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English Review of Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable nouns have a singular and a plural (a tool, two tools). Uncountable nouns like flour, equipment and information have one form, no a/an, and take much, a little or a unit like a piece of.

  • CEFR A2
  • 8-question quiz
  • 2 exercises
  • Audio lesson

Listen to the lesson

This module offers a review of countable and uncountable (noncountable) nouns for learners who have studied this grammar before.

A noun can be countable or uncountable.

Countable Nouns

Countable nouns can be singular (= one) or plural (= two or more). You can use “a/an” or “one” for singular countable nouns, and “two/three (etc.)” for plural countable nouns.

Examples:
one apple, an apple (singular)  –  apples, two apples, three apples, etc. (plural)
one piece, a piece (singular) – pieces, two pieces, three pieces, etc. (plural)
one glass, a glass (singular) – glasses, two glasses, three glasses, etc. (plural)

Uncountable Nouns

You can’t say one/two/three (etc.) + uncountable noun, and you cannot use a/an + uncountable noun.
Uncountable nouns have only one form and are typically used with “some”, “a lot of”, or “much”.

Examples:
air (singular), some/a lot of/much air   (not “an air”, or “one air”, or “airs”)
anger (singular), some/a lot of/much anger   (not “an anger”, or “one anger”, or “angers”)

Examples of words that signify the quantity of a noun:

A lot (of)
Many (countable nouns only)
Much (uncountable nouns only)
A little (bit of) (uncountable nouns only)
Some

Key vocabulary

WordMeaningExample
countable nouna noun you can count; it has a singular and a plural formI have two meetings and three calls today.
uncountable nouna noun you cannot count with numbers; it has no plural and no a/anKnowledge and experience are important in this job.
manya large number; used with plural countable nounsMany people work from home on Fridays.
mucha large amount; used with uncountable nouns, mostly in questions and negativesWe don't have much time before the deadline.
a lot ofa large number or amount; used with both kinds of nounsThere is a lot of traffic, and there are a lot of trucks.
a fewa small number; used with plural countable nounsI have a few questions about the contract.
a littlea small amount; used with uncountable nounsAdd a little sugar to the dough.
somea number or amount that is not exact; used with both kinds of nounsCan you give me some advice about my résumé?
a piece ofa unit for counting some uncountable nounsThat is a useful piece of information.

Practice: English Review of Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Work through the exercises, then test yourself with the quiz. Learn from your mistakes and try again as often as you like.

Exercises

Countable or uncountable

These nouns come from the baking audio. Write countable or uncountable.

  1. flour

    a cup of ______

    Show answer

    uncountable

  2. ingredient

    all the ______s in the recipe

    Show answer

    countable

  3. equipment

    specific ______ for your oven

    Show answer

    uncountable

  4. oven

    many people's ______s

    Show answer

    countable

  5. information

    two pieces of ______

    Show answer

    uncountable

  6. thermometer

    an oven ______

    Show answer

    countable

  7. knowledge

    essential ______ for a baker

    Show answer

    uncountable

  8. people

    plural of person, with no -s

    Show answer

    countable (plural)

Choose the quantity word

Complete each sentence with the correct word or phrase in parentheses.

  1. ______ (Much / Many) people do not realize that a cup of flour has a certain weight.

    people is countable

    Show answer

    Many

  2. ______ (Few / Little) people realize that their ovens aren't baking evenly.

    a small number of people

    Show answer

    Few

  3. These two ______ (informations / pieces of information) are essential.

    count it with a unit

    Show answer

    pieces of information

  4. You may need ______ (a / some) special equipment to recalibrate your oven.

    no a/an with uncountable nouns

    Show answer

    some

  5. How ______ (much / many) flour do I need for this recipe?

    flour is uncountable

    Show answer

    much

  6. I only have ______ (a few / a little) eggs left.

    eggs can be counted

    Show answer

    a few

  7. Could you add ______ (a few / a little) milk, please?

    milk is uncountable

    Show answer

    a little

  8. My manager gave me ______ (an advice / a piece of advice).

    advice is uncountable

    Show answer

    a piece of advice

Quiz: 8 questions

1. Which noun is uncountable?
2. We don't have ______ time before the meeting.
3. How ______ people work in your department?
4. Which sentence is correct?
5. I need ______ advice about my contract.
6. Which phrase counts an uncountable noun correctly?
7. There are only ______ chairs in the meeting room.
8. Which word or phrase goes with both countable and uncountable nouns?

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