanding the different parts of speech can help you analyze how words function in a sentence and improve your writing.

The parts of speech are classified differently in different grammars, but most traditional grammars list eight parts of speech in English: nouns , pronouns , verbs , adjectives , adverbs , prepositions , conjunctions , and interjections . Some modern grammars add others, such as determiners and articles .

Many words can function as different parts of speech depending on how they are used. For example, “laugh” can be a noun (e.g., “I like your laugh”) or a verb (e.g., “don’t laugh”).

Table of contents

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions
• Interjections

Other parts of speech

Interesting language articles, frequently asked questions.

A noun is a word that refers to a person, concept, place, or thing. Nouns can act as the subject of a sentence (i.e., the person or thing performing the action) or as the object of a verb (i.e., the person or thing affected by the action).

There are numerous types of nouns, including common nouns (used to refer to nonspecific people, concepts, places, or things), proper nouns (used to refer to specific people, concepts, places, or things), and collective nouns (used to refer to a group of people or things).

Ella lives in France .

Other types of nouns include countable and uncountable nouns , concrete nouns , abstract nouns , and gerunds .

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A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. Pronouns typically refer back to an antecedent (a previously mentioned noun) and must demonstrate correct pronoun-antecedent agreement . Like nouns, pronouns can refer to people, places, concepts, and things.

There are numerous types of pronouns, including personal pronouns (used in place of the proper name of a person), demonstrative pronouns (used to refer to specific things and indicate their relative position), and interrogative pronouns (used to introduce questions about things, people, and ownership).

That is a horrible painting!

A verb is a word that describes an action (e.g., “jump”), occurrence (e.g., “become”), or state of being (e.g., “exist”). Verbs indicate what the subject of a sentence is doing. Every complete sentence must contain at least one verb.

Verbs can change form depending on subject (e.g., first person singular), tense (e.g., simple past), mood (e.g., interrogative), and voice (e.g., passive voice ).

Regular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participle are formed by adding“-ed” to the end of the word (or “-d” if the word already ends in “e”). Irregular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participles are formed in some other way.

“I’ve already checked twice.”

“I heard that you used to sing .”

Other types of verbs include auxiliary verbs , linking verbs , modal verbs , and phrasal verbs .

An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. Adjectives can be attributive , appearing before a noun (e.g., “a red hat”), or predicative , appearing after a noun with the use of a linking verb like “to be” (e.g., “the hat is red ”).

Adjectives can also have a comparative function. Comparative adjectives compare two or more things. Superlative adjectives describe something as having the most or least of a specific characteristic.

Other types of adjectives include coordinate adjectives , participial adjectives , and denominal adjectives .

An adverb is a word that can modify a verb, adjective, adverb, or sentence. Adverbs are often formed by adding “-ly” to the end of an adjective (e.g., “slow” becomes “slowly”), although not all adverbs have this ending, and not all words with this ending are adverbs.

There are numerous types of adverbs, including adverbs of manner (used to describe how something occurs), adverbs of degree (used to indicate extent or degree), and adverbs of place (used to describe the location of an action or event).

Talia writes quite quickly.

Other types of adverbs include adverbs of frequency , adverbs of purpose , focusing adverbs , and adverbial phrases .

A preposition is a word (e.g., “at”) or phrase (e.g., “on top of”) used to show the relationship between the different parts of a sentence. Prepositions can be used to indicate aspects such as time , place , and direction .

I left the cup on the kitchen counter.

A conjunction is a word used to connect different parts of a sentence (e.g., words, phrases, or clauses).

The main types of conjunctions are coordinating conjunctions (used to connect items that are grammatically equal), subordinating conjunctions (used to introduce a dependent clause), and correlative conjunctions (used in pairs to join grammatically equal parts of a sentence).

You can choose what movie we watch because I chose the last time.

An interjection is a word or phrase used to express a feeling, give a command, or greet someone. Interjections are a grammatically independent part of speech, so they can often be excluded from a sentence without affecting the meaning.

Types of interjections include volitive interjections (used to make a demand or request), emotive interjections (used to express a feeling or reaction), cognitive interjections (used to indicate thoughts), and greetings and parting words (used at the beginning and end of a conversation).

Ouch ! I hurt my arm.

I’m, um , not sure.

The traditional classification of English words into eight parts of speech is by no means the only one or the objective truth. Grammarians have often divided them into more or fewer classes. Other commonly mentioned parts of speech include determiners and articles.

• Determiners

A determiner is a word that describes a noun by indicating quantity, possession, or relative position.

Common types of determiners include demonstrative determiners (used to indicate the relative position of a noun), possessive determiners (used to describe ownership), and quantifiers (used to indicate the quantity of a noun).

My brother is selling his old car.

Other types of determiners include distributive determiners , determiners of difference , and numbers .

An article is a word that modifies a noun by indicating whether it is specific or general.

• The definite article the is used to refer to a specific version of a noun. The can be used with all countable and uncountable nouns (e.g., “the door,” “the energy,” “the mountains”).
• The indefinite articles a and an refer to general or unspecific nouns. The indefinite articles can only be used with singular countable nouns (e.g., “a poster,” “an engine”).

There’s a concert this weekend.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech, make sure to check out some of our language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Proper nouns
• Collective nouns
• Personal pronouns
• Uncountable and countable nouns
• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Types of verbs
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement

A is an indefinite article (along with an ). While articles can be classed as their own part of speech, they’re also considered a type of determiner .

The indefinite articles are used to introduce nonspecific countable nouns (e.g., “a dog,” “an island”).

In is primarily classed as a preposition, but it can be classed as various other parts of speech, depending on how it is used:

• Preposition (e.g., “ in the field”)
• Noun (e.g., “I have an in with that company”)
• Adjective (e.g., “Tim is part of the in crowd”)
• Adverb (e.g., “Will you be in this evening?”)

As a part of speech, and is classed as a conjunction . Specifically, it’s a coordinating conjunction .

And can be used to connect grammatically equal parts of a sentence, such as two nouns (e.g., “a cup and plate”), or two adjectives (e.g., “strong and smart”). And can also be used to connect phrases and clauses.

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Countable and Uncountable Nouns with their Rules

In English, we have Countable and Uncountable Nouns . This means some things we can count like apples, and some we cannot, like milk. This helps us talk and write more clearly.

Countable nouns refer to individual items that can be counted as separate units (e.g., “books,” “chairs”). Uncountable nouns are substances, concepts, or entities that are treated as a whole and cannot be counted as discrete units (e.g., “water,” “knowledge”). In this article we will learn countable and uncountable nouns with examples.

Table of Contents

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable nouns.

Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted and thus have plurals.

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be counted and thus have no plurals.

Certain materials, metals, foods, liquids, gases, powders, pastes, sports, feelings, subjects and diseases, etc. are considered to be uncountable nouns.

We use collective nouns to describe the quantities of uncountable nouns.

• I will have a slice of bread and two boiled eggs.
• Will you please bring me a glass of water?
• Jane has gone to the shop to get a bar of soap.
• Please bring three bags of flour from the market.
• My cat drinks two liters of milk every day.

You May Also Like

• Determiners and their Types
• Singular and Plural Nouns
• Parts of Speech
• Articles A An The
• Types of Nouns in English

Check Your Understanding by Solving

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• Nouns Worksheets with Answers

countable and uncountable nouns exercises countable and uncountable nouns list countable and uncountable nouns pdf countable and uncountable nouns rules countable and uncountable nouns worksheet how to identify countable and uncountable nouns

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• English Grammar
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• Countable And Uncountable Nouns

Countable and Uncountable Nouns - Meaning, Definition, Usage and Examples

Nouns , as you already know, are words that are used to name a person, place, animal, thing or idea. Having learnt about the types of nouns, singular nouns and plural nouns, you might be wondering what countable and uncountable nouns are. Is it any different from singular and plural nouns? Well, let’s find out. Go through the article to learn all about it, the meaning and definition of countable and uncountable nouns, and how they are formed and used in sentences along with examples.

Table of Contents

List of countable nouns, list of uncountable nouns, using countable nouns and uncountable nouns in sentences, examples of countable and uncountable nouns, check your understanding of countable and uncountable nouns, frequently asked questions on countable and uncountable nouns, what is a countable noun – meaning and definition.

A countable noun, as the name suggests, refers to nouns that can literally be counted. The number or quantity of countable nouns can be quoted exactly. To identify if a noun is countable, you can ask the question ‘how many’. A countable noun, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “a noun that has both a singular and a plural form and names something that can be counted because there can be one or more of it”. The Macmillan Dictionary defines a countable noun as “a noun that has singular and plural forms. In the plural, countable nouns usually add an ‘s’ or ‘es’, for example ‘mistakes’, ‘problems’, and ‘buses’. When it is singular, a countable noun usually comes after a determiner such as ‘a’, ‘this’, ‘any’, or ‘a lot of’, for example ‘this house, ‘a week’, and ‘the way’.”

A countable noun is also defined as “a noun (such as bean or sheet) that forms a plural and is used with a numeral, with words such as many or few, or with the indefinite article a or an”, by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and “a noun such as ‘ bird’, ‘ chair’, or ‘ year’ which has a singular and a plural form and is always used after a determiner in the singular” by the Collins Dictionary.

Here is a list of a few countable nouns and its plural forms for your reference.

You can check out the articles on singular nouns and plural nouns for more examples.

What is an Uncountable Noun? – Meaning and Definition

Any noun that cannot be counted can be classified as an uncountable noun. Nouns like water, rice, oil, etc. belong to this category. Unlike countable nouns, uncountable nouns do not have a plural form. If the noun in a sentence does not have a specific quantity and answers the question ‘how much’, then it can be considered an uncountable noun. The definition of an uncountable noun according to the Cambridge Dictionary is “a noun that has one form with no plural and names something that there can be more or less of but that cannot be counted”. According to the Macmillan Dictionary, an uncountable noun is “a noun that has no plural form” and also those that “usually refer to abstract things such as ‘advice’, ‘luck’, and ‘information’, or to substances such as ‘milk’, ‘blood’, and ‘smoke’.” Furthermore, “a noun such as ‘ gold’, ‘ information’, or ‘ furniture’ which has only one form and can be used without a determiner” is classified as an uncountable noun by the Collins Dictionary.

Here is a table with some uncountable nouns for your reference.

Once you know what countable and uncountable nouns are, the next step is to learn how to use them in sentences. There is just one fact that makes the usage of countable and uncountable nouns different from each other. Countable nouns are always used with a determiner. Determiners include articles (a, an, the) and quantitative adjectives such as a number, collective nouns that indicate a particular number such as a dozen (12), a pair (2), a score (20), a baker’s dozen (13), etc. and words like a few, lots of, a number of, etc. On the other hand, uncountable nouns can appear with or without a determiner as there is no specific number being referred to. However, there are instances where you can combine an uncountable noun with a countable noun to indicate the exact quantity of the particular noun.

Let us look at a few examples of both countable and uncountable nouns and the different ways in which they are used in sentences.

First, let us look at how countable nouns work.

• I have a dog.
• My mom bought half a kilo of oranges and apples on her way to visit my grandmother in the hospital .
• I had to pick up two of my friends on the way.
• Banu found a few books that could help our research.
• Jason bought a dozen eggs .

Let us now check how uncountable nouns are used in sentences.

• Would you like to have some milk before you go to bed?
• Firoz asked his son to throw out the garbage before he went to college.
• Sanu had blood on her hand; nobody including her knew what had happened.
• Is there any water left in the jug?
• We were asked to collect information about the new education policy before noon.

As already mentioned, uncountable nouns can be combined with countable nouns at times. Let us look at some examples to see how it can be done.

• The doctor has asked me to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
• We had only two packets of oil left.
• I guess I added an extra teaspoon of sugar to it.
• Veronica needed one more piece of equipment to work on her project.
• I found five packs of unused paper stashed in the top row of my shelf.

Go through the following sentences and identify if the underlined nouns are countable or uncountable.

1. All successful candidates will be notified within a week.

2. I don’t prefer to have tea in the morning.

3. Does anyone have an extra blue pen?

4. The students who had not completed their homework were asked to stay back after class and complete it.

5. My mom’s watch stopped working.

6. The soil used has to be really fertile if you want the plants to grow well.

7. Chitra broke her spectacles while playing volleyball.

8. You have to saute all the vegetables and add rice only after the vegetables are half cooked.

9. How many apples did you buy?

10. Will the food be enough for our guests?

Let us find out if you identified the nouns correctly. Check out the answers given below.

Candidates – Countable, Week – countable

Tea – Uncountable

Blue pen – Countable

Students – Countable

Watch – Countable

Soil – uncountable, Plants – Countable

Spectacles – Countable

Vegetables – – Countable, Rice – uncountable

Apples- Countable

Food – Uncountable

What is a countable noun?

A countable noun, as the name suggests, refers to nouns that can literally be counted. The number or quantity of countable nouns can be quoted exactly. To identify if a noun is countable, you can ask the question ‘how many’.

What is an uncountable noun?

Any noun that cannot be counted can be classified as an uncountable noun. Nouns like water, rice, oil, etc. belong to this category. Unlike countable nouns, uncountable nouns do not have a plural form. If the noun in a sentence does not have a specific quantity and answers the question ‘how much’, then it can be considered an uncountable noun.

Give some examples of countable nouns.

Nouns such as elephant, man, girl, baby, watermelon, tomato, onion, plant, bus, train, ticket, pencil, book, page, peacock, etc. are some examples of countable nouns.

Give some examples of uncountable nouns.

Rice, soil, oil, water, advice, hair, air, pressure, blood, pain, luggage, smoke, data, etc. are a few examples of uncountable nouns.

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Uncountable Noun

• Article graphics | Intan Liana Opens in new window

Understanding Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns (also known as mass nouns ) are naming words that name something that cannot be counted.

As such, uncountable nouns identify those things for which we don’t usually give the number of individual items.

For example:

• liquids ( water, steam, gasoline , etc.) or solids ( salt, rice, sand, etc.), which are usually quantified in terms of weights or volumes.

Abstract qualities such as frustration, music, wisdom, silence, satisfaction, etc., are classified as uncountable nouns .

Sometimes the distinction does not always appear clear, for example, crisps are countable but it is unusual to talk about specific numbers of crisps; we usually talk about bags of crisps.

Characteristics of Uncountable Nouns

They have only singular form.

Uncountable nouns act as singular nouns (cannot be made plural, e.g. rice, milk, astrology, happiness, etc) and take third person singular forms of verbs.

For Example:

• Joseph Priestly discovered oxygen.
• water is essential in daily living. → Since “water” is uncountable noun, it takes the singular verb “is” individually rather than the plural verb “are.”
• Gravel is more expensive than I thought. → “Gravel” cannot be made plural, and as a result it takes the singular verb “is”.

Non Feature of Numbers

Uncountable nouns cannot be used with numbers because they cannot be counted, hence they are not to be preceded by numbers.

They can Stand Alone

Uncountable nouns do not need determiners Opens in new window .

• I want rice and water .
• We all seek happiness .
• I do not believe in astrology .

Other Types of Noun You may find useful:

• Common Noun
• Proper Noun
• Abstract Noun
• Countable Noun
• Non-countable Noun
• Concrete Noun
• Collective Noun
• Compound Noun
• Appositive Noun
• Noun of Direct Address
• Predicate Noun
• GrammarBook.com: Parentheses & Brackets Opens in new window
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• Grammar.ccc.commnet.edu: Parentheses Opens in new window
• GrammarMonster.com: What Is Parenthesis? Opens in new window

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Countable and Uncountable Nouns ESL Games, Worksheets and Activities

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Countability Crossword

Esl countable and uncountable nouns crossword - grammar and speaking activity: asking and answering questions - pair work - elementary (a1-a2) - 20 minutes.

Countability Go Fish

Esl countable and uncountable nouns game - grammar, vocabulary and speaking: matching, asking and answering questions from prompts, freer practice - group work - elementary (a1-a2) - 20 minutes.

Flip and Match

Esl countable and uncountable nouns game - vocabulary and grammar: matching, pelmanism, gap-fill - group work - elementary (a1-a2) - 25 minutes.

Noun Sort Showdown

Esl countable and uncountable nouns game - grammar, vocabulary and speaking: categorising, forming sentences - group work - elementary (a1-a2) - 20 minutes.

The Shopping List

Esl countable or uncountable noun worksheet - vocabulary exercise: categorizing - elementary (a1-a2) - 15 minutes.

A bit of Trivia

Esl countable and uncountable nouns game - grammar and vocabulary: gap-fill, binary choice, multiple choice, guessing - pair work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 30 minutes.

Can you count it?

Esl countable and uncountable nouns worksheet - grammar and vocabulary exercises: categorising, spelling, matching, binary choice, error correction, multiple choice - pre-intermediate (a2) - 30 minutes.

ESL Countable and Uncountable Nouns Board Game - Vocabulary and Speaking: Completing Sentences from Prompts, Freer Practice - Group Work - Pre-intermediate (A2) - 25 minutes

Countable or Uncountable 1

Esl countable or uncountable nouns game - grammar and vocabulary: categorising, forming sentences and questions from prompts - pair work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 30 minutes.

Dinner for Two

Esl countable or uncountable nouns worksheet - vocabulary exercises: gap-fill, categorising - speaking activity: guessing, freer practice - pair work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 25 minutes.

Name Two Nouns

Esl countable and uncountable nouns game - vocabulary: brainstorming, word association, freer practice - group work - pre-intermediate (a2) - 25 minutes.

Countable or Uncountable 2

Esl countable or uncountable nouns game - grammar and vocabulary: categorising, forming sentences and questions from prompts - pair work - intermediate (b1) - 30 minutes.

Educated Guesses

Esl countable or uncountable nouns game - grammar, vocabulary and speaking: categorising, gap-fill, guessing, asking questions from prompts - pair work - intermediate (b1) - 25 minutes.

Going Places

Esl countable and uncountable nouns game - vocabulary: brainstorming, word association - pair work - intermediate (b1) - 40 minutes.

Make it Count

Esl countable and uncountable nouns game - grammar, vocabulary and speaking: matching, categorising, forming sentences from prompts - group work - intermediate (b1) - 25 minutes.

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Work (noun)

Work as an uncountable noun.

Work is an uncountable noun when it means something we do that takes an effort, often as part of a job or for study:

Hard work is good for you. It keeps you fit. (work as a physical activity)

I’m not going out tonight. I’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ve got exams next week. (work as study)

We don’t use work with the indefinite article ( a ) or in the plural. The word for a specific occupation or task is job , which is a countable noun :

They offered me a job in Helsinki, but Finland is a long way from home.

Not: They offered me a work …

We always have a lot of jobs to do round the house at weekends, like cleaning, washing clothes, gardening, and so on.

Not: … a lot of works to do …

We can say that someone is at work when they are at the place where they work and are doing their job:

Can I ring you back later? I’m at work at the moment and I can’t really talk privately.

Work as a countable noun

Work as a countable noun means something created, especially a book or painting or piece of music or sculpture :

She bought me the complete works of Shakespeare for my birthday.

Several works of art were stolen from the town museum yesterday.

The statue is a beautiful new work by the Swedish sculptor Lars Ahlander.

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