assignment count or noncount noun

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Count vs. Noncount Nouns

Before forming plurals correctly, it is important to understand the difference between count and noncount nouns.

Count nouns are the nouns that we can physically count (e.g. one table, two tables, three tables), so they make a distinction between singular and plural forms.

Noncount nouns are the nouns that cannot be counted, and they do not make a distinction between singular and plural forms. Although these nouns may refer to large quantities of things, they act like singular nouns grammatically.

Noncount nouns:

• Never take the plural ending “s”
• Always take a singular verb
• Cannot be used with the indefinite article “a/an” and are frequently used with no article at all
• Are used with collective quantity words like “a lot of,” “some,” “any,” “much,” or “more,” instead of count words like “many,” “several,” “two,” or “few.”

If you work on an academic paper, keep these noncount nouns in mind because they are often misused: money, research, advice, knowledge, information, and evidence (NOT moneys, researches, advices, etc.).

The following categories of words frequently contain noncount nouns:

More rules for noncount nouns:

Note: Some nouns can be used as either non-count or count nouns, and the meaning of these nouns changes slightly depending on the form being used. The non-count form refers to the whole idea or quantity, whereas the count noun refers to a specific example or type.

Adapted from: Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers by Nigel A. Caplan

Download the PDF of this guide for a practice worksheet

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Capstone Form and Style

Grammar and mechanics: count and noncount nouns, introduction to count and noncount nouns.

Count and noncount nouns vary from language to language. In some languages, there are no count nouns (e.g., Japanese). In addition, some nouns that are noncount in English may be countable in other languages (e.g., advice or information).

Errors with count and noncount nouns can result in errors with article usage and with subject–verb agreement .

Please see the SMRTguide: Article Usage Flowchart as well as the post on Articles and Count vs. Noncount Nouns for more information.

Count Nouns

What is a count noun.

Count nouns can be separated into individual units and counted. They usually have both a singular and a plural form. Most English nouns are count nouns.

• one book, two books
• one pen, two pens
• one computer, two computers

However, a few countable nouns only have a plural form in English. Here are a few examples:

• surroundings

These may be used with some sort of quantifier, or quantity word , to show how they are counted (e.g., a few goods, several goods , some goods).

How are count nouns made plural?

Count nouns are usually made plural by adding  –s or  –es .

• one example, two example s
• one file, two file s
• one class, two class es
• one bias, two bias es

If the noun ends in –y , change the –y to –ies to make it plural if the –y  is preceded by a consonant.

• one company, two compan ies
• one residency, two residenc ies

However, if a vowel proceeds the –y , add an –s to make it plural.

• 1 day, 2 day s
• one survey, two survey s

Generally, if the noun ends in –o , add –es to make it plural.

• one veto, two veto es
• one embargo, two embargo es

If the noun ends in –f or –fe , change the –f to a –v and add –es .

• oneself, themselv es
• one half, two halv es

Some count nouns have irregular plural forms.

• one phenomenon, two phenomena
• one person, two people
• one criterion, two criteria
• one datum, the  data

When unsure of the plural form, please consult the dictionary. APA follows  Merriam-Webster's dictionary for spelling. See APA 7, Section 6.11 for spellings of technology terms. See the APA Dictionary of Psychology for spellings of psychological terms.

Important: Singular count nouns must have a word in the determiner slot, for example, an article, a demonstrative, or a possessive noun (i.e., a/an, the, this , or a possessive noun). Please see our page on article usage for more information.

Noncount Nouns

What is a noncount noun.

Noncount (or uncountable) nouns exist as masses or abstract quantities that cannot be counted. They have no plural form. Although most English nouns are count nouns, noncount nouns frequently occur in academic writing.

Here are some common categories of noncount nouns. Like all things in English (and language in general), there may be exceptions.

An abstract concept:  advice, happiness, health, education, research, knowledge, information, time, intelligence

A mass: work, equipment, homework, money, transportation, software, vocabulary 

A disease:  diabetes, measles, polio, influenza, malaria, hypothyroidism, arthritis

A subject of study:  economics, physics, astronomy, biology, history, statistics

A language :  Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, English

An activity (in the -ing form): swimming, dancing, reading, smoking, drinking, studying

A natural substance:  air, ice, water, fire, wood, blood, hair, gold, silver

Food:  milk, rice, coffee, bread, sugar, meat, water

A game:  soccer, tennis, basketball, hockey, football, chess, checkers

Important: Noncount nouns do not use the indefinite articles a/an . They can, however, use the definite article the if what is being referred to is specific. They can also use no article if what is being referred to is general (generic) or nonspecific. Please see our page on article usage for more information.

Double Nouns

Some nouns can be both count and noncount. When they change from a count to a noncount noun, the meaning changes slightly. In the noncount form, the noun refers to the whole idea or quantity. In the count form, the noun refers to a specific example or type. When the noun is countable, it can be used with the indefinite article a/an or it can be made plural.

Check the published literature in your field of study to determine whether specific nouns are used in a countable or an uncountable way. Sometimes, a noun that is generally countable becomes uncountable when used in a technical way.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Life is a gift. (noncount)
• She leads a very fulfilling life . (count = This specifies the type of life. It could be a boring life, a dangerous life, and so on.)
• The study of language is called linguistics. (noncount)
• English is often considered an international language . (count)

Quantity Words

Quantity words are used to add information about the number or amount of the noun. Some quantity words can only be used with countable singular nouns, some can only be used with countable plural nouns, some can only be used with uncountable nouns, and some can be used with both plural countable nouns and with uncountable nouns.

With countable singular nouns (e.g., participant, interview, theory):

• each  participant
• every participant
• another participant

With countable plural nouns (e.g., studies, limitations, factors):

• several limitations
• a large number of  limitations
• a small number of limitations
• not many limitations
• too many limitations
• many limitations
• a few limitations
• very few limitations
• few limitations
• fewer limitations

With uncountable nouns (e.g., research, evidence):

• a great deal of research
• a large amount of research
• a small amount of research
• not much research
• too much research
• much research
• a little research
• very little research
• little research
• less research

With countable plural nouns and with uncountable nouns (e.g., studies, limitations, factors, research, evidence):

• some factors
• some evidence
• any  factors
• any evidence
• a lot of factors
• a lot of evidence
• hardly any factors
• hardly any evidence
• (almost) all factors
• (almost) all evidence
• no evidence
• none of the factors
• none of the evidence
• not any factors
• not any evidence
• other factors
• other evidence

* Note the difference between few/little ( almost none ) and a few/a little ( some, but not many/much ).  Few/little tend to have a negative connotation. A few/a little tend to be more positive.

• There are few solutions. (There are not many solutions.)
• There are a few solutions. (There are some solutions.)  
• He received little education. (He did not receive much education.)
• He received a little education. (He received some education.)
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Module 1: Grammar

Count vs. non-count nouns.

A count noun (also countable noun ) is a noun that can be modified by a numeral ( three chairs ) and that occurs in both singular and plural forms ( chair , chairs ). The can also be preceded by words such as a , an , or the ( a chair ). Quite literally, count nouns are nouns which can be counted.

A non-count noun (also mass noun ), on the other hand, has none of these properties. It can’t be modified by a numeral ( three furniture  is incorrect), occur in singular/plural ( furnitures is not a word), or co-occur with a , an , or the ( a furniture is incorrect). Again, quite literally, non-count nouns are nouns which cannot be counted.

Example: Chair vs. Furniture

The sentence pairs below compare the count noun chair  and the non-count noun furniture .

There is a chair in the room. (correct) There is a furniture in the room. (incorrect)

There is chair in the room. (incorrect) There is furniture in the room. (correct)

Every chair is man made. (correct) Every furniture is man made. (incorrect)

All chair is man made. (incorrect) All furniture is man made. (correct)

There are several chairs in the room. (correct) There are several furnitures in the room. (incorrect)

Determining the Type of Noun

In general, a count noun is going to be something you can easily count—like  rock or dollar bill . Non-count nouns, on the other hand, would be more difficult to count—like  sand or  money . If you ever want to identify a singular non-count noun, you need a phrase beforehand—like  a grain of sand or a sum of money .

Select the correct word to complete each sentence. Determine whether the correct word is a count or a non-count noun.

• The internet is contains a lot of (information / fact).
• The internet contains a lot of (informations / facts).
• We each have a (work / job) to do.
• We each have (work / job) to do.
• The internet is full of information . Information  is a non-count noun.
• The internet contains many facts . Facts  is a count noun. The word “informations” is incorrect because information  is non-count and doesn’t have a plural form.
• We each have a job to do. Job  is a count noun, so it needs an article ( a ).
• We each have work to do.  Work  is a non-count noun.

Less, Fewer, Many, and Much

The adjectives  less and  fewer are both used to indicate a smaller amount of the noun they modify. Many and  much are used to indicate a large amount of something. People often will use these pairs words interchangeably; however, the words  fewer  and  many  are used with count nouns, while  less and  much  are used with non-count nouns:

• The pet day care has fewer dogs than cats this week.
• Next time you make these cookies, you should use less sugar.
• Many  poets struggle when they try to determine if a poem is complete or not.
• There’s too much goodness in her heart for her own good.

You may have noticed that much has followed the adverb  too in this example ( too much ). This is because you rarely find much  by itself. You don’t really hear people say things like “Now please leave me alone; I have much research to do.” The phrase “a lot of” has taken its place in current English: “I have a lot of research to do.”  A lot of  can be used in the place of either many or  much :

• A lot of  poets struggle when they try to determine if a poem is complete or not.
• There’s a lot of  goodness in her heart for her own good.

Read the following sentences. Decide if the bolded words have been treated correctly as count or non-count nouns.

• Satya has a lot of  clothings . Her mother has told her that before she can buy any more, she must get rid of five  shirts and two  pants .
• There were much types of food at the event, including different soups ,  salads , and  desserts .
• Miguel loved studying outer space —especially the different  galaxy .
• Please not that even though the word pants  ends in an  s , it is not actually plural (or singular; it’s non-count!). The correct way to create a plural is pairs of pants .
• No.  Food is a non-count noun, so it takes many not  much . However,  soups ,  salads , and  desserts are all plural count nouns and have been treated correctly. The correct sentence would be “There were many  types of food at the event, including different soups, salads, and desserts.
• No. Outer space is non-count, and has been treated as such, but galaxy is a count noun, and has been treated as a non-count. The correct sentence would be “Miguel loved studying outer space—especially the different galaxies .”

Choose the correct word to fill in the blanks in the following sentences:

• You can only be in this line if you have fifteen items or _____.
• Evelyn was disappointed in the weather forecast; there was _____ rain predicted. She preferred dry weather.
• I had a lengthy list of my _____ ideas for the project.
• Because  items   is a count noun,  fewer is required here. This may surprise you, since many stores have a “fifteen items or less” line, but, using  less is grammatically incorrect. However, the prevalence of this phrase has made it so stores sound uppity if they use fewer instead of  less . Some stores are avoiding this entire issue by saying “around fifteen items” instead.
• While  much would also fit in this blank, the phrase  a lot of is much more common and more likely to be used.
• The adjective is modifying the count-noun  ideas , so  many is needed in this instance.
• Revision and Adaptation of Wikipedia content. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Less, Fewer, Many, and Much. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Count noun. Provided by : Wikipedia. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_noun . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Mass noun. Provided by : Wikipedia. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_noun . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Chair. Authored by : Petr Kratochvil. Located at : http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/9530 . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved

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5.3 Count and Noncount Nouns and Articles

Learning objectives.

• Define and use count and noncount nouns.
• Recognize and use definite and indefinite articles.

Nouns are words that name things, places, people, and ideas. Right now, you may be surrounded by desks, computers, and notebooks. These are called count nouns because you can count the exact number of desks, computers, and notebooks—three desks, one computer, and six notebooks, for example.

On the other hand, you may be carrying a small amount of money in your wallet and sitting on a piece of furniture. These are called noncount nouns . Although you can count the pieces of furniture or the amount of money, you cannot add a number in front of money or furniture and simply add – s to the end of the noun. Instead, you must use other words and phrases to indicate the quantity of money and furniture.

Incorrect: five moneys, two furnitures

Correct: some money, two pieces of furniture

By the end of Section 5.3.1 “Count and Noncount Nouns” , you will grasp the difference between the two types of nouns and be able to use them confidently in speaking and writing.

Count and Noncount Nouns

A count noun refers to people, places, and things that are separate units. You make count nouns plural by adding – s .

Table 5.1 Count Nouns

A noncount noun identifies a whole object that cannot separate and count individually. Noncount nouns may refer to concrete objects or abstract objects. A concrete noun identifies an object you can see, taste, touch, or count. An abstract noun identifies an object that you cannot see, touch, or count. There are some exceptions, but most abstract nouns cannot be made plural, so they are noncount nouns. Examples of abstract nouns include anger, education, melancholy, softness, violence, and conduct.

Table 5.2 Types of Noncount Nouns

On a separate sheet of paper, label each of the following nouns as count or noncount.

• Electricity ________
• Water ________
• Book ________
• Sculpture ________
• Advice ________

On a separate sheet of paper, identify whether the italicized noun in the sentence is a count or noncount noun by writing C or NC above the noun.

• The amount of traffic on the way home was terrible.
• Forgiveness is an important part of growing up.
• I made caramel sauce for the organic apples I bought.
• I prefer film cameras instead of digital ones.
• My favorite subject is history .

Definite and Indefinite Articles

The word the is a definite article . It refers to one or more specific things. For example, the woman refers to not any woman but a particular woman. The definite article the is used before singular and plural count nouns.

The words a and an are indefinite articles . They refer to one nonspecific thing. For example, a woman refers to any woman, not a specific, particular woman. The indefinite article a or an is used before a singular count noun.

Definite Articles ( The ) and Indefinite Articles ( A/An ) with Count Nouns

I saw the concert. (singular, refers to a specific concert)

I saw the concerts. (plural, refers to more than one specific concert)

I saw the U2 concert last night. (singular, refers to a specific concert)

I saw a concert. (singular, refers to any nonspecific concert)

On a separate sheet of paper, write the correct article in the blank for each of the following sentences. Write OK if the sentence is correct.

• (A/An/The) camel can live for days without water. ________
• I enjoyed (a/an/the) pastries at the Bar Mitzvah. ________
• (A/An/The) politician spoke of many important issues. ________
• I really enjoyed (a/an/the) actor’s performance in the play. ________
• (A/An/The) goal I have is to run a marathon this year. ________

Correct the misused or missing articles and rewrite the paragraph.

Stars are large balls of spinning hot gas like our sun. The stars look tiny because they are far away. Many of them are much larger than sun. Did you know that a Milky Way galaxy has between two hundred billion and four hundred billion stars in it? Scientists estimate that there may be as many as five hundred billion galaxies in an entire universe! Just like a human being, the star has a life cycle from birth to death, but its lifespan is billions of years long. The star is born in a cloud of cosmic gas and dust called a nebula. Our sun was born in the nebula nearly five billion years ago. Photographs of the star-forming nebulas are astonishing.

Collaboration

Once you have found all the errors you can, share with a classmate and compare your answers. Did your partner find an error you missed? Did you find an error your partner missed? Compare with your instructor’s answers.

Key Takeaways

• You can make count nouns plural by adding -s .
• Count nouns are individual people, places, or things that can be counted, such as politicians, deserts, or candles.
• Noncount nouns refer to whole things that cannot be made plural, such as salt, peace, or happiness.
• The is a definite article and is used to refer to a specific person, place, or thing, such as the Queen of England.
• A and an are indefinite articles, and they refer to nonspecific people, places, or things, such as an apple or a bicycle.

Writing Application

Write five sentences using the definite article the . Write five sentences using the indefinite article a or an . Exchange papers with a classmate and check each other’s work.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Nouns that can be Count or Non-Count

Count nouns .

Count nouns are nouns you can easily count. They can be modified by a number, and they have both singular and plural forms.

Students from a local college recruited forty participants for the study.

Count Nouns and Articles (the/a/an)

We can describe count nouns using articles like the, a, or an. These little descriptors tell us if a noun is singular, plural, specific, or non-specific!

For a detailed breakdown of article use, check out this awesome resource from the University of Waterloo.

Non-Count Nouns

Non-Count nouns (also known as mass nouns) can't be modified by a number and are treated as a unit as opposed to something with parts . Non-count nouns cannot be pluralized  and cannot be used with the articles a/an. 

The study contained  information on how to support people experiencing  pain .

Our company should consider alternatives to oil.

Many families had difficulty finding flour  at the beginning of the pandemic.

Common Categories of Non-Count Nouns

Non-count nouns and articles (the/a/an), denoting quantity of non-count nouns.

You can indicate the quantity of many non-count nouns by pairing them with a partitive, like the words  piece, cup or bag.

I have a new  piece of information that will fascinate you. This room needs a new piece of furniture . The class collected five bags of trash. My new lawnmower requires less than a litre of gas  to run.

You can check if a noun is  both count and non-count or if it has multiple meanings (some count and some non-count) by using a learner's dictionary . 

The word pain  has both a count and non-count meaning.

• Doctors and nurses need to understand that pain is an emotional experience (Treede, 2018). [pain as a general concept]
• The patient said she felt a sharp pain in her knee and a duller pain in her ankle. [a specific instance of pain]

The word time has multiple meanings, and one of those meanings (the time at which something occurs) can be used as either a count or noncount noun. 

• What time do you want to meet?
• Maybe I should call back at a better time .

Memory , meaning the ability to remember things, can be used in both a countable and non-countable way. 

• I have a horrible memory; I forgot to bring the salad . [memory as this individual's ability to recollect]
• I have a horrible memory  that keeps resurfacing. [a specific recollection]
• I can't remember anything because I have horrible memory.   [memory as an individual's ability to recollect]
• These memories  are so moving. [memories as discrete and separate recollections]
• Memory  is untrustworthy. [memory as the general concept of recollection]

If you are referring to types or discrete separate instances of a typically uncountable noun, you are using it in a countable sense. 

• Disruptive behaviour can be a sign of distress. [behaviour as the general idea of actions]  
• The award winner displayed behaviours including contentiousness, curiosity and creativity. [behaviours meaning discrete separate actions]
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Count and Non-Count Nouns

• Practice Count and Non-Count Nouns
• Commonly Misused Words

Countable nouns are people, places, and things that can be counted.

two books                                  ten bracelets

five cookies                               twenty chairs

Non-count nouns usually cannot be counted and lack a plural form.

Knowledge is power.                 Your jewelry is beautiful.

Cheese is delicious.                   The furniture is comfortable.

Adjective use in using count vs. non-countable nouns:

“Many” vs. “Much”

Use “ many ” for count nouns and “ much ” for non-count nouns .

I bought too many apples.          I ate too much food.

I have too many assignments.   I have too much homework.

“A Few” vs. “A Little”  (or “A Lot of”)

Use “ a few ” for count nouns and “ a little ” or “a lot of” for non-count nouns.

I printed a few copies.                I used a little ink.

I bought a few pencils.              I bought a lot of school supplies.

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The Noncount Noun

Recognize a noncount noun when you find one..

Nouns name people, places, and things. Many nouns have both a singular and a plural form: a surfer / surfers , a restaurant / restaurants , a pickle / pickles . Some nouns, however, have only a singular form; you cannot add a number before or an s to the end of these words. This group of nouns is called noncount . Read these examples: After two months of rainstorms , Fred carries his umbrella everywhere in anticipation of more bad weather . Rainstorms = count noun; weather = noncount noun. Because Big Toe Joe has ripped all four chairs with his claws, Diane wants to buy new furniture and then find the cat another home. Chairs = count noun; furniture = noncount noun. When Professor Russell postponed the date of the research paper, smiles lit up the faces of her students, filling the room with their happiness . Smiles = count noun; happiness = noncount noun. Because the beautiful Josephine will help Pablo with his calculus assignments , he never minds the homework from Professor Ribley's class. Assignments = count noun; homework = noncount noun.

Know the different categories of noncount nouns.

The chart below illustrates the different types of noncount nouns. These categories also include nouns that are count . For example, lightning , a natural event (one of the categories), is noncount, but hurricane , a different natural event, is a count noun . When you don't know what type of noun you have, consult a dictionary that provides such information. Category Examples Abstractions advice, courage, enjoyment, fun, help, honesty, information, intelligence, knowledge, patience, etc. Activities chess, homework, housework, music, reading, singing, sleeping, soccer, tennis, work, etc. Food beef, bread, butter, fish, macaroni, meat, popcorn, pork, poultry, toast, etc. Gases air, exhaust, helium, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, pollution, smog, smoke, steam, etc. Groups of Similar Items baggage, clothing, furniture, hardware, luggage, equipment, mail, money, software, vocabulary, etc. Liquids blood, coffee, gasoline, milk, oil, soup, syrup, tea, water, wine, etc. Natural Events electricity, gravity, heat, humidity, moonlight, rain, snow, sunshine, thunder, weather, etc. Materials aluminum, asphalt, chalk, cloth, concrete, cotton, glue, lumber, wood, wool, etc. Particles or Grains corn, dirt, dust, flour, hair, pepper, rice, salt, sugar, wheat, etc.

Know how to indicate number with noncount nouns.

Thunder , a noncount noun, cannot have an s added at the end. You can, however, lie awake in bed counting the number of times that you hear thunder boom during a storm. When you want to indicate number with a noncount word, you have two options. First, you can put of in front of the noncount word—for example, of thunder —and then attach the resulting prepositional phrase to an appropriate count word. Kristina heard seven claps of thunder .

A second option is to make the noncount noun an adjective that you place before a count noun . Then you could write a sentence like this:

Thunderheads filled the sky.

Here are more examples:

Some nouns are both noncount and count.

Sometimes a word that means one thing as a noncount noun has a slightly different meaning if it also has a countable version. Remember, then, that the classifications count and noncount are not absolute. Time is a good example. When you use this word to mean the unceasing flow of experience that includes past, present, and future, with no distinct beginning or end, then time is a noncount noun. Read this example: Time dragged as Simon sat through yet another boring chick flick with his girlfriend Roseanne. Time = noncount because it has no specific beginning and, for poor Simon, no foreseeable end.

When time refers to a specific experience which starts at a certain moment and ends after a number of countable units (minutes, hours, days, etc.), then the noun is count .

Here is an example:

On his last trip to Disney World, Joe rode Space Mountain twenty-seven times . Times = count because a ride on Space Mountain is a measurable unit of experience, one that you can clock with a stopwatch.

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Understanding Noncount Nouns

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Today we are going to talk about the difference between count and noncount nouns .

Most nouns in English can be counted. Think of the noun shirt , as in, “I bought a shirt .” If you have more than one shirt , you just add “s” to make it plural.

"I bought 10 shirts ."

But a shirt is part of a larger category: clothing . You can say “I bought three shirts ” but you cannot say, “I bought three clothings .” Clothing is a noncount noun. You cannot use a, an , or a number before a noncount noun.

Grammatically, a noncount noun is always singular, even if it refers to multiple items like furniture , luggage , or equipment .

A count noun in your native language might be a noncount noun in English. For example, the Spanish translation for homework ( tarea ) is a count noun. But homework is a noncount noun in English. It would sound strange to say, “I had three homeworks .” You could say, “I had a lot of homework .”

You can also could say, “I had three homework assignments .” In this example, homework is used as an adjective. It describes assignment . You can count assignments , but you cannot count homework .

There is no perfect rule to determine if a noun is count or noncount. Fortunately, most noncount nouns fall into a few categories.

Groups of similar things

Noncount nouns often refer to groups of similar objects. Furniture , for example, is a noncount noun. Furniture is a collection of similar countable items like chairs, sofas, tables, shelves, beds and so on.

Luggage is also a noncount noun. You can count bags, packages, and backpacks, but you cannot count luggage . Other noncount nouns that refer to groups of similar things include equipment, food, garbage , mail, money and vocabulary.

Abstractions

Abstract words are noncount. These are words that refer to ideas or qualities instead of physical objects or events. Abstractions are usually things that you cannot see: They only exist in the mind. For example: love, hate, information, news, peace, music and art . There are tens of thousands of abstract words.

Other types of noncount nouns

It is logical that particles -- things that come in very small pieces -- are noncount nouns. It would be difficult to count rice, corn, salt, sugar and dust .

The names of academic fields of study are noncount. Even though physics, economics, and mathematics all end with an s, they are singular noncount nouns. For example, “ Physics is difficult.”

Words related to nature and weather are often noncount, such as rain, wind, snow, lightning, fire and air .

Words with count and noncount meaning

A few words can be used as count and noncount nouns. But the meaning changes a little bit. Let’s look at the word glass . As a noncount noun, glass refers to the clear material used to make windows. For example, “The lamp was made of glass .”

As a count noun, glass refers to a drinking container made of glass , as in “Could you bring me a glass of water?”

The plural glasses has two meanings. It could refer to more than one drinking container. “Please wash the glasses .”

Glasses could also refer to spectacles , a pair of lenses used to correct vision. “I have been wearing glasses since I was a teenager.”

Coffee , along with other drinks, has a count and noncount meaning. “Coffee is grown in Colombia” refers to coffee as an agricultural product. “I’ll have a coffee” refers to a single cup of coffee.

Making Noncount Nouns into Count Nouns

There are a few very important words that make it possible to count noncount nouns. Many food words are noncount nouns. But if you are cooking, you need to measure specific amounts of food.

A recipe for cookies might call for “2 cups of sugar, a half-pound of butter, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla." Pound, cup and teaspoon are examples of measure words that you can use to make noncount nouns countable.

One of the most useful of these measure words is piece . You cannot count information but you can count a piece of information . Piece is a very useful word because it can be used with both count and noncount nouns. For example, you can have two pieces of pie or three pieces of information. Listen to this song by Paul Young.

Every time you go away You take a piece of me with you.

Here is a video of Paul Young singing Everytime You Go Away.

​Some of these measure words have poetic qualities to them, such as: a grain of sand, a speck of dust, a bolt of lightning, a flake of snow, and a breath of air.

Common mistakes

Let’s look at some common mistakes with noncount nouns.

Traffic might seem like a count noun. After all, it refers to a lot of cars. But traffic is a noncount noun in English. Vocabulary, hardware, information, music, and advice are noncount nouns that English learners often confuse for count nouns.

And let us not forget the most important noncount noun of all: grammar . You cannot count grammar . But you can count grammar rules.

I'm Jill Robbins.

I'm Rick Hindman.

Come on come on come on come on and Take it! Take another little piece of heart now baby Break it! Break another little piece of my heart I know you will Have a ... Have another little piece of my heart now baby

Adam Brock wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Jill Robbins and Kathleen Struck were the editors.

Now it’s your turn. If you send us your mailing address in the comments, we will send you a 2016 VOA Calendar. We will not publish your address in the comments, of course. Feel free to add a comment, we will publish that without the address.

Here is Janis Joplin singing Piece of My Heart.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

noncount nouns - n. a noun (such as “sand” or “butter”) that refers to something that cannot be counted

luggage - n. the bags and suitcases that a person carries when traveling

garbage - n. things that are no longer useful or wanted and that have been thrown out

abstract - adj. relating to or involving general ideas or qualities rather than specific people, objects, or actions

spectacle - n. (old-fashioned) eyeglasses

bolt - n. a bright line of light that appears in the sky during a storm as in a flash of lightning

flake - n. a small, thin piece of something

speck - n. a very small piece or spot

Everyday Grammar: Little vs. A Little, Few vs. A Few

Everyday Grammar: Noncount Nouns

Everyday Grammar: Unusual Plurals

EnglishForEveryone.org

Count and non-count worksheets terms of use, count and non-count worksheets.

• Count and Non-Count Worksheet

Ever wonder about why some words don't use s to make them plural? Use this worksheet to practice proper usage.

• Count and Non-Count Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Count and Non-Count Worksheet.

• Words That End in S Worksheet

50 practice items that focus on words that end in S, ES, IES, and Non-Count (Ø).

• Words That End in S Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Words That End in S Worksheet.

• Too and Very Worksheet

Great practice of when to use too and very. Teaches students to recognize the important difference.

• Too and Very Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Too and Very Worksheet.

• Few and Little Worksheet

Great practice using sentences in which students need to modify a word phrase using a few/(very few)/a little/(very) little.

• Few and Little Worksheet Answers

Answers to the Few and Little Worksheet.

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13.10: Articles with Count and Noncount Nouns

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Listen to an audio version of this page (7 min):

Count and noncount nouns

Nouns are words that name things, places, people, and ideas. Right now, you may be surrounded by desks, computers, and notebooks. These are called count nouns because you can count the exact number of desks, computers, and notebooks—three desks, one computer, and six notebooks, for example.

On the other hand, you may be carrying a small amount of money in your wallet and sitting on a piece of furniture. These are called noncount nouns. Although you can count the pieces of furniture or the amount of money, you cannot add a number in front of money or furniture and simply add – s to the end of the noun. Instead, you must use other words and phrases to indicate the quantity of money and furniture.

• Incorrect: five moneys, two furnitures
• Correct: some money, two pieces of furniture

Count nouns

A count noun refers to people, places, and things that are separate units. You make count nouns plural by adding – s .

Noncount nouns

A noncount noun identifies a whole object that cannot separate and count individually. Noncount nouns may refer to concrete objects or abstract objects. A concrete noun identifies an object you can see, taste, touch, or count. An abstract noun identifies an object that you cannot see, touch, or count. There are some exceptions, but most abstract nouns cannot be made plural, so they are noncount nouns. Examples of abstract nouns include anger, education, melancholy, softness, violence, and conduct.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Label each of the following nouns as count or noncount.

• electricity 
• water 

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Identify all the noncount nouns in the sentences below.

• The amount of traffic on the way home was terrible.
• Forgiveness is an important part of growing up.
• I made caramel sauce for the organic apples I bought.
• I prefer film cameras instead of digital ones.
• My favorite subject is history.

Definite and indefinite articles

The word the is a definite article. It refers to one or more specific things. For example, the woman refers to not any woman but a particular woman. The definite article the can be used before singular and plural nouns and before count and noncount nouns as long as they refer to something specific.

The words a and an are indefinite articles. They refer to one nonspecific thing. For example, a woman refers to any woman, not a specific, particular woman. The indefinite article a or an is used before a singular count noun. 

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

Choose the correct article,  a, an,  or  the, to fill in the blank for each of the following sentences.  

• ________ camel can live for days without water.
• I enjoyed ________ pastries at the Bar Mitzvah.
• ________ politician spoke of many important issues.
• I really enjoyed ________ actor’s performance in the play.
• ________ goal I have is to run a marathon this year. 

Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

Correct the misused or missing articles in the following paragraph:

Stars are large balls of spinning hot gas like our sun. The stars look tiny because they are far away. Many of them are much larger than sun. Did you know that a Milky Way galaxy has between two hundred billion and four hundred billion stars in it? Scientists estimate that there may be as many as five hundred billion galaxies in an entire universe! Just like a human being, the star has a life cycle from birth to death, but its lifespan is billions of years long. The star is born in a cloud of cosmic gas and dust called a nebula. Our sun was born in the nebula nearly five billion years ago. Photographs of the star-forming nebulas are astonishing.

Attributions 

Adapted by Anna Mills from  Writing for Success ,  created by an author and publisher who prefer to remain anonymous, adapted and presented by the Saylor Foundation and licensed  CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 .

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4.3: Count and Noncount Nouns and Articles

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Learning Objectives

• Define and use count and noncount nouns.
• Recognize and use definite and indefinite articles.

Nouns are words that name things, places, people, and ideas. Right now, you may be surrounded by desks, computers, and notebooks. These are called count nouns because you can count the exact number of desks, computers, and notebooks—three desks, one computer, and six notebooks, for example.

On the other hand, you may be carrying a small amount of money in your wallet and sitting on a piece of furniture. These are called noncount nouns . Although you can count the pieces of furniture or the amount of money, you cannot add a number in front of money or furniture and simply add - s to the end of the noun. Instead, you must use other words and phrases to indicate the quantity of money and furniture.

Incorrect: five moneys, two furnitures

Correct: some money, two pieces of furniture

By the end of Section \(\PageIndex{1}\)-1: "Count and Noncount Nouns" , you will grasp the difference between the two types of nouns and be able to use them confidently in speaking and writing.

Count and Noncount Nouns

A count noun refers to people, places, and things that are separate units. You make count nouns plural by adding - s .

A noncount noun identifies a whole object that cannot separate and count individually. Noncount nouns may refer to concrete objects or abstract objects. A concrete noun identifies an object you can see, taste, touch, or count. An abstract noun identifies an object that you cannot see, touch, or count. There are some exceptions, but most abstract nouns cannot be made plural, so they are noncount nouns. Examples of abstract nouns include anger, education, melancholy, softness, violence, and conduct.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

On a separate sheet of paper, label each of the following nouns as count or noncount.

• Electricity ________
• Water ________
• Book ________
• Sculpture ________
• Advice ________

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

On a separate sheet of paper, identify whether the italicized noun in the sentence is a count or noncount noun by writing C or NC above the noun.

• The amount of traffic on the way home was terrible.
• Forgiveness is an important part of growing up.
• I made caramel sauce for the organic apples I bought.
• I prefer film cameras instead of digital ones.
• My favorite subject is history .

Definite and Indefinite Articles

The word the is a definite article . It refers to one or more specific things. For example, the woman refers to not any woman but a particular woman. The definite article the is used before singular and plural count nouns.

The words a and an are indefinite articles . They refer to one nonspecific thing. For example, a woman refers to any woman, not a specific, particular woman. The indefinite article a or an is used before a singular count noun.

Definite Articles ( The ) and Indefinite Articles ( A/An ) with Count Nouns

I saw the concert. (singular, refers to a specific concert)

I saw the concerts. (plural, refers to more than one specific concert)

I saw the U2 concert last night. (singular, refers to a specific concert)

I saw a concert. (singular, refers to any nonspecific concert)

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

On a separate sheet of paper, write the correct article in the blank for each of the following sentences. Write OK if the sentence is correct.

• (A/An/The) camel can live for days without water. ________
• I enjoyed (a/an/the) pastries at the Bar Mitzvah. ________
• (A/An/The) politician spoke of many important issues. ________
• I really enjoyed (a/an/the) actor’s performance in the play. ________
• (A/An/The) goal I have is to run a marathon this year. ________

Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

Correct the misused or missing articles and rewrite the paragraph.

Stars are large balls of spinning hot gas like our sun. The stars look tiny because they are far away. Many of them are much larger than sun. Did you know that a Milky Way galaxy has between two hundred billion and four hundred billion stars in it? Scientists estimate that there may be as many as five hundred billion galaxies in an entire universe! Just like a human being, the star has a life cycle from birth to death, but its lifespan is billions of years long. The star is born in a cloud of cosmic gas and dust called a nebula. Our sun was born in the nebula nearly five billion years ago. Photographs of the star-forming nebulas are astonishing.

Collaboration

Once you have found all the errors you can, share with a classmate and compare your answers. Did your partner find an error you missed? Did you find an error your partner missed? Compare with your instructor’s answers.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• You can make count nouns plural by adding -s .
• Count nouns are individual people, places, or things that can be counted, such as politicians, deserts, or candles.
• Noncount nouns refer to whole things that cannot be made plural, such as salt, peace, or happiness.
• The is a definite article and is used to refer to a specific person, place, or thing, such as the Queen of England.
• A and an are indefinite articles, and they refer to nonspecific people, places, or things, such as an apple or a bicycle.

Writing Application

Write five sentences using the definite article the . Write five sentences using the indefinite article a or an . Exchange papers with a classmate and check each other’s work.

Grammar-Quizzes › Noun Phrases › Nouns › Count/Noncount Practice

Count/Noncount Noun Practice

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Review link  Count/Noncount

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nag – remind or push someone to do something

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Exercise : Count and Noncount Nouns Exercise 4

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On the basis of the rules for using articles discussed in the OWL file "Count and Noncount Nouns," which combinations of words below are permitted and which ones aren't? Put an X next to the incorrect combinations.

2. these person

3. this furniture

4. that assignment

6. the poetry

7. a difficulty

8. a research

9. this eggs

10. those argument

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

The correct answer is 21,23,27

The smallest number is the one that comes first while counting.

To arrange the given numbers in order from smallest to greatest, find the smallest number among all the given numbers.

21 is the smallest number.