Nouns - Countable & Uncountable

Nouns refer to a person, place, thing, event, substance or quality.

Countable nouns are nouns considered as separate objects that can be counted with numbers.

On the contrary, uncountable nouns refer to things we consider as a mass and not as separate objects.

Countable nouns

Refer to separate objects. Countable nouns have both the singular and plural forms. They can be used with indefinite articles and numbers.

Uncountable nouns

Refer to abstract nouns, mass objects that can’t be separated, words about weather, liquids and materials. Uncountable nouns cannot be used with the indefinite article (a/an) or numbers.

Uncountable nouns that have:

• Just singular form cannot be made plural (e.g. advice, baggage, information, energy, furniture, homework, money, etc.);
• Just plural from cannot be made singular (e.g. the spanish, news, groceries, clothes, thanks, regards, etc.).

Countable nouns

• I have a dog at home.
• He is so rich that he owns five houses.
• We want to play a tennis match.

Uncountable nouns

• His advice was very important. / His advices were very important.
• There is information in this guide. / There are informations in this guide.
• I have some news about Bulgaria. / I have a new about Bulgaria.
• Send to your boss my regards. / Send to your boss my regard.

Below you can read the main differences between countable and uncountable nouns.

Countable nouns:

• Are separate objects;
• Can be counted with numbers.

Uncountable nouns:

• Are objects considered as a mass;
• You cannot use numbers to count the quantity of these things and that’s why they’re defined as uncountable.

Countable nouns refer to separate objects that can be counted with numbers. They can be preceded by an indefinite article.

Uncountable nouns refer to abstract nouns, mass objects that can’t be separated, words about weather, liquids and materials. Indefinite article can not be used with uncountable nouns.
They usually don’t have both the singular and the plural form, but just the singular with no plural or the plural with no singular.

For example:
— “There is a mobile phone on the table.” = Mobile phone is a countable singular noun, that’s why we use indefinite article.
— “There are two mobile phones on the table.” = Mobile phones are countable plural nouns so we can count them with numbers.
— “My teacher bought furniture to her house.” / “My teacher bought furnitures to her house.“= Furniture is an uncountable singular noun that does not have a plural form.
— “The police catch killers.” / “The police catches killers.” = The police is an uncountable plural noun that does not have a singular form.

Let’s revise this content within the [Form] section. Take a look at the [Example] section that shows its use within a context.