Quantity nouns are the particular sets of words, such as phrases or terms, that you use to tell

the quantities of certain things

Example: "Do you want a bottle of water?"

Of course, some quantity nouns have precise definitions and can only be used to tell the
quantities of certain countable and uncountable nouns. Some of the special exceptions are:

(A pair of) only used for things which need 2 identical parts to form a proper set e.g. "a
pair of gloves"

(A set of) only used for things which need more than one individual part to form a
proper set e.g. "a set of rules"

When using quantity nouns, bear in mind that the things you tell the quantity of are plural (if
they have a plural form). When the quantity itself is plural, make sure the quantity words are
plural too.

Example: "A pair of sunglasses"

Example: "2 pairs of sunglasses"

You can add adjectives to quantity nouns if you want to provide more information e.g. "I'm so
tired. I really need a strong cup of coffee!"

Direccin: http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/quantity-nouns-a-
pair-a-tube-a-slice
Quantity Words

Words which are denoting the quantity of the nouns are called Quantity-Words.

English has different adjectives to describe countable words and uncountable words.

Examples of countable nouns are:

Boys, men, elephants, questions, tables, shirts, computers etc

Examples of Uncountable nouns:

Water, fire, rain, dress, sugar, sky, thirsty etc

Different set of words should be used as adjectives in respect of countable nouns and
uncountable nouns.

Countable nouns: Fewer, number of, , many etc

Uncountable nouns: Less, amount, quantity, much, more etc

Using the adjective fewer, number of and many for noun-countable nouns is
wrong.

Similarly, using the adjectives less, amount, quantity and much in respect of
countable nouns is also wrong.

Example-1:

Less boys than girls passed the test.

Here the adjective less has been used for the countable noun boys. This usage is
wrong one.

The correct sentence is:

Fewer boys than girls passed the test.

Example-2:

I like fewer sugar in coffee than in tea.

Here, the adjective fewer has been used for the uncountable noun sugar. This usage
is wrong one.
The correct sentence is:

I like less sugar in coffee than in tea.

Example-3:

The number of delegates who attended the conference exceeded the estimate.

Here also, the wrong adjective has been used for the countable noun delegates in
place of the adjective number

The correct sentence is:

The amount of delegates who attended the conference exceeded the estimate.

These are perfect examples for the usages of Quantity-Words.

Example-4:

The book sold 10,000 copies in hard cover, and almost thrice as much in paper-pack.

Here also the adjective much has been used for the countable noun books in place of
the adjective many.

So the correct sentence is:

The book sold 10,000 copies in hard cover, and almost thrice as many in paper-pack.

Example-5:

The army had twenty less divisions two years ago that It has now.

Here also, the adjective less has been used for the countable noun divisions in place
of the adjective fewer.

The correct sentence is:

The army had twenty fewer divisions two years ago that It has now.

These are perfect examples for the usages of Quantity-Words.

Examples:

Much of the words spoken by the speaker could not be heard because of the din.
 Many of the words spoken by the speaker could not be heard because of the din.

I have less pants than shirts.

I have fewer pants than shirts.

Use of between and among:

The preposition between and among can not be substituted for each other.

The preposition between should be used only when there are two items referred to.

When there are more than two items, the correct preposition to be used is among.

Examples:

Among Clinton and George, it is George who is older. (Incorrect)

Between Clinton and George, it is George who is older. (Correct)

Between the three girls, Anne is the tallest. (Incorrect)

Among the three girls, Anne is the tallest. (Correct)

Between Asia, Africa and America, Asia has the largest area. (Incorrect)
Among Asia, Africa and America, Asia has the largest area. (Correct)

Among, the Indian and Korean, the former is usually taller than the latter.
(Incorrect)
Between, the Indian and Korean, the former is usually taller than the latter.
(Correct)

These are perfect examples for the usages of Quantity-Words.

Use of each other and one another:

Similarly each other must be used while referring to only two persons.

When there are more than two persons, the correct phrase to be used is one another.

Examples:

The two brothers are so different that they have nothing in common with one
another. (Incorrect)
The two brothers are so different that they have nothing in common with each other.
(Correct)

Ten of us study together for the test, and we help each other with the lessons.
(Incorrect)
 Ten of us study together for the test, and we help one another with the lessons.
(Correct)

These are perfect examples for the usages of Quantity-Words.

Comparative and Superlative degrees:

English are different forms of comparisons when two nouns are compared and when
more than two nouns are compared.

Example-1:

Between Clinton and George, the former is the tallest.

Here only two nouns are compared so only the Comparative Degree of
Comparison should be used in place of Superlative Degree of Comparison.

The correct sentence is:

Between Clinton and George, the former is taller.

While using the superlative degree of comparison, you should always use the before
it.

These are perfect examples for the usages of Quantity-Words.

Examples:

Copal is tallest student in the class. (Incorrect)

Copal is the tallest student in the class. (Correct)

She is most loyal among all the staff in the company. (Incorrect)
She is the most loyal among all the staff in the company (Correct)

These examples might have revealed the secrets of using the right Quantity-words in
your sentences.

Direccin: http://www.english-for-students.com/Quantity-Words.html
Here are some common quantifiers:

Much or Many
Much and many are used in negative sentences and questions. Much is used
with non-count nouns such as money. Many is used with count nouns such as
dog(s).

For example:

How much money do you have? or There isnt much money left.

How many dogs are there in the kennel*? or There arent many dog left to be
adopted.

A Lot Of or Lots Of
A lot of and lots of can be used with both count and non-count nouns. A lot of
and lots of are used in positive sentences.

For example:

There is a lot of money in my wallet. or There is lots of money in my wallet.

There are lots of dogs in this neighborhood. or There are a lot of dogs in this
neighborhood.

(A) Little or (A) Few

A little and a few indicate a quantity or number. Use a little with non-count
nouns and use a few with count nouns.

For example:

There is a little money left.

He has a few dogs.

Note: There is an important a difference between a little and little (used with
non-count words) and between a few and few (used with count words).
A little vs. Little

If I say, John has a little experience in coaching. This means that although John
is not an expert he has some experience and that experience is probably enough.
But, if I say, John has little experience in coaching. This means he does not have
enough experience.

A few vs. Few

If I say, Kerry owns a few books on English literature. This means, she has some
books, not a lot of books, but probably enough. But, if I say, Kerry owns few
books on English literature. This means she does not have enough books and she
will need more.

Here is a table of quantifiers which summarizes which types of nouns (count, non-
count, or both) these adjectives can be used with.

Count Non-count Both count &

non-count

many, a few, not much, little, all of the, most

few, several, a a little, a bit of, of the, some,
couple of, none a good deal of enough, a lot
of the of, lots
of, plenty of, a
lack of

I hope this review of count and non-count nouns has been helpful in general and
that this last post has helped to expand your vocabulary of quantifiers and help you
to use them correctly.

* kennel = a shelter for dogs or cats

Tags: count nouns, mass nouns, modifying quantity, non-count

nouns, noncount, quantifers
Direccin: http://blogs.transparent.com/english/expressing-quantity-with-count-
and-non-count-nouns/

COUNTABLE NOUNS

Countable Nouns

The major division of English nouns is into "countable" and "uncountable".

Countable nouns are easy to recognize. They are things that we can
count. For example: "pen". We can count pens. We can have one, two,
three or more pens. Here are some more countable nouns:

dog, cat, animal, man, person

bottle, box, litre

coin, note, dollar

cup, plate, fork

table, chair, suitcase, bag

Countable nouns can be singular or plural:

My dog is playing.

My dogs are hungry.

We can use the indefinite article a/an with countable nouns:

A dog is an animal.
Countable nouns are also called "count nouns".
When a countable noun is singular, we must use a word
like a/the/my/this with it:

I want an orange. (not I want orange.)

Where is my bottle? (not Where is bottle?)

When a countable noun is plural, we can use it alone:

I like oranges.

Bottles can break.

We can use some and any with countable nouns:

I've got some dollars.

Have you got any pens?

We can use a few and many with countable nouns:

I've got a few dollars.

I haven't got many pens.

"People" is countable. "People" is the plural of "person". We can count
people:
There is one person here.
There are three people here.

Direccn: https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/nouns-countable.htm
http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/countable_nouns.htm

COUNTABLE AND
UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
It's important to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns in English because their
usage is different in regards to both determiners and verbs.

COUNTABLE NOUNS
Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. They have a singular and a plural
form. The singular form can use the determiner "a" or "an". If you want to ask about the quantity of a
countable noun, you ask "How many?" combined with the plural countable noun.

Singular Plural

one dog two dogs

one horse two horses

one man two men

 Singular Plural

one idea two ideas

one shop two shops

EXAMPLES
She has three dogs.

I own a house.

I would like two books please.

How many friends do you have?

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
Uncountable nouns are for the things that we cannot count with numbers. They may be the names
for abstract ideas or qualities or for physical objects that are too small or too amorphous to be
counted (liquids, powders, gases, etc.). Uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb. They
usually do not have a plural form.

EXAMPLES
tea

sugar

water

air

rice

knowledge

beauty

anger
 fear

love

money

research

safety

evidence

We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or
expression like some, a lot of, much, a bit of, a great deal of , or else use an exact measurement
like a cup of, a bag of, 1kg of, 1L of, a handful of, a pinch of, an hour of, a day of. If you want to ask
about the quantity of an uncountable noun, you ask "How much?"

EXAMPLES
There has been a lot of research into the causes of this disease.

He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview.

Can you give me some information about uncountable nouns?

He did not have much sugar left.

Measure 1 cup of water, 300g of flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

How much rice do you want?

Direccin: http://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-
grammar/countable-and-uncountable-nouns/
Nouns can be either countable or uncountable. Countable nouns (or count
nouns) are those that refer to something that can be counted. They have both
singular and plural forms (e.g. cat/cats; woman/women; country/countries). In the
singular, they can be preceded by a or an. Most nouns come into this category.

A smaller number of nouns do not typically refer to things that can be counted and
so they do not regularly have a plural form: these are known as uncountable
nouns (or mass nouns). Examples include: rain, flour, earth, wine, or wood.
Uncountable nouns can't be preceded by a or an. Many abstract nouns are
typically uncountable, e.g. happiness, truth, darkness, humour.

Some uncountable nouns can be used in the plural as well, depending on the
meaning or context of the word. Take a look at these sentences:

uncountable because it's referring to the drink

Would you like some coffee?
in general

countable, because it's referring to a cup of

He ordered a coffee.
coffee

uncountable, because it refers to the quality

There's no truth in the rumours.
or state of being true

The fundamental truthsabout human countable, because it's referring to facts or

nature. beliefs that are true

In the Oxford Dictionary of English and the New Oxford American Dictionary,
nouns that are chiefly uncountable are described as mass nouns. This type of
noun entry may also include an example sentence showing a countable use of the
type described above. For example:
 beer noun [mass noun] an alcoholic drink made from yeast-fermented malt
flavoured with hops: a pint of beer | [count noun] he ordered a beer.

There are some words that should only be used with countable nouns and some
that you should only use with uncountable nouns. Here are the main examples:

with countable with uncountable

word examples
noun? noun?

fewer students; few

few, fewer
cars

little, less,
less food; little time
least

many, several books; many

several changes

much pleasure; much

much
sleep

You often hear people using less with countable nouns (e.g. there are less cars outside
the school gates). Although it's a common mistake, it is still a mistake and you should try
to avoid making it in formal writing or speaking.

Back to nouns.

You may also be interested in:

Verbs

Adjectives

Pronouns

Direccin: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/grammar/countable-nouns
Countable and Uncountable
Nouns
In English grammar, countable nouns are individual people, animals, places, things, or ideas
which can be counted. Uncountable nouns are not individual objects, so they cannot be
counted. Here, well take a look at countable and uncountable nouns and provide both
countable noun examples and uncountable noun examples. Although the concept may seem
challenging, youll soon discover that these two different noun types are very easy to use.

Countable Noun Examples

Anything that can be counted, whether singular a dog, a house, a friend, etc. or plural a few
books, lots of oranges, etc. is a countable noun. The following countable noun examples will
help you to see the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. Notice that singular
verbs are used with singular countable nouns, while plural verbs are used with plural countable
nouns.

1. There are at least twenty Italian restaurants in Little Italy.

2. Megan took a lot of photographs when she went to the Grand Canyon.

3. Your book is on the kitchen table.

4. How many candles are on that birthday cake?

5. You have several paintings to study in art appreciation class.

6. Theres a big brown dog running around the neighborhood.

Uncountable Noun Examples

Anything that cannot be counted is an uncountable noun. Even though uncountable nouns are
not individual objects, they are always singular and one must always use singular verbs in
conjunction with uncountable nouns. The following uncountable noun examples will help you to
gain even more understanding of how countable and uncountable nouns differ from one
another. Notice that singular verbs are always used with uncountable nouns.

1. There is no more water in the pond.

2. Please help yourself to some cheese.

3. I need to find information about Pulitzer Prize winners.

4. You seem to have a high level of intelligence.

5. Please take good care of your equipment.

6. Lets get rid of the garbage.

Uncountable nouns can be paired with words expressing plural concept. Using these words
can make your writing more specific. Here are some examples of how to format interesting
sentences with uncountable nouns.

Garbage There are nine bags of garbage on the curb.

 Water Try to drink at least eight glasses of water each day.

Advice She gave me a useful piece of advice.

Bread Please buy a loaf of bread.

Furniture A couch is a piece of furniture.

Equipment A backhoe is an expensive piece of equipment.

Cheese Please bag ten slices of cheese for me.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns Exercises

Is the underlined noun countable or uncountable?

1. The children fell asleep quickly after a busy day of fun.

2. Be careful! The water is deep.

3. The parade included fire trucks and police cars.

4. We like the large bottles of mineral water.

5. My mother uses real butter in the cakes she bakes.

6. How many politicians does it take to pass a simple law?

7. Most kids like milk, but Joey hates it.

8. Most pottery is made of clay.

9. Michael can play several different musical instruments.

10. I was feeling so stressed that I ate an entire box of cookies.

Answers: 1 countable, 2 uncountable, 3 countable, 4 countable, 5 uncountable,

6 countable, 7 uncountable, 8 uncountable, 9 countable, 10 countable
Direccin: http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/nouns/countable-
uncountable-nouns/

Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

f t g+ p
Did you know that not all nouns are countable in English? Knowing the difference
between countable and uncountable nouns can help you in many areas of English
grammar.

Countable Nouns

Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted. Most nouns in English are
countable.

Examples:

I have two dogs.

Sandra has three cars.

Jessie has ten dollars.

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are not counted in English. This usually has to do with the way
English speakers think of these nouns. We often picture these nouns as a single
concept or one big thing which is hard to divide. Many of these words are
countable in other languages, but they ARE NOT countable in English. Generally,
we do not use plural forms of these words; however some of these words do end in
"s", so don't get confused.

Examples:

Mack drinks a lot of water.

Cindy gives great advice.

Paul enjoys politics. Ends with "s" but uncountable

Uncountable nouns tend to belong to one of the following categories:

Liquids and Gases

water

coffee

milk

air

oxygen

Solid and Granular Substances

wood

metal

cheese

sand

rice

Energy Words and Forces

electricity

sunshine

radiation

heat
 magnetism

Subjects

French

chemistry

economics

science

math

Grouped Concepts

fruit

money

food

vocabulary

news

Information and Abstract Concepts

information

advice

education

democracy

intelligence

Uncountable Plurals

Sometimes in English, we do use uncountable nouns in plural forms. This is most

commonly done with liquids and substances. It usually takes on the meaning of
"cups of", "bottles of" or "types of".

Examples:
 We'll have two coffees. Cups of coffee

I bought three waters. Bottles of water

The company produces two leathers. Types of leather

Different Meanings

There are certain words which have multiple meanings. It is possible for one
meaning to be countable and the other to be uncountable. Take for example the
word "light":

Examples:

I couldn't see anything because there was no light. Uncountable noun

The Christmas tree was covered with hundreds of lights. Countable noun

Generally, the rules are still the same. The first use of "light" is a form of energy.
The second use of "light" means "small light bulbs", which are normal countable
objects.

Direccin: http://www.englishpage.com/minitutorials/countable-uncountable-
nouns.htm