Pluralize the countable nouns meat. Uncountable nouns in English: rules, subtleties and nuances

Hello dear readers! Today I have prepared a very sensitive topic for you. After studying the material, you will become familiar with the main groups of uncountable nouns, learn how to denote the number of uncountable nouns in English, and also learn in which cases an uncountable noun can be used as a countable noun. The topic is not as simple as you might think. The fact is that when translating an uncountable noun from Russian into English, you can easily make a mistake. Very often, a noun that is countable in Russian is uncountable in English, and vice versa. Because of this, confusion arises. As you can see, this topic needs to be treated with special attention.

You could already familiarize yourself with countable nouns in the article: Plurals of nouns in English. Let me remind you that countable nouns in English denote objects and concepts that can be counted. They can be in singular or plural form. You could also familiarize yourself with the rules for forming the plural in the article “Plural nouns in English.” Let's move on directly to studying uncountable nouns in English.

Uncountable nouns in English

Uncountable nouns are nouns that denote substances and concepts that cannot be counted. These include both real (liquid, gaseous, solid materials) and abstract nouns (natural phenomena, actions, feelings, etc.). But in English, unlike Russian, many nouns can be used both as countable and uncountable.

So, uncountable nouns are used only in the singular and, accordingly, agree with verbs in the singular. Remember that in English they are not used with the indefinite article a or an. If it is necessary to distinguish an uncountable noun from the general category of substances or concepts, the definite article is used the.

As a subject, they agree with the singular predicate. Can be replaced by singular pronouns. In most cases this is a pronoun it.

Classification of uncountable nouns

There are quite a lot of uncountable nouns in the English language, and in order to remember them better, you can classify them into groups. We have compiled a list of commonly used uncountable nouns in colloquial speech.

1. Natural phenomena: darkness - darkness, snow - snow, fog - fog, gravity - gravity, heat - heat, humidity - dampness, light - daylight, hail - hail, lighting - lightning, rain - rain, thunder - thunder, sunshine - sunlight, weather - weather, wind - wind, etc.
2. Liquids: petrol - gasoline, oil - vegetable oil/petroleum, coffee - coffee, water - water, tea - tea, lemonade - lemonade, milk - milk, wine - wine, blood - blood, etc.
3. Gaseous substances: nitrogen - nitrogen, oxygen - oxygen, air - air, steam - steam, smoke - smoke, smog - thick fog, etc.
4. Food: bread - bread, cheese - cheese, butter - butter, meat - meat, spaghetti - spaghetti, yoghurt - yogurt, etc.
5. Languages: Russian - Russian, Greek - Greek, German - German, English - English, Arabic - Arabic, Chinese - Chinese, Spanish - Spanish, etc.
6. Substances consisting of many small particles: semolina - semolina, rice - rice, flour - flour, corn - corn, dust - dust, salt - salt, sugar - sugar, pepper - pepper, sand - sand, etc.
7. Diseases:Сancer - cancer, Flu - influenza, Measles - measles, Mumps - mumps, Smallpox - chickenpox, Pneumonia - pneumonia, etc.
8. Abstract concepts: space - space, energy - energy, advice - advice, beauty - beauty, time - time, education - education, wealth - wealth, happiness - happiness, honesty - honesty, health - health, help - help, laughter - laughter, intelligence - intelligence, knowledge - knowledge, justice - justice, truth - truth, information - information, news - news, homework - homework, work - work, grammar - grammar, vocabulary - vocabulary, etc.
9. Names of disciplines: chemistry - chemistry, mathematics - mathematics, history - history, psychology - psychology, literature - literature, etc.
10. Natural resources, building materials, metals: gold - gold, silver - silver, wood - wood, glass - glass, oil - oil, clay - clay, concrete - concrete, paper - paper, etc.
11. Games: baseball - baseball, poker - poker, billiards - billiards, chess - chess, golf - golf, rugby - rugby, football - football, soccer - football, tennis - tennis, etc.
12. Actions (gerund): driving - driving, walking - walking, studying - studying, drawing - drawing, rock climbing - rock climbing, swimming - swimming, etc.

Notation for the number of uncountable nouns

If you need to indicate the quantity denoted by an uncountable noun, use the following nouns:

• a piece - a piece (a piece of paper - a sheet of paper, a piece of news - news, a piece of advice - advice, a piece of information - information, a piece of furniture - a piece of furniture)
• a glass - glass (a glass of wine - glass of wine)
• a bottle - a bottle (a bottle of cognac - a bottle of cognac)
• a jar - jar (a jar of honey - jar of honey)
• a rasher - slice (a rasher of bacon - thin slice of bacon)
• a packet - packet (a packet of rice - packet of rice)
• a loaf - loaf (a loaf of bread - loaf of bread)
• and slice is a piece (and slice of bread is a piece of bread)
• a pot - a pot, a jar (a pot of yoghurt - a jar of yogurt, a pot of tea - a teapot)
• a cup - a cup (and cup of tea - a cup of tea)
• a kilo - kilogram (a kilo of meat - kilogram of meat)
• a tube - tube (a tube of tooth paste - tube of toothpaste)
• a bar - piece, tile (a bar of chocolate - chocolate bar, a bar of soap - piece of soap)
• a can - a tin can (a can of lemonade - a jar of lemonade)
• a carton - packaging (a carton of milk - packaging of milk)
• a bowl - bowl (a bowl of soup - bowl/bowl of soup)

Example of uncountable nouns in English

Also, to indicate a large or small quantity denoted by an uncountable noun, use the following pronouns:

• much - a lot (much time - a lot of time)
• a lot of - a lot (a lot of chees - a lot of cheese)
• little - little, a little (little oil - little oil)
• some − a certain amount (to buy some tea - buy tea)
• any - any, any (to eat any spaghetti - there is some spaghetti)

Transition of nouns from uncountable to countable

1. In English, if a material noun is used to designate an object from a given material, the uncountable noun becomes countable and is used with articles a And an. (If the whole and its elements are denoted the same way.)

• hair hair − a hair hair
• wood tree, wood − a wood forest
• paper paper − a paper newspaper, document
• coal − a coal coal
• iron iron − an iron iron

2. In English, if a material noun is used to denote varieties, types or portions of something, the uncountable noun becomes countable and is used with articles a And an.

• He bought some tea. He bought tea. — He bought an Indian tea. He bought one of the Indian teas.
• I like coffee. I love coffee. − He bought a coffee. He bought (a cup of) coffee.

3. In English, if an abstract noun is used to designate a specific object or person, i.e. for concretization, the uncountable noun becomes countable and is used with articles a And an.

• beauty beauty − a beauty beauty
• light light − a light light, lamp
• life life − a life life path
• time time − a time times
• play game − a play play

4. In English, if the ending is added to an uncountable noun -s, -es, it becomes countable and is used with articles a And an.

Very important from the point of view of grammar and understanding of native speakers is the rule “Countable and uncountable nouns” in English. It is known that some objects can be counted, while it is impossible to apply quantitative numerals to abstract concepts and substances.

Difference between countable and uncountable nouns

To understand how to determine the type to which a given part of speech belongs and correctly use words in sentences, you should focus on the following basic principles:

• In a countable noun. there are forms of units. h. and pl. h. Together with them you can use digital symbols or the word some (several):

• Uncountable nouns have no plural form. h., but can also be used with some to mean “a certain amount, a little”:

We have some chocolate. - We have some chocolate.

• In negative and interrogative sentences with both types of nouns. the word any is used (any, any, etc.):

They haven't got any coins. - They don't have any coins. (a coin – countable noun)

Have they got any coins? – Do they have any coins?

There isn’t any information about this case. – There is no information about this case. (information – uncountable noun)

Is there any information about this case? – Is there any information about this case?

• In the meaning of “many” with uncountable. noun use much, with calculus. – many:

Kate has much work to do. – Katya has a lot of work. Jack has got many subjects at school. – Jack has a lot of disciplines at school.

• To report a small quantity or volume use little with uncount. noun and few (little) with calculus. noun:

The English also use the expressions “a little”, “a few” with uncountable. and calculus noun accordingly, to report a small but sufficient amount of any objects or substances:

Margaret put a little salt in the soup. Margaret put some salt in the soup.

Sam invited a few friends to the picnic. Sam invited several friends to a picnic.

• From uncountable noun the verb is always used in the singular form. h.:

Love is a nice feeling. – Love is a wonderful feeling.

Coffee helps people to stay active. – Coffee helps people stay active.

These basic rules will help you use countable and uncountable nouns in English without errors.

List of countable nouns in English

To understand which words belong to the group of concepts to be counted, you can look at some categories and examples for them:

• items : a cup (cup), a book (book), a table (table);
• animals, birds, insects, fish: a snow leopard (snow leopard), an eagle (eagle), a fly (fly), a shark (shark);
• countable products: an apple (apple), an egg (egg);
• containers or packaging: a box (box), a jar (jar), a bar (chocolate bar);
• people, family members, representatives of different professions: a grandfather (grandfather), a baby (baby), a doctor (doctor), etc.

This list can be continued endlessly. The main thing is to understand the basic principle: calculus. noun you can recalculate and name their number using a numerical expression.

Some words can be used in plural. hours or units h., if they have a collective meaning: family, team, army, audience, etc. But noun. police (police) is always used with plural verbs. h.

My family is/ are on holiday now. – My family is on vacation now. The police are near his house. - The police are near his house.

Special cases

Some nouns are inconstant and move from the category of uncountable. in calculus depending on the meaning that the speaker puts into the sentence.

It is necessary to take into account such nuances when composing and translating English sentences.

Today we will look at which nouns in English are countable and which are not. Let's find out what to do if a noun can be either countable or uncountable. Let’s also remember which qualifying words need to be used in this or that case.

In this article we will learn English grammar literally with our fingers. If the number of nouns can be counted, they are countable; if not, they are uncountable. It's simple: three apples, two eggs and flour - it's unlikely that anyone will count it grain by grain. However, there are exceptions: some nouns in Russian can be counted, but not in English, and vice versa. In this case, a dictionary will help you. Also, some nouns in English can be either countable or uncountable - it depends on the context.

Want to practice using countable and uncountable nouns? Sign up for and learn grammar without cramming - using simple examples from life.

Countable nouns in English

Countable nouns in English can be used in either the singular form or the plural form.

I have a car. - I have car.
There are 40 cars in our Nissan dealership. - At our Nissan dealership 40 cars.

Countable nouns in the singular cannot be used alone; they must be preceded by a qualifying word, for example, (my - my, his - his, our - ours, etc.) or a demonstrative pronoun (this - this, that - that ).

Let's find out in more detail what and when is best to use with singular countable nouns.

1. Indefinite article a/an. It is believed that this article comes from the word one (one). Therefore, it should be used when we are talking about one of many - an indefinite object, person or phenomenon.

   She has got a car. - She has car. (some one)
   My friend is a doctor. - My friend is a doctor. (one class representative)

   If we use an adjective when describing something for the first time, we first put the article a/an, then the adjective and only then the noun.

   I heard a wonderful song last night. - Last night I heard beautiful song.
   Rome is a beautiful city. - Rome - beautiful city.

2. The definite article is the. It is believed that this article takes its roots from the pronoun that (that). Therefore, we use it when we talk about something specific that is known to both interlocutors.

   Can you open the window, please? - Could you open it? window, Please? (both know which window needs to be opened).
   I'm going to clean the car tomorrow. - I'm going to wash it tomorrow car. (both know which car we are talking about)

3. Possessive and demonstrative pronouns. Use possessive adjectives (my - mine, your - yours / yours, his - his, her - hers, its - his / her, our - ours, their - theirs) if it is appropriate in the context and you want to indicate what belongs to whom .

   This is her daughter. - This her daughter.
   My dog doesn't bite. - My dog doesn't bite.

   Or you can use a demonstrative pronoun (this - this, that - that).

   This actor is brilliant. - This actor brilliant.
   That man is staring at me. - That man stares at me.

Why use countable nouns in the plural?

1. Zero article. That is, we simply don’t put anything. We use this rule if we are talking about something in general, without specifying anything.

   She likes roses. - She likes roses. (roses in general, not specific)
   Cars pollute our environment. - Cars pollute our environment. (cars in general, not specific ones)

2. The definite article is the. The same rule works here as in the case of singular nouns - we use the if we are talking about something specific or known to the interlocutor.

   The children are playing in the park. - Children playing in the park. (we know what kind of children we are talking about)
   Where are the books I gave you? - Where books that I gave you? (specific books)

3. Indefinite pronouns some, any. Use these qualifiers if you don't know the exact quantity of what you're talking about.

   We usually use some (several) in affirmative sentences.

   There are some birds in the tree. - Sits on a tree several birds. (we don't know how many birds)
   We need to buy some balloons for the party. - We need to buy several balls for a party.

   Any is often used in interrogative and negative sentences instead of some.

   I have not bought any apples. - I didn't buy apples.
   Do you have any questions? - Do you have questions?

   Note that any in an affirmative sentence takes on the meaning of “any.”

   You can buy any dress you like. - You can buy any dress, which you like.

4. Words denoting quantity (quantifiers). These could be:
   • many, a lot of - a lot

     In colloquial speech, we often use many in interrogative and negative sentences, and lot of in affirmative ones. In a formal style, the expression a lot of is not recommended.

     We didn't take many pictures. - We didn't many photos.
     I've seen a lot of great films recently. - I looked many excellent films last time.

   • a few - several, few - few

     It is interesting that only the article a distinguishes a few (a little, but enough) from few (not enough, not enough).

     I have a few close friends. - I have some loved ones friends. (I'm fine with that)
     Few people know about this. - Few people know about it. (I wish there was more)

Uncountable nouns in English

Uncountable nouns in English have only one form and agree with a singular verb.

There is sand in my shoes. - In my shoes sand.
Your luggage looks heavy. - Yours luggage looks heavy.

Uncountable nouns in English can be divided into several semantic groups:

• food: meat (meat), salt (salt), bread (bread), chocolate (chocolate), soup (soup);
• liquids: tea (tea), coffee (coffee), lemonade (lemonade), petrol (gasoline), oil (oil), shampoo (shampoo);
• materials and substances: gold (gold), wood (wood), sand (sand), paper (paper), coal (coal);
• abstract concepts: happiness (happiness), love (love), friendship (friendship), beauty (beauty);
• subjects of study and languages: chemistry (chemistry), literature (literature), Spanish (Spanish language), English (English language);
• diseases: flu (flu), mumps (mumps), measles (measles);
• other: money (money), furniture (furniture), weather (weather).

What can be used together with uncountable nouns?

1. Zero article if we are talking about something in general.

   She prefers green tea. - She prefers green tea.

2. The definite article the, when we are talking about something specific.

   The tea that she served was delicious. - Tea The one she served was delicious.

3. Some, any. The rules of use are the same as in the case of countable nouns: in the affirmative form we often use some, in the negative and interrogative form - any. We use it when we mean a certain quantity, and most often we do not translate it into Russian.

   I have some money in my wallet. - I have money in the wallet.

   Do you have any luggage with you? - Do you have baggage with you?
   - No, I don’t have any luggage. - No, I don’t have luggage.

   Please note that some can be used in interrogative sentences when we offer or ask for something.

   Would you like some wine? - Would you like to have a drink? guilt?
   Can you lend me some money? - Could you lend me money?

4. Words denoting quantity:
   • much, a lot of - a lot

     As in the case of countable nouns, in informal speech we use much in negative or interrogative sentences, and a lot of in affirmative ones.

     Why do you need so much time for the survey? - Why do you need this? a lot of time for a survey?
     You have a lot of furniture in your room. - In your room a lot of furniture.

   • a little - a little, little - not enough

     Please note that, as in the case of a few / few, the difference in meaning between a little / little is associated with the article: a little - a little (enough), little - little (not enough).

     Pour a little milk in this glass, please. - Pour it some milk in this glass, please.
     I have little milk, this is not enough for coffee. - I have little milk, it won't be enough for coffee.

   • To indicate quantities of uncountable foods and substances, use countable containers or units of measurement. For example: a kilo of sugar - a kilogram of sugar, a bottle of water - a bottle of water, a slice of pizza - a piece of pizza, etc.

     Shall I bring a bottle of wine? - Bring me some bottle of wine?

     If you cannot find a unit of measurement, then use the construction a piece of or a bit of.

     I have two pieces of news- good and bad. Which should I start with? - I have two news- good and bad. Which one should I start with?

In the table below you will find the most common uncountable nouns in English and examples of their use. Pay attention to the use of qualifiers, indefinite pronouns, many/little, and verb agreement.

Noun	Example
accommodation - housing	I need to find some accommodation for these four months. - I need to find housing for these four months.
advice - advice	I need a piece of good advice. - I need a good one advice.
baggage (AmE), luggage (BrE) - luggage	How much luggage have you got? - How much do you have? luggage?
equipment - equipment, equipment, device	This hospital has a lot of new equipment. - In this hospital many new equipment.
furniture - furniture	There is little furniture in my house. - In my house little furniture.
information - information	It was a helpful piece of information. - It was useful information.
homework - homework	She has a lot of homework to do. - She needs to do a lot of homework.
housework - housework	I have a little housework today. I just need to do the ironing. - I have today a little housework. I just need to stroke it.
knowledge - knowledge	Unfortunately, I had little knowledge to pass the exam. - Unfortunately, I had little knowledge to take the test.
litter, rubbish (BrE), garbage (AmE) - garbage	Our planet is full of litter. - Our planet is full garbage.
luck - luck	Any luck with the booking? - Eat successes with reservation??
news - news	The news was very exciting. - News were very exciting.
progress - progress	I haven't made any progress. - I didn't achieve it no progress.
traffic - road traffic	Traffic was blocked by some roadworks. - Road traffic was blocked due to road works.

Nouns that can be either countable or uncountable

Depending on the context, the same noun in English can be either countable or uncountable. Let's look at examples of their use with the corresponding qualifiers, pronouns, words “many”/“little”.

Uncountable	Countable
Coffee and tea as drinks, liquids I don't drink much coffee. I prefer tea. - I don't drink a lot of coffee, I prefer tea.	Coffee and tea as a cup of drink Can we have a tea and a coffee? - Can we ( cup) tea And ( cup) coffee?
Cake as food Would you like some of my birthday cake? - Do you want something festive? cake? - Just a little. - Only A little.	One whole cake I need to buy two big cakes for the party. - I need to buy two large cake for a party.
Chocolate as food I am allergic to chocolate. - I'm allergic to chocolate.	Chocolate candy in a box I've found a box of chocolates. - I found box of chocolates.
Hair She has long hair. - She has long hair.	Hair There is a hair in my soup! - In my soup hair!
Time I don't have much free time this week. - I have a little free time this week. time.	Number of times I go to the gym three times a week. - I go to the gym three times per week.
Paper as a material Can you give me some paper, please? - Could you give me paper, Please?	Newspaper, document I bought an interesting paper. - I bought an interesting one newspaper.
Glass I saw some glass near the broken window. - I saw glass near the broken window.	Cup Can I have a glass of orange juice, please? - May I cup orange juice please?
Free space, space There is no room on the wall to hang a picture. - Not on the wall places to hang a picture.	Room There are five rooms in this house. - In this house five rooms.
Job I had troubles finding work after graduation - It was not easy for me to find work after graduating from university.	Work, product There are more than one thousand works of art in this museum. - This museum has more thousands of works art.
Stone as a material This palace was built of stone. - This castle was built from stone.	Piece of stone A robber threw a stone at a bank's window. - The robber threw stone through the bank window.
Affairs, business I have some unfinished business to go here. - I have unfinished ones here affairs.	Company He runs a small business. - He runs a small company.

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Test on the topic “Countable and uncountable nouns in English”

We hope that our article helped you understand the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. Of course, there are many nuances and exceptions, which are simply impossible to talk about in one article. so as not to miss the next articles on grammar - and there will be a lot of them, we promise!

We are accustomed to not paying attention to which category a noun belongs to. In English everything is different. For example, some words that were uncountable, after adding the ending, not only become , but their meaning changes dramatically. But let's look at everything in order

With countable nouns everything is more or less clear. These include everything that we are able to count. In the singular the article a|an, the is used, in the plural - the zero article or the. With uncountable nouns the situation is somewhat more complicated.

The main features of Uncountable nouns in English

• We never use them with the articles a\an, while they are freely used with the
• After them there must be a verb in the required form according to the general scheme of the sentence
• They are preceded by the words little, any, much, etc., and not just pronouns:

Flour is produced in many foreign counties - Flour is produced in many foreign countries

The latest news was good - The latest news was good

Knowledge was his main weapon - Knowledge was his main weapon

Category of uncountable nouns: study in more detail

Learning and remembering all the nouns and their category separately is difficult and completely useless. How can you determine which word is in front of you? It's very simple. In English, uncountable nouns include entire categories of concepts. For example, look at this list of uncountable nouns. There are many exceptions in the English language, but we will look at the basic rules.

Solids, food	butter - butter(The butter is not tasty today), spagetti - spaghetti(Italians adore spaghetti but I don't - Italians love spaghetti, but I don't), coal - coal(The coal was used for healing – Coal was used as medicine)
Liquids	water - water, blood - blood (The blood differs the water - Blood is not water). oil - oil (Give me some oil please, i’ll bake something - Give me some oil, I’ll bake something). coffee - coffee (If you like coffee you should try this one – If you like coffee, then you should try this variety)
Gases	pollution - pollution (The air pollution is caused by humanity - Air pollution occurs due to the fault of humanity) smoke - smoke from cigarettes (When we entered the room we felt the smoke - When we entered the room, we smelled cigarette smoke). oxygen - oxygen (We need oxygen not only for breathing – We need oxygen not only for breathing)
Games	Chess(I don’t like chess but adore droughts – I don’t like chess, but I’m delighted with checkers)
Languages ​​of the world	Greek(If you think that English is difficult try Greek or Chinese - If you think that English is difficult, try to learn Greek or Chinese)
Diseases	flu - influenza She had flu a year ago - A year ago she had the flu
Natural phenomena	darkness - darkness (All little children are afraid of darkness), heat - heat (If you like heat you should visit Malta - If you like heat, you definitely need to visit Malta), fog - fog (The fog and rain is what I dislike in England - Fog and rain is what I don’t like in Great Britain), weather - weather, I don’t like such a weather - I don’t like this weather
Collective nouns	rubbish - garbage (There is a lot of rubbish after all the contests - After any event there is a lot of garbage left), luggage - luggage (I lost my luggage twice! - I lost my luggage twice)
Abstract nouns	behavior - behavior (Your behavior is awful - Your behavior is terrible), information - information (If you need more information, ask Julie - If you need more information, ask Julie)
School subjects and scientific disciplines	Math - mathematics (Math is the Queen of all the subjects - Mathematics - the queen of sciences), history - history (History and geography are sisters - History and geography - sisters)

Those sneaky nouns!

Since nouns are the oldest part of speech in the English language, they represent one of the most difficult topics to master. The problem is that an uncountable noun can easily change its category, and you need to keep an eye on this. For example, when specifying with the addition of an article, not only the category changes, but also the entire meaning. Below is a small table of uncountable nouns that change category and meaning:

I visited them a few times - I visited them several times

Time went by - Time has gone…

Your life is worth fighting - Your life is worth fighting for

A life of the man was difficult - This man’s life path was thorny

If an uncountable noun is used to denote a part of a whole, then it changes category and becomes countable, subject to the same rules. For example:

I like tea. Give me a tea - I love tea. Pour me a cup.

The wine is useful, would you like a wine? - Wine is good for you, would you like a glass?

I’d like a coffee and a cake please – Please give me a cup of coffee and one cake.

He hated coffee - He hated coffee

He hated an Indian coffee - He hated Indian coffee

Added ending - changed category

When you add an ending to some nouns, they change the meaning and category. This transformation very clearly demonstrates the mechanism of word formation and the transition of one meaning to another. For example:

The color of her eyes was dark blue – She had dark blue eyes

They saw the king’s colors and cheered him up - They saw the king’s banners and began to greet him

Strike iron while hot – Strike the iron while it’s hot

The irons were too heavy for the boy – The chains were too heavy for the boy

Articles with uncountable nouns

Both articles and uncountable nouns in English are difficult topics, to put it mildly. But nothing is impossible if you have the desire to learn and develop. Below we provide a short list of rules with examples that will help you figure out how to use articles with uncountable nouns.

The article the is placed before a real uncountable noun if we mean not the whole substance, but a specific part. For example, in the following sentence it is clear that the article is used to clarify quantity.

I bought the bread at the supermarket – I bought a loaf of bread in the supermarket

Put the milk into my bag – Put the milk in the bag.

In this case, the reference is to a bottle of milk that both speaker and listener know about.

The meat was too hot - The meat chop was too hot

Here the article also indicates that we're talking about about a piece of meat, not about meat as a whole.

They won’t ship the ore today - They will not load the ore today

This sentence refers to a consignment of goods that, for one reason or another, cannot be loaded onto a ship.

The article the is also used with real nouns according to the general rule. According to which it is put in the event that the object or substance has already been mentioned in the text and the listeners already know what is being discussed.

We bought some tea and some coffee. The tea was awful but the coffee was amazing. — We bought tea and coffee. The tea was terrible, but the coffee was great.

I ordered some milk for my cat. They told me that the milk was spoiled. — I ordered milk for my cat, but they told me that the milk was spoiled.

That is, we see that in both examples, when a substance is mentioned again, the article the is used according to the general rule.

If an uncountable noun somehow stands out from the class of its own kind. That is also used with the article the.

The silk made by these worms is the best - The silk that this type of silkworm produces is the best.

The ore explored in Africa will help our industry – An ore deposit discovered in Africa will support our industry

The stone used for this castle was delivered from Egypt – The stone that was used to build this castle was brought from Egypt.

We can all count. But is everything countable? For example, how to calculate the weather? Or water or money? “Well, we know how to count money!” - many will object. Okay, let's count: one money, two money, three... Is something wrong? But we can count rubles, dollars or euros very well. Why this conversation? Yes, besides, we will talk about countable and uncountable nouns in the English language.

Why is this important

The fact is that in English there are grammatical differences when using countable and uncountable. This concerns agreement between the subject and the predicate, formation, use, and use of indefinite pronouns.

How to determine countability

Everything is simple here: you need to count. If it turns out, it means the noun is countable. If not, uncountable. We've already counted the money, let's count something else. For example, milk. Try saying: I have five milk. The question immediately arises: why five? Liters? Glasses? Cans? This means milk is an uncountable noun, and a liter, glass or can is a countable noun. We can count hours, days, seconds, but we cannot count time. This means that time is an uncountable noun, and days and hours are countable. Using this principle, you can easily determine which noun is countable and which is not.

Countable nouns

Countables include specific items, objects, people, animals, which we perceive as separate units:

doll - doll
girl - girl
tree - tree
cat - cat
pencil - pencil

Some abstract concepts that can be counted can also be countable:

word - word
desire - desire
idea - idea
decision - decision
order - order

You can always put a numeral in front of them:

four cats – four cats
two decisions - two decisions

Uncountable nouns

Uncountable substances include any substance: liquid, solid, gaseous, or in powder form. This also includes abstract concepts, feelings, emotions, natural phenomena, various sciences and educational subjects, sports, etc. That is, everything that cannot be divided into separate units and, therefore, counted:

peace - peace
gold - gold
time - time
kindness - kindness
love - love

Features of some nouns

Let's take, for example, such nouns as coffee (coffee), tea (tea), beer (beer). These are liquids, they cannot be counted and we classify them as uncountable nouns:

I don't like coffee, I prefer tea.
I don't like coffee, I prefer tea.

But here's another example:

Give us two coffees and a tea, please.
Give us two coffee And tea, Please.

As you can see, seemingly uncountable liquids have become countable. Since in this case we are not interested in abstract coffee and tea, but in a specific volume (cup, portion). We mean it, although we don't name it.

More examples

Here are some more examples where the same noun can have two categories. In this case, the semantic meaning of the word may change. Compare:

The statue is made of stone.
The statue is made from stone.

There are two beautiful stones in the girl's pocket.
The girl has (has) two beautiful pebble.

In the first case, stone is the substance from which the statue is made, so the noun is uncountable. In the second case, a stone is an object that can be counted.

The bridge was not sturdy because it was made out of wood.
The bridge was not strong because it was made of tree.

This wood is huge.
This forest(the forest area) is huge.

Forest is like wood, the material is an uncountable noun. And the forest as a specific area, a forested area, can already be counted.

The sun gives us light and heat.
The sun gives us light and warmth.

The light in the room was dim.
Light(lamp, light bulb) in the room was dim.

In the first case, the word “light” is used as an abstract concept, in the second, a specific light source is meant, of which there may be several (two light bulbs).

Michael has extensive experience in medicine.
Mikhail has a big one experience in medicine.

When we went to Moscow, we had some interesting experiences.
When we went to Moscow, we had several interesting adventure(experiences).

In the first sentence, experience is an abstract, uncountable concept; in the second, it is specific interesting moments in life that can be counted.

Thus, depending on the meaning, the same noun can be countable or uncountable. How to determine? The old proven way: count.

Language Differences

advice - advice
work - work
news - news
baggage - luggage
knowledge - knowledge
information – information, message
progress – progress, success
hair - hair

However, there are pitfalls here too. For example, the word hair is uncountable; in English, hair cannot be counted. But there is a noun a hair, which is translated as “hair” and is countable:

There are two hairs on your dress.
There (are) two here hair on your dress.

Let's move on to grammar

We have learned how to determine the countability of English nouns, now let's see where this can come in handy. The fact is that there are very important grammatical differences in the use of countable and uncountable nouns.

1. English nouns vary in number and can be singular or plural. But this only applies to countable nouns. All uncountable nouns are used only in the singular. Don't try to pluralize them, it will be a mistake. In a sentence, uncountable nouns agree with a singular verb and can be replaced by the pronoun it:

This advice is very useful.
This advice very helpful.

Water freezes at a temperature of zero degrees.
Water freezes at zero degrees.

I would like to remind you that the word news also belongs to the uncountable, therefore, despite the ending – s, it is a singular noun:

No news is good news.
Absence news- good news.

1. I think you know that nouns are used with articles, which can be and.

Both articles are used with countable nouns:

There is a big tree in the yard.
There is a big one in the yard tree.

The tree is very old.
Tree very old.

The indefinite article cannot be used with uncountable nouns. This is explained simply: the indefinite article a/an comes from the English word one, which means “one”. Since uncountable nouns cannot be counted, the article a/an cannot be used either. These nouns are either preceded by a definite article, or no article is placed at all:

Water is very important for life on the Earth.
Water very important for life on the ground.

The water in the stream is cold and clean.
Water the stream is cold and clean.

1. Both countable and uncountable nouns can be used with the indefinite pronouns some and any. However, countable nouns in this case must be in the plural:

I have some friends in Brazil.
I have several friends in Brazil.

He took some money and went to the store.
He took money (some money) and went to the store.

1. The use of nouns with the pronouns much, many, little, few also has its own rules.

• The pronouns many (many), how many (how much, how much), (a) few (little, little) can only be used with countable nouns:

He doesn't usually ask many questions.
He usually doesn't ask a lot of questions.

There are a few flowers in the garden.
There is in the garden some flowers.

• The pronouns much, how much, (a) little are used only with uncountable nouns:

How much time do you usually spend on this kind of work?
How much time do you usually spend on this kind of work?

There is a little milk in the cup.
There is in the cup some milk.

• The expression a lot of (a lot) is used with any nouns:

There are a lot of cars in the yard.
In the yard a lot of cars.

There is a lot of water in the glass.
In a glass a lot of water.

Knowing the grammatical features of countable and uncountable nouns will help you avoid many mistakes. But theory without practice is quickly forgotten. Channel “English – speak freely!” will give you the opportunity to practice your English at any time of the day. See you on air!