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Countable & Uncountable
nouns
Lucia KráľováOKTÁVA
Nouns can be classified into two groups:
A. COUNTABLE
B. UNCOUNTABLE
It is often easy to distinguish
between countable and
uncountable nouns, but no always.
This presentation should help you to do it right.
A. COUNTABLE NOUNS Countable nouns(CN) 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.
Other CN can be: dog, cat, person, table, bottle, box, dollar ...
Countable nouns can be singular or plural:My dog is playing. - My dogs are hungry. I eat a banana every day. - I like bananas.
When a countable noun is singular, we must use a word like a/an/the/my/this with it:I want an orange. Where is my 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:SOME – in plural form: I've got some dollars. ANY – questions/negatives: Have you got any pens?
Don´t give me any present.
We can use a few and many with countable nouns too:I've got a few dollars. I haven't got many pens.
B. UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
Uncountable nouns are concepts, materials and informations we cannot "count". For example "milk". We can count only "bottles of milk" or "litres of milk", but we cannot count "milk" itself.
Other uncountable nouns: music, art, love, happiness, furniture, luggage, power, water...
Uncountable nouns are also called "mass nouns".
We can use some and any with uncountable nouns:
I've got some money. Have you got any rice?
We can use a little and much with uncountable nouns:
I've got a little money.
I haven't got much rice.
These nouns are only such as singular
and we have to use singular verb.
Your luggage looks heavy.
We do not usually use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns.
COUNTABLE & UNCOUNTABLE Sometimes, the same noun can be countable and
uncountable, often with a change of meaning.
For example: HAIR There are two hairs in my coffee! (CN)
I don't have much hair. (UN)
LIGHT There are two lights in our bedroom. (CN)
There's too much light! (UN)
TIME We had a great time at the party. (CN)
Have you got time for a coffee? (UN)
WORK I have got a new job.
I am busy. I have got lots of work today.
PAPER I bought a paper to read (newspaper).
I need some paper to read (material).
Uncountable became countable, if we want to say a number.
We can say a something of:a loaf/slice of bread, a jar of honey, a sheet of paper
If we want to count tea/coffee/beer(drinks), we say: “a cup/a glass of tea”
Others are:
a can(or bottle) of beer/Cokea piece of cake/paper/music/news/spaghetti a bar of soap/chocolatea box of chocolatesa plate of soupa bowl(or grain) of ricea tube of toothpastea game of tennis
SUMMARY
COUNTABLE we can count singular/plural a/an in singular a few & many
UNCOUNTABLE we cannot
count only singular without a/an a little & much
EXERCISE:
Complete the sentences using these words. Sometimes you need the plural (-s)!
(hair, information, experience, cheese, work, light)
1. After dinner I ate some ______ .2. There are two _____ in our bedroom. 3. In this book there's a lot of __________ .4. The old man had only a few ____ on his head. 5. Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's greatest _____ . 6. A young teacher doesn't have a lot of _________ .
chesselights
informations
hairsworks
experience
FUNNY REPEATING:
Uncountable nouns don’t have a {1} form, they have only {2} form.
We used the expressions: a {3} of chocolate, a {4} of tenis, a {5} of music, a {6} of Coke, a {7} of bread.
We can use a {8} and many with countable nouns.
We cannot count milk itself, but we can count some {9} of milk.
We can use a {10} and much with uncountable nouns.
A pen is a {11} noun.
Love is an{12} noun.
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P L U R A L
S I N G U L A R
B A R
G A M E
P I E C E
C A N
L O A F
F E W
L I T R E S
L I T T L E
C O U N T A B L E
U N C O U N T A B L E
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
Lucia Kráľová
