Count / Noncount Nouns
Plural, mass and group nouns
Collective Nouns vs. Unit Nouns
| COUNT NOUN – SINGULAR | COUNT NOUN – PLURAL | NONCOUNT NOUN – SINGULAR | |
|---|---|---|---|
A count noun is a unit, an item in a group. (A dollar is a unit within the group: money.) |
A count noun can take the plural form. |
A noncount noun is a group, mass or collective noun. It is not countable because it is too small to count, or it is a particle, liquid, gas, concept or activity. A collective noun has no plural form. |
|
The dollar is on the table.
|
The dollars are on the table.
|
The money is on the table.
|
 |
Yes, we count money – coins and bills. However ,money (the collective noun) is noncount.
Determiners & Demonstratives
| COUNT NOUN — SINGULAR | COUNT NOUN — PLURAL | NOUN COUNT NOUN – SINGULAR |
|---|---|---|
The dollar is on the table. |
The dollars are on the table. |
The money is on the table. |
This dollar is mine. (demonstrative: here) |
These dollars are mine. (demonstrative: here) |
This money is mine. (demonstrative: location – here) |
That dollar is yours. (demonstrative: there) |
Those dollars are yours. (demonstrative: there) |
That money is yours. (demonstrative: location – there) |
One dollar is yours. (demonstrative: there) |
Some dollars are on the table. (an indefinite amount) |
Some money is on the table. (an indefinite amount) |
See: Determiners "Basic Markers", Some / Any, Little / Few
Noncount Nouns (singular)
| CATEGORIES | EXAMPLES WITHIN |
|---|---|
FLUIDS (liquids) |
water, coffee, tea, milk, oil, gasoline, wine |
SOLIDS |
ice, bread, butter, cheese, meat, gold, chalk silver, glass |
GASES |
air, oxygen, nitrogen, smoke, smog, pollution, steam |
PARTICLES |
rice, corn, flour, sugar, popcorn, pepper, salt, cinnamon, oregano (spice names), tea, coffee, etc. |
GROUPED ITEMS |
baggage, luggage, clothing, furniture, food, fruit, money, traffic, garbage, scenery, junk, mail, jewelry, homework, housework, work, footwear, tablewear, underwear, cutlery, bedlinen |
CONCEPTS |
happiness, health, love, fun, help, honesty, peace, progress, beauty, knowledge, justice, intelligence, luck, music, experience |
LANGUAGES |
Arabic, French, Spanish, English, Portuguese |
LANGUAGE STUDIES |
grammar, slang, vocabulary, |
FIELDS OF STUDY |
chemistry, engineering, art, philosophy, science, law, (linguistics, statistics, mathematics – singular form happens to end in -s)) |
RECREATION |
basketball, soccer, baseball, dance, football |
ACTIVITIES (gerunds) |
sleeping, driving, writing, studying, swimming, studying, rock climbing, sky diving |
NATURAL PHENOMENON |
weather, fog, heat, humidity, lightning, rain, snow, thunder, wind, darkness, light, sunshine, electricity, fire, gravity, mass, time, space, energy, |
Common mistakes: |
*I
have a lot of homeworks to do.
*She
washed her hairs. *The equipments don't work well. *
My baggages were lost. *
I bought new furnitures. |
*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.
Count / Noncount Nouns
Fruit vs. Fruits
Dialectal variations occur for the noun fruit, also grapefruit, breadfruit and eggplant.)
| SINGULAR PREFERENCE | DIALECTAL VARIATION |
|---|---|
Most speakers prefer the singular form (below): |
Preferences vary
with the phrase "fruit(s) and vegetables": |
Fruit is delicious in the summertime. The plural form is more commonly used in a scientific context when talking about different types of fruit: Fruits of South America, Fruits of Micronesia, or in an expression "May we soon enjoy the fruits of our labor." (fruits means benefits.) |
I
have to buy some fruit and
vegetables. |
Related page plural varieties
The items within the category "fruit" are countable.
| SINGULAR | PLURAL |
|---|---|
This cantaloupe is delicious. |
These cantaloupes are delicious. |
This grape is sweet. |
These grapes are sweet. |
Count / Noncount Nouns
Nouns Both Count & Noncount
Some nouns occur in both count and noncount usage:
| COUNT | NONCOUNT |
|---|---|
Use the singular form for a more particular, specific meaning. |
Use the noncount form when speaking "in general". |
ABSTRACT NOUNS I had a good experience today. |
ABSTRACT NOUNS I have a lot of experience in hotel management. |
We had an excellent time today. |
Time passes slowly. |
What a life she has! |
Life is complicated. |
What a pity that it's closed already! pity (n.) – a sad situation or disappointment |
He feels pity for her. |
Your thoughts are a bit strange. |
Your project needs more thought. |
I have several duties in my job. |
He has a strong sense of duties. |
We had a strange conversation with him. |
Dinner conversation is entertaining. |
My parents want me to have a good education. |
Education can change a person's future. |
I had a good sleep last night. (I slept well.) |
Sleep improves a person's health. |
She had an opportunity to receive a scholarship. |
When opportunity knocks, answer the door. |
He's been a big help! |
Help is hard to find. |
MATERIAL NOUNS I received an email from him today. |
MATERIAL NOUNS I get so much email that I can't read it all. |
Has the paper arrived? (newspaper) |
Please put some paper in the copy machine. |
I bought a glass for wine. |
The store sells glass for windows. |
May I have two milks. (restaurant speech = two glasses of milk) |
The store sells milk. |
He ate two sausages. |
The store sell good sausage. (ground meat) |
Argentina is a beautiful country. |
A cowboy prefers to live in the country. (away from cities) |
Practice
Mass / Group Noun vs. Item noun
- Select the response from the menu that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.
The mass noun meat may consist of several steaks.
Meat is not countable. |
A steak is / steaks are countable. (a chop, a roast, a slice, a cut) |
