Countable and Uncountable

Countable Nouns
 Countable nouns are those nouns that can be counted.
Examples:
One (a) pencil
Two cats
Three houses
Uncountable Nouns
 Uncountable nouns are those nouns which cannot be counted

because they cannot be defined individually, but rather are part
of a whole. As such, they are treated as singular (you can
not make them plural by adding “-s”).
(Salt, wood, tea, wine, sugar, bread, furniture, hair, information,

money, weather, time, rice, etc)
 Once we delimit these nouns by placing a countable expression in front of the

noun, they become countable.
Examples:
A gram of salt
A piece of wood
Two cups of tea
Three glasses of wine
Grammatical Rules
1. Countable nouns have a plural form (regular or irregular):
Examples:
egg → eggs bicycle → bicycles dress →

dresses
2. Uncountable nouns do not have a plural form:
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Rice X Rices Milk X Milks
3. You can use “a” or “an” with countable nouns in singular:
An apple A house
4. We cannot use “a” or “an” with uncountable nouns:
X A milk
5. Numbers can be used in front of countable nouns:
Examples:
Three apples
Two houses
6. Numbers cannot be used in front of uncountable nouns:
X Two rices
Quantifiers
 Quantifiers indicate the quantity of a noun. They respond to the questions, “How
much?” or “How many?”. As with the articles in English, quantifiers define nouns
and are always located in front of the noun they define. Some quantifiers can be
used only with countable nouns, others only with uncountable nouns and others
with both.
QUANTIFIER COUNTABLE UNCOUNTABLE

many X –
much – X
some X X
any X X
no, none X X
a lot of / lots of X X
little / a little – X
few / a few X –
 We use quantifiers to express the idea of quantity or number.
The following is a summary of the various quantifiers and how
and when to use them.
2
Many
Meaning: a large, but indefinite quantity
Use: This quantifier is used most often in negative and

interrogative sentences with countable nouns in plural. “Many”
can also be used in affirmative sentences, but it is not very
common. More often, in the affirmative we use other quantifiers
such as “a lot”.
Examples:
Negative sentences:
There are not many tourists.
Interrogative Sentences:
How many cats do you have?
Affirmative Sentences:
We have many friends.
“Many” can also be combined with “too” or “so” to express the

idea of an excessive quantity.
Examples:
There are too many changes for me.
There are so many things I want to do!
Much
 Meaning: a large, but indefinite quantity
 Use: As with “many”, “much” is used to express the idea of a

large quantity and is used most often in negative and
interrogative sentences. Unlike “many”, we use “much” only
with uncountable nouns. “Much” can also be used in affirmative
sentences, although it is more formal and not very common.
Examples:
3
Negative Sentences:
There is not much time .
How much money does he have?
We have much to do!
Like “many”, “much” can also be combined with “too” or “so” to

express the idea of an excessive quantity.
Examples:
There is too much work .
We have so much work to do!
Some
 Meaning: an unspecified, but limited quantity
Use: “Some” is used with both uncountable nouns as well as

countable nouns in plural. It is used in affirmative sentences and
occasionally with interrogative sentences (to affirm something). In
negative and interrogative sentences, “some” is replaced with “any”.
Examples:
Affirmative Sentences/Countable Nouns:
She has some apples.
Affirmative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:
There is some milk in the kitchen.
4
Would you like some coffee?
Any
 Meaning: an unspecified quantity, one or more
Use: “Any” is used in the same contexts as “some”, but only in

negative and interrogative sentences.
Examples:
Negative Sentences/Countable Nouns:
I do not have any cats.
Negative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:
He does not have any money.
Interrogative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:
Are there any changes?
Is there any milk?
No, None
 Meaning: not any
5
Use: As opposed to “no”, “none” can be used without a noun
(countable or uncountable). It is therefore generally found at the end
of a sentence and only in response to a question that refers to
quantity.
Examples:
Interrogative Sentences/Countable Nouns:
How many pencils are there? None.
There are no pencils.
How much money do you have? None.
I have no money.
A lot of/Lots of
 Meaning: a large, but indefinite quantity
Use: This quantifier can be used with both countable and uncountable
nouns. As opposed to “much” or “many”, “a lot” is not generally used
in interrogative sentences. In general, the use of “lots of” is more
informal.
Examples:
Affirmative Sentences/Countable Nouns:
He has a lot of books.
6
He does not have a lot of books.
Affirmative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:
I have lots of money.
I do not have a lot of money.
Little/A little
 Meaning: a small, but indefinite quantity
Use: These quantifiers are used only with uncountable nouns. The use
of one over the other reflects an opinion regarding the quantity. The
use of “a little” implies a positive opinion of the quantity, while the
use of “little” reflects a negative attitude.
Examples:
Do you have a little money?

We have little time.
Few/A few
 Meaning: a small, but indefinite quantity
Use: These quantifiers can only be used with countable nouns. As we

saw above, the use of one over the other reflects an opinion about the
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quantity. “Few” reflects a negative opinion, while “a few” a positive
one.
Examples:
Do you have a few dollars?
There are few tourists here today.

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Countable Nouns

 Countable nouns are those nouns that can be counted.

 Uncountable nouns are those nouns which cannot be counted

(Salt, wood, tea, wine, sugar, bread, furniture, hair, information,

 Once we delimit these nouns by placing a countable expression in front of the

Two cups of tea

Three glasses of wine

egg → eggs bicycle → bicycles dress →

2. Uncountable nouns do not have a plural form:

3. You can use “a” or “an” with countable nouns in singular:

4. We cannot use “a” or “an” with uncountable nouns:

5. Numbers can be used in front of countable nouns:

6. Numbers cannot be used in front of uncountable nouns:

QUANTIFIER COUNTABLE UNCOUNTABLE

Meaning: a large, but indefinite quantity

Use: This quantifier is used most often in negative and

There are not many tourists.

How many cats do you have?

We have many friends.

“Many” can also be combined with “too” or “so” to express the

There are too many changes for me.

There are so many things I want to do!

 Meaning: a large, but indefinite quantity

 Use: As with “many”, “much” is used to express the idea of a

There is not much time .

How much money does he have?

We have much to do!

Like “many”, “much” can also be combined with “too” or “so” to

There is too much work .

We have so much work to do!

 Meaning: an unspecified, but limited quantity

Use: “Some” is used with both uncountable nouns as well as

Affirmative Sentences/Countable Nouns:

She has some apples.

Affirmative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:

There is some milk in the kitchen.

Would you like some coffee?

 Meaning: an unspecified quantity, one or more

Use: “Any” is used in the same contexts as “some”, but only in

Negative Sentences/Countable Nouns:

I do not have any cats.

Negative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:

He does not have any money.

Interrogative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:

Are there any changes?

Interrogative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:

Is there any milk?

 Meaning: not any

Interrogative Sentences/Countable Nouns:

How many pencils are there? None.

Negative Sentences/Countable Nouns:

There are no pencils.

Interrogative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:

How much money do you have? None.

Negative Sentences/Uncountable Nouns:

 Meaning: a large, but indefinite quantity

Affirmative Sentences/Countable Nouns:

He has a lot of books.

He does not have a lot of books.