The word little is used with countable nouns. Countable and uncountable nouns in English - countable and uncountable nouns

We are sure that more than once while studying English in courses you have had to deal with the concept of countability and uncountability of nouns. This is not surprising, since in English the categories countable and uncountable influence the choice of the grammatical environment of a word. In Russian we can count almost anything and easily say both “two apples” and “two weathers”. The second phrase sounds less harmonious than the first, but, nevertheless, is not a grammatically incorrect construction. In English, counting uncountable concepts means making a gross grammatical error (you cannot say two happinesses). Due to the discrepancy between our native and English grammatical systems, a Russian person can make annoying mistakes related to the countability of nouns. Let's figure out what difficulties are most common in this case.

Which English nouns are classified as uncountable nouns?

The first thing to do when determining the category of a noun is to count. Most often this will quickly resolve the issue. If you can easily count objects, phenomena, put them in the plural so that there is no doubt in your mind, they are countable (two carrots, eleven computers, three bags). Otherwise, the noun is classified as uncountable.

However, it is important not to fall into a logical trap. Is money countable? We count them, there is no arguing here. But, please note, when calculating money, we always use the name of the currency: one hundred rubles, fifty dollars, ten yens. Accordingly, money is an uncountable noun, and ruble, dollar, yen are countable. The same situation occurs when counting water, sugar, milk. We can count all these uncountable concepts by resorting to countable nouns denoting measures: kilograms, liters, cups, pieces, etc.

Uncountable are liquids: tea, blood, milk, oil, water and others. To determine their quantity, you will have to resort to words such as liters, bottles, cups, mouthfuls.

Uncountable are products that do not have a standard, familiar form. Such “shapeless” products as butter, meat, rice, ice.

Not countable gaseous substances: air (air), oxygen (oxygen), smoke (smoke).

Also uncountable are abstract concepts: music (music), knowledge (knowledge), health (health), progress (progress).

Grammar accompanying countables and uncountables

Let us repeat, correctly determining the countability of a noun is necessary in order to avoid making grammatical errors. What grammatical structures are used with countable and uncountable nouns.
The first thing to remember is indefinite article " a» not used with uncountables nouns. This is logical, since the etymology of the indefinite article goes back to the noun one. Thus, uncountable nouns are accompanied by a definite article when necessary and are not used in the plural. Don't forget that the verb accompanying an uncountable noun is also used only singular– is, does, was, has etc.

The second slippery moment is choice. many/much, a few/a little. Countable nouns are accompanied by the adjectives many and few, uncountable nouns are accompanied by much and little. More about this

Nouns that can be countable and uncountable at the same time

In the English language there are many nouns that, depending on the context and their meaning, are either countable or uncountable. Here are some of the most common variations of these words:

	uncountable	countable
Tea, coffee, other drinks	Some tea - Some tea. Drinks are always uncountable when we're talking about directly about the substance.	A tea, two teas - one cup of tea, two cups of tea. By attributing countable characteristics to substances, we limit their quantity to one unit. If we are talking about tea - one cup. The exception is water, we still say: Can I have some water?
	Her hair is red - she is red-haired. The word hair is uncountable in English when we talk about all the hairs belonging to a person. Don't say my hair - it's grammatically incorrect.
	The time - time.	A time - time.
	The paper – paper (material).	A paper – document, newspaper.
	The room – place, space. Come here, we will make some room for you – Sit down, we’ll move over.	A room - room.
	The work – work (process).	A work – a work (the work of an artist, writer, poet, musician).
Chocolate	The chocolate – chocolate (substance, formless product).	A chocolate – chocolate candy, chocolate.
Wine (similar to cheese, meat, pate, etc.)	The wine - wine (substance, product).	A wine – a type of wine.

Nouns that are surprisingly uncountable in English.

Special attention must be addressed to two nouns that are countable in Russian, but not in English. These insidious words cause a huge number of mistakes among those who study English in courses or individually.

Remember the word advice – uncountable noun. I'll give you some advice- I'll give you advice. If you still want to count the advice you give, you will have to do it in “pieces”. A piece of advice- one piece of advice.

A similar situation occurs with the word news. Don't be confused by the ending -s; it's not a plural indicator in this case. What IS the news? – What news? When counting news, also use pieces of news or bits of news.

This is how a seemingly simple topic can conceal many subtle nuances. By understanding them, you can avoid many mistakes.

We hope this material was useful to you. You may also be interested in the following articles:

Section 1. Definition of countable and uncountable nouns

The main difference between countable and uncountable nouns is whether the things they represent can or cannot be counted one by one.

Countable nouns (count nouns) denote objects that exist as separate, individual units. Typically, each such object is perceived by our senses as separate.

Examples:

• table (table)
• finger (finger)
• bottle (bottle)
• chair (chair)
• remark (remark)
• award
• word
• girl (girl)
• candidate

Example sentences:

I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you step in? Just one.)
I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you step in? Only one.)

I drank a glass of milk. (Glasses of milk can be counted.)
I drank a glass of milk. (You can count the glasses of milk.)

I saw an apple tree. (Apple trees can be counted.)
I saw an apple tree. (The apple trees can be counted.)

Uncountable nouns (noncount nouns) denote things that are thought of as a whole, in which the individual elements (parts) cannot be counted. Often we are talking about abstractions, abstract concepts or a “collective whole” (for example, furniture).

Examples:

• anger
• courage
• progress
• furniture (furniture)
• education
• weather (weather)
• warmth
• leisure (leisure)
• precision

Example sentences:

I dove into the water. (How many waters did you dive into? The question doesn't make any sense; therefore water is noncountable.)
I dived into the water (How many “waters” did you dive into? The question is meaningless, therefore water is an uncountable noun.)

I saw the milk spill. (How many milks? Milk cannot be counted.)
I saw spilled milk (How many different “milks” are there? Milk cannot be “counted.”)

I admired the foliage. (How many foliages? Foliage cannot be counted.)
I admired the beauty of the foliage. (How many “foliage”? You can’t count the foliage.)

Imagine pie dough. Before it's been in the oven, it doesn't separate into non-draining pieces because it's liquid (though quite dense). After baking, the pie from this dough can be cut into pieces. Uncountable nouns are like dough (or liquid), and countable nouns are like pieces of (finished) cake.

Note: Since this issue is complex and we know that there are practically no absolute rules, exceptions are possible. The above gives us only a general idea of ​​the concept of countability/non-countability. Don't forget that nouns that are countable in English may be uncountable in another language, and vice versa.

Section 2. Use of countable and uncountable nouns

Pluralizing

Rule

Perhaps from the above definitions of countable and uncountable nouns you already guessed how their plural is formed:

• for the majority countable nouns are pluralized adding an ending -s ;
• uncountable nouns in general have no plural.

This rule works for all nouns from the examples in section 1.

Exception to the rule

This rule changes slightly for some English nouns that belong to both classes at once, that is, they have both countable, so uncountable meaning. As a rule, an uncountable value is abstract and general, while a countable value is concrete (real). Compare:

Count Nouns

• I"ve had some difficulties finding a job. (refers to a number of specific problems)
  I had some difficulties in finding a job (that is, several specific problems).
• The talks will take place in the Krannert building. (refers to a number of specific lectures)
  Lectures (talks) will take place in the Krannert building (that is, several specific lectures).
• The city was filled with bright lights and harsh sounds. (refers to a number of specific lights and noises)
  Lights were burning everywhere in the city and sharp sounds were heard (that is, specific lights and sounds).

Noncount Nouns

• She succeeded in school with little difficulty. (references to the general idea of ​​school being difficult)
  At school she studied successfully, without difficulties (that is, difficulty as an abstract idea associated with learning).
• I dislike idle talk. (refers to talking in general)
  I don't like empty talk (that is, abstract "talking").
• Light travels faster than sound. (refers to the way light and sound behave in general)
  Light travels faster than sound (that is, light as an uncountable noun).

Comment: Sometimes uncountable nouns can also act as countable nouns. This occurs when a noun, which is usually uncountable, is understood as a separate unit (portion) distinct from other units of the same class. This often happens with the names of dishes (food) and drinks, wine, bread, fruit, etc. Examples:

• There are several French wines to choose from (= kinds of wine).
  There are several French wines (= varieties of wine) to choose from.
• I prefer Sumatran coffees to Colombian (= kinds of coffee).
  I prefer Sumatra coffees to Colombian coffees (= different types coffee).
• We use a variety of different batters in our bakery (= kinds of batter).
  In our bakery we use different types of dough (= varieties of dough).

Recently, “homework” has entered the category of such nouns. Some students use it in the plural as a countable word. For example: "You"re missing three of the homeworks from the first part of the course. “You haven’t done (miss) three homework assignments from the first part of the course.” But such word usage has not yet become generally accepted and is used, as a rule, in informal communication.

This combination of the role of countability/uncountability by some nouns naturally affects the rule for the formation of the plural: in the countable role they form the plural like ordinary countable nouns, but in the uncountable role they do not have a plural, like other uncountable nouns.

Articles

Nouns and Articles

Choosing an article for a noun (if one is needed at all) is a difficult task, since it depends on 1) whether it is countable/uncountable and 2) whether it is singular or plural. Both uncountable and countable nouns (the latter in both singular and plural) can be used with the article.

Combinations of Nouns and Articles

The following table shows the compatibility of articles with nouns. Please note that among the articles we have placed demonstrative pronouns. They, like the definite article, indicate 1) a unique person/object or 2) a person/object/event that was already previously known or mentioned (in writing) - so that both the reader and the writer already know it.

	a, an	the	this, that this one, that one	these, those these, those	no article without article
Count singular (singular countable nouns)	XX	XX	XX
Count plural (plural countable nouns)		XX		XX	XX
Noncount (uncountable nouns)		XX	XX		XX

Examples:

I ate an apple.
I ate an apple.

I rode the bus.
I traveled by bus.

Does she live in this house? No, she lives in that house over there.
Does she live in this house? No, she lives in that house over there.

I like to feed the birds.
I like to feed the birds.

Do you want these books? No, I want those books up there.
Do you need these books? No, I want the ones at the top.

Cats are interesting pets.
Cats are interesting pets.

The water is cold.
The water is cold.

This milk is going sour.
The milk will turn sour.

Music helps me relax.
Music helps me relax.

Quantity Terms

The following table shows the combinability of nouns with words denoting quantity. Please note that several words denoting quantity can appear in a row: many more (= much more), many fewer (= much less), much more (= much more for uncountable) and much less (= much less for uncountables). Negative particles can also be used with these phrases " not" And " no".

Examples:

Countable nouns in the singular (Count Singular):

I practice every day.
I work out (train) every day.

I"d like one donut, please.
Give me one donut, please.

Countable nouns in the plural (Count Plural):

Can I have some chips?
Can I (have) some chips?

She has a lot of books, and many are autographed.
She has many books, many of them autographed.

I have fewer pencils than you.
I have fewer pencils than you.

Uncountable nouns (Noncount):

Can I have some water?
Can I (drink) some water?

She has a lot of strength, and much is due to her upbringing.
She is very strong, largely thanks to her upbringing.

I have less courage than you.
I have less courage (courage) than you.

All nouns belong to one of two groups: countable or uncountable. Division intocountable and uncountable in Englishdiffers from Russian, so this topic is challenging for language learners.

Depending on belonging to one of the two categories, some grammatical indicators change in English: the choice of the number of the noun and the agreement of the verb with it, the use of articles, the use of the words much / many and few / little.

In the article we will consider which words belong to each group and analyze what the choice inEnglish countable and uncountablenouns

What can and cannot be counted

Countable nouns are objects that can be listed and counted. For example, a pencil - a pencil. This word belongs to the class of countable nouns because we can count many pencils: one pencil, two pencils, three pencils, and so on. For such nouns there are singular and plural forms.

Uncountable nouns are those for which we cannot list objects and count the elements of the set. An example of such words is water. When we talk about water, it is simply impossible to calculate how many elements are in it.

It is the principle of countability that underlies the distinction between countable and uncountable words. In theory, everything seems simple, but in practice, controversial situations arise. To avoid them, let's look at each type of noun in more detail.

Countable nouns in English

The R class of countable nouns includes, as we have already said, objects that can be counted. These are everyday objects familiar to us (table), people (boy) and many other words.

Countable nouns vary according to number. In the plural, -s is added to them: pencil (pencil) - pencils (pencils). The verb to be with such nouns takes both singular and plural forms:

There are many cars on the road - There are many cars on the road.

His car is very expensive - His car is very expensive.

For countable objects there can be either an indefinite or a definite article:

I have a car - I have a car.

The car needs to be repaired - The car needs repairs.

Uncountable nouns

IN The following categories fall into:

1. Sensations, feelings, emotions: hate, fear, happiness and others. A mental state cannot be enumerated; we either experience an emotion or not, so such words belong to the class of uncountable.
2. Abstract nouns: information (information), space (space), time (time) and others. We cannot see or touch abstract nouns and we cannot count them. These concepts are immaterial and do not exist in the objective world, therefore they are defined as uncountable. There's no doubt about itcountable information or not, you shouldn't have it left.
3. Weather phenomena: weather (weather), cold (cold), wind (wind)... Such words also belong to the class of uncountable.
4. Substances and materials: wood (wood), salt (salt), flour (flour), water (water)... The peculiarity of substances is that they do not consist of elements that can be counted. Any part of flour is still flour, any part of water is still water.

Now let's see if it is usedis or are with uncountables. These nouns can only be in the singular, so the verb agrees with them in the singular:

Fear is a destructive feeling - Fear is a destructive feeling.

Salt is necessary for the human body - Salt is essential for the human body.

The definite article can be used with words of this class, but the indefinite article is not possible. The indefinite article a / an contains the idea of ​​​​selecting one object from a set, which contradicts the idea of ​​​​uncountable nouns. Whereas certain article the can be used with uncountable objects:

The weather is great today - The weather is great today.

Complex cases

But also list of uncountable nouns in Englishmay raise questions. It is not always easy to determine what type an object is. What complicates the situation is that in Russian the distribution into two classes can occur somewhat differently.

For example, in Russian we can use the same noun in both senses: as a countable object and as an uncountable one. Whereas in English they often use different words for two types. For example, the abstract work is a non-countable type. If we want to talk about a specific job, workplace or position, we use the countable noun job:

I have a lot of work to do - I have a lot of work (that is, things that need to be done - abstract noun, uncountable)

I’ve found a new job - I found a new job (i.e. fasting, workplace - specific usage, countable)

The same situation applies to the word food. So as not to doubtcountable food or not, you need to remember its difference with the word meal (food, meal). When it comes to defining edible products, the word food is used, and when talking about food intake, the word meal is used. In this case, the first word refers to the uncountable, and the second to the countable.

I want to live long so I only eat healthy food - I want to live long, so I only eat healthy food.

Try to have more than three meals a day - Try to eat food more often than 3 times a day.

Another example is the word “tree”, which in Russian can mean both the material from which objects are made and a specific tree. In English, the word wood is used for a material, and tree for a specific object.

This table is made of wood - This table is made of wood (material - uncountable)

This tree on the side of the road is very old - This tree on the edge of the road is very old (concrete tree - countable)

Uncountable nouns are used in singular sentences. And here there are also discrepancies with the Russian language: some words in Russian are plural, whereas in English they are singular. For example, iscountable or not money(money)? The plural in Russian translation should not confuse you: in English this word belongs to the class of uncountable.

Money doesn’t always bring happiness - Money doesn’t always bring happiness.

An illustrative example is the word news. Formally, it has the form of a plural. But it is an uncountable noun, and it always agrees with a singular verb:

In the modern world news is everything - In modern world news means everything.

Difficulties also arise when the same concept in English and Russian refers to different classes. For example, does it belong tocountable or uncountable advice(advice)? A countable or uncountable furniture(furniture)? Let's see which words in English belong to a different class than in Russian.

Uncountable nouns in English are:

• news - news
• advice - advice
• work - work
• knowledge - knowledge

Understanding, for example,countable or not knowledge(knowledge), we should not focus on other languages. After all, we can translate this word into Russian both singular and plural:

Knowledge is the key to success - Knowledge / Knowledge is the key to success.

Students often have questions about the following words:

• furniture - furniture
• damage - damage
• baggage - luggage
• traffic - traffic movement
• food - food

Remember that all of these examples belong to the class of uncountable words.

Transfer from one class to another

Words from one class can be transferred to another. For this purpose, the names of containers or units of measurement are used. We cannot count the substance itself, but we can always count the packages or the number of kilograms.

• bottle - bottle: a bottle of wine - a bottle of wine
• plate - plate, portion: a plate of meat - portion of meat
• bar - piece: a bar of soap - bar of soap
• sheet - sheet: a sheet of paper - sheet of paper
• slice - hunk: a slice of bread - slice of bread
• glass - glass: a glass of water - glass of water
• jar - jar: a jar of jam - jar of jam
• cup - cup: a cup of coffee - cup of coffee
• kilo - kilogram: a kilo of meat - kilogram of meat
• liter - liter: a liter of water - liter of water
• piece - piece: a piece of bread - piece of bread

The expression “a piece of” is used not only for material objects, but can also be applied to abstract concepts. This is how advice becomes countable in the construction a piece of advice.

If we use such constructions, then the verb agrees in number with them, which means it can take a plural form:

Here are two bottles of juice - Here are two bottles of juice.

Usually when askedcountable or uncountable soup(soup), we answer that it is uncountable. However, when used in the construction “a bowl of soup”, it becomes possible to count individual objects.

When one of the above methods of indicating quantity turns out to be very common, the word denoting capacity may be omitted from the sentence. For example, coffee or tea is characterized by the use of the word “cup”. Therefore, it can only be implied in the phrase, but not expressed. Then the words coffee and tea act as countable words.

Two coffees, please - Two coffees, please.

Transition from one class to another is possible without special pointers. Some uncountable nouns can be pluralized. At the same time, their meaning changes.

Let's take the floor time: countable or not? We have already said that time, as an abstract noun, is uncountable. However, it also has another meaning: when used as a countable noun, time takes on the meaning of “time”: one time (one time), two times (two times):

I’ve seen him four times today - I saw him four times today.

The already discussed word work, which in ordinary use refers to uncountable nouns, can change class and become countable. Then this word takes on the meaning of “work”:

I love the works of this painter - I love the works of this artist.

Beginners learning English may be confused by the question:countable or uncountable fruit(fruits). The fact is that when we use this word to mean a type of food, the noun acts as an uncountable. And when it is pluralized, the word takes on additional meanings: different types of fruit or the fruit of a tree.

In order to be healthy, you need to eat fruit - To be healthy, you need to eat fruit (used as an uncountable).

What fruits can we buy here? - What fruits can we buy here? (Use as a countable).

For words related to food, such transfers from one class to another are a characteristic feature. The noun wine (wine) denotes a type of drink in an uncountable form, but in the meaning of different types of wine it becomes countable and has a plural form:

When I drink wine I always feel bad - When I drink wine, I always feel bad (drink type)

We tasted some marvelous wines - We tasted amazing wines (different varieties).

Other words on this topic can be cited as examples. Try to determinepotato: countable or uncountable?

You shouldn’t eat potato - You shouldn’t eat potatoes.

One potato is enough, I’ve had lunch recently - One potato is enough, I recently had lunch.

As in the examples given earlier, when we use potato as a type of food, we are using the word as an uncountable word. And in countable form the word takes on the meaning “potato”.

The noun hair (hair) is usually used in the singular as an uncountable when we talk about the totality of hair on the head:

His hair is dark - He has dark hair.

But if we are talking about a single hair, hair becomes countable. In Russian, we can emphasize a singular object using the expression “one hair” or leave the plural:

There is a hair in my tea! - There is hair in my tea!

There are also different uses for the word paper.Countable or not paper? In the meaning of “paper” this noun acts as an uncountable noun. And as a countable it means newspaper/document/written work.

Do you have enough paper? - Do you have enough paper?

I love to read papers - I love reading newspapers.

Quantity indication

The choice of quantity indicators depends on the countability of the word. These include many / much, few / little. In each pair, the first word is used with countable nouns, the second - with uncountable nouns.

It is the distribution oncountable and uncountable in Englishdetermines the choice of quantitative word. For example, apple is a countable word, so many exponents will be used with it. Whereas with words like water (water) much is used.

Here are examples for each use:

• many - a lot (with countable ones): Many years have passed - Many years have passed.
• much - a lot (with uncountables): There is much love in the world - There is a lot of love in the world.
• few - few (with countable): Too few people agreed to do this - Too few people agreed to do this.
• little - little (with uncountables): I have little time - I have little time.

We are accustomed to not paying attention to which category a noun belongs to. In English everything is different. For example, some words that were uncountable, after adding the ending, not only become , but their meaning changes dramatically. But let's look at everything in order

With countable nouns everything is more or less clear. These include everything that we are able to count. In the singular the article a|an, the is used, in the plural - zero article or the. With uncountable nouns the situation is somewhat more complicated.

The main features of Uncountable nouns in English

• We never use them with the articles a\an, while they are freely used with the
• After them there must be a verb in the required form according to the general scheme of the sentence
• They are preceded by the words little, any, much, etc., and not just pronouns:

Flour is produced in many foreign counties - Flour is produced in many foreign countries

The latest news was good - The latest news was good

Knowledge was his main weapon - Knowledge was his main weapon

Category of uncountable nouns: study in more detail

Learning and remembering all the nouns and their category separately is difficult and completely useless. How can you determine which word is in front of you? It's very simple. In English, uncountable nouns include entire categories of concepts. For example, look at this list of uncountable nouns. There are many exceptions in the English language, but we will look at the basic rules.

Solids, food	butter - butter (The butter is not tasty today), spagetti - spaghetti (Italians adore spaghetti but I don't - Italians love spaghetti, but I don’t), coal - coal (The coal was used for healing – Coal was used as medicine)
Liquids	water - water, blood - blood (The blood differs the water - Blood is not water). oil - oil (Give me some oil please, i’ll bake something - Give me some oil, I’ll bake something). coffee - coffee (If you like coffee you should try this one – If you like coffee, then you should try this variety)
Gases	pollution - pollution (The air pollution is caused by humanity - Air pollution occurs due to the fault of humanity) smoke - smoke from cigarettes (When we entered the room we felt the smoke - When we entered the room, we smelled cigarette smoke). oxygen - oxygen (We need oxygen not only for breathing – We need oxygen not only for breathing)
Games	Chess(I don’t like chess but adore droughts – I don’t like chess, but I’m delighted with checkers)
Languages ​​of the world	Greek(If you think that English is difficult try Greek or Chinese - If you think that English is difficult, try to learn Greek or Chinese)
Diseases	flu - influenza She had flu a year ago - A year ago she had the flu
Natural phenomena	darkness - darkness (All little children are afraid of darkness), heat - heat (If you like heat you should visit Malta - If you like heat, you definitely need to visit Malta), fog - fog (The fog and rain is what I dislike in England - Fog and rain is what I don’t like in Great Britain), weather - weather, I don’t like such a weather - I don’t like this weather
Collective nouns	rubbish - garbage (There is a lot of rubbish after all the contests - After any event there is a lot of garbage left), luggage - luggage (I lost my luggage twice! - I lost my luggage twice)
Abstract nouns	behavior - behavior (Your behavior is awful - Your behavior is terrible), information - information (If you need more information, ask Julie - If you need more information, ask Julie)
School subjects and scientific disciplines	Math - mathematics (Math is the Queen of all the subjects - Mathematics - the queen of sciences), history - history (History and geography are sisters - History and geography - sisters)

Those sneaky nouns!

Since nouns are the oldest part of speech in the English language, they represent one of the most difficult topics to master. The problem is that an uncountable noun can easily change its category, and you need to keep an eye on this. For example, when specifying with the addition of an article, not only the category changes, but also the entire meaning. Below is a small table of uncountable nouns that change category and meaning:

I visited them a few times - I visited them several times

Time went by - Time has gone...

Your life is worth fighting - Your life is worth fighting for

A life of the man was difficult - This man’s life path was thorny

If an uncountable noun is used to denote a part of a whole, then it changes category and becomes countable, subject to the same rules. For example:

I like tea. Give me a tea - I love tea. Pour me a cup.

The wine is useful, would you like a wine? - Wine is good for you, would you like a glass?

I’d like a coffee and a cake please – Please give me a cup of coffee and one cake.

He hated coffee - He hated coffee

He hated an Indian coffee - He hated Indian coffee

Added ending - changed category

When you add an ending to some nouns, they change the meaning and category. This transformation very clearly demonstrates the mechanism of word formation and the transition of one meaning to another. For example:

The color of her eyes was dark blue – She had dark blue eyes

They saw the king’s colors and cheered him up - They saw the king’s banners and began to greet him

Strike iron while hot – Strike the iron while it’s hot

The irons were too heavy for the boy – The chains were too heavy for the boy

Articles with uncountable nouns

Both articles and uncountable nouns in English are difficult topics, to put it mildly. But nothing is impossible if you have the desire to learn and develop. Below we provide a short list of rules with examples that will help you figure out how to use articles with uncountable nouns.

The article the is placed before a real uncountable noun if we mean not the whole substance, but a specific part. For example, in the following sentence it is clearly visible that the article is used to clarify quantity.

I bought the bread at the supermarket – I bought a loaf of bread in the supermarket

Put the milk into my bag – Put the milk in the bag.

In this case, the reference is to a bottle of milk that both speaker and listener know about.

The meat was too hot - The meat chop was too hot

Here the article also indicates that we are talking about a piece of meat, and not about the meat as a whole.

They won’t ship the ore today - They will not load the ore today

This sentence refers to a consignment of goods that, for one reason or another, cannot be loaded onto a ship.

The article the is also used with real nouns according to the general rule. According to which it is put in the event that the object or substance has already been mentioned in the text and the listeners already know what is being discussed.

We bought some tea and some coffee. The tea was awful but the coffee was amazing. — We bought tea and coffee. The tea was terrible, but the coffee was great.

I ordered some milk for my cat. They told me that the milk was spoiled. — I ordered milk for my cat, but they told me that the milk was spoiled.

That is, we see that in both examples, when a substance is mentioned again, the article the is used according to the general rule.

If an uncountable noun somehow stands out from the class of its own kind. That is also used with the article the.

The silk made by these worms is the best – The silk that this type of silkworm produces is the best.

The ore explored in Africa will help our industry – An ore deposit discovered in Africa will support our industry

The stone used for this castle was delivered from Egypt – The stone that was used to build this castle was brought from Egypt.

When it comes to such a part of speech as nouns, one of the greatest difficulties in the learning process is given to students by countable and uncountable nouns in the English language. Here you need to navigate different cases usage and know a fairly extensive list of such words and exceptions. However, here you can find certain patterns, and for this it is necessary to consider the topic of countable and uncountable nouns of the English language in more detail.

Main features of countable and uncountable nouns

These language elements, which are called countable or un countable nouns, are characterized by the fact that, depending on belonging to a particular group, they can be used both in both numbers (singular and plural), and only in the singular. Those nouns that can be counted, that is, formed into a plural form, are called countable nouns. Uncountables are those that do not have plural forms and are used exclusively in the singular.

The rules for using these linguistic structures largely imply division into countable nouns - uncountable nouns from the point of view of the semantics of the noun itself, that is, the group to which this or that belongs. In this regard, it is possible to give an appropriate classification and determine in which groups the differences between countable and uncountable nouns are most obvious.

Main categories of countable nouns

For countable nouns, the translation allows for the formation of the plural. This group can be divided into two main categories:

1. Concrete nouns

These parts of speech demonstrate familiar objects that surround people. They can be easily counted, they are tangible and completely real. Examples of such words are lamp, window, dog, bottle, pen, etc. For each noun in this group, a plural can be selected and used in the appropriate context.

2. Abstract nouns

Despite the fact that very often nouns from this category are uncountable nouns, there are often situations when these words can be used in the plural. Here are vivid examples of such words:

idea (from a logical point of view, the essence of this concept is abstract; at the same time, the word ideas is used in the language very often)

· hour (the word “hour” is also intangible, but has a plural form), etc.

One of the main indicators that a noun is countable is the article. General grammatical rules stipulate that any singular countable noun must have an article, except in some special cases that relate directly to the subject of the article. At the same time, plurals of countable (their plural forms) are not always used with the article.

Categories of uncountable nouns

An uncountable word differs from a countable word in that it does not have the ability to form a plural. Uncountable words in the English language are quite often similar in principle to Russian ones. At the same time, there are situations when a noun can simultaneously be both countable and uncountable, depending on different meanings. Examples of these words:

· hair (“hair”) – a hair (“one hair”)
· beauty (“beauty”) – a beauty (“beauty”)
· paper (“paper”) – a paper (“document”)
· time (“time”) – a time (“one time”)
· room (“space”) – a room (“room”)
· light (“light”) – a light (“lamp”), etc.

Just like countable nouns, uncountable nouns fall into two categories:

1. Abstract

In this group, of course, words are rarely counted (some exceptional cases have been described above). This category includes concepts or phenomena that are not tangible and carry an abstract meaning: sadness, kindness, love, despair, experience, etc.

2. Real

In English they are called nouns of material. This includes natural elements, substances and materials: cream, bread, soup, butter, milk, meat, etc.

However, sometimes it becomes necessary to form plural forms with uncountable nouns. To do this, it is customary to use additional words, for example:

· cheese (“cheese”) – two slices of cheese (“two slices of cheese”)
biscuit (“biscuit, cookies”) – three pieces of biscuit (“three pieces of biscuit”)
· chocolate (“chocolate”) – two bars of chocolate (“two chocolate bars”)

Articles with uncountable nouns when the context requires it: if a word is mentioned with a qualifying definition (the love that he feels), the use of a definite article is quite acceptable.

In addition, there are some unusual exception words. These include fruit and fish. Although it is possible to form the plural with them, this is not always done. When talking about fruits or fish without listing, the form of the number will remain unique (this does not apply to the word vegetables). For example:

· Most fruit are tasty – Most fruits are tasty
· They have a lot of fish – They have a lot of fish

There are many special cases: there are exceptions in the formation of plural forms (child – children – “child – children”), in the use of the plural with products and dishes (cake – cakes – “cake – cakes”, salad – salads – “salad – salads” , sweet – sweets – “candy – sweets”). In some cases, it is allowed to use the word some with such nouns to emphasize a certain amount (some chicken - “a little chicken”, some grapes - “a little grapes”). For example, people as a countable means “people” and can be used with the ending –s. There are quite a lot of such cases, and you should know them in order to navigate the peculiarities of the language.

Frequently occurring uncountable nouns

Below is a kind of table with examples of uncountable nouns, which are found quite often in English:

money - money
advice - advice
clothes - clothes
food - food
furniture - furniture
information - information
news - news
luggage - luggage
meal - meal
watch - watch
homework - homework
knowledge - knowledge
weather - weather

All the nuances and exceptions described above are extremely important, since, as can be seen from the examples presented, they are very actively used in the language and are quite standard structures in terms of meaning. Correct usage Even such, even at first glance not a very complex part of speech, like a noun, requires quite serious preparation. The easiest way is to carefully study all atypical cases of use in order to appropriately apply the corresponding constructions in speech.