Count Nouns vs. Non-Count Nouns

Count Nouns vs. Non-Count Nouns 1. Count nouns can be counted as one or more. Examples: pen, computer, bottle, spoon, desk, cup, television, chair, shoe, finger, flower, camera, stick, balloon, book, table, comb, etc. Take an s to form the plural. pens, computers, bottles, spoons, desks, cups, televisions, chairs, shoes, fingers, flowers, cameras, sticks, balloons, books, tables, combs, etc. Work with expressions such as (a few, few, many, some, every, each, these, and the number of). a few pens, a few computers, many bottles, some spoons, every desk, each cup, these televisions, the number of chairs, a few shoes, a few fingers, many flowers, some cameras, every stick, each balloon, these books, the number of tables, many combs, etc. Work with appropriate articles (a, an, or the). a pen, the computer, a bottle, the spoon, a desk, the cup, a television, the chair, a shoe, the finger, a flower, the camera, a stick, the balloon, a book, the table, a comb, etc. *** Do NOT work with much (for example, you would never say much pens or much computers). 2. Non-count nouns cannot be counted. They usually express a group or a type. Examples: water, wood, ice, air, oxygen, English, Spanish, traffic, furniture, milk, wine, sugar, rice, meat, flour, soccer, sunshine, etc. Generally cannot be pluralized. Work both with and without an article (a, an, or the), depending on the context of the sentence. Sugar is sweet. The sunshine is beautiful. I drink milk. He eats rice. We watch soccer together. The wood is burning. Work with expressions such as (some, any, enough, this, that, and much). We ate some rice and milk. I hope to see some sunshine today. This meat is good. She does not speak much Spanish. Do you see any traffic on the road? That wine is very old. *** Do NOT work with expressions such as (these, those, every, each, either, or neither).

Decide whether these nouns are countable (C) or uncountable (U) 1. The CHILDREN are playing in the garden. 2. I don't like MILK. 3. I prefer TEA. 4. SCIENTISTS say that the environment is threatened by pollution. 5. My mother uses BUTTER to prepare cakes. 6. There are a lot of WINDOWS in our classroom. 7. We need some GLUE to fix this vase. 8. The WAITERS in this restaurant are very professional. 9. My father drinks two big GLASSES of water every morning. 10. The CUPCAKES my mother prepares are delicious. 11. DRIVERS must be careful; the road is slippery. 12. Some POLICEMEN are organizing road traffic to avoid any accidents. 13. I bought three bottles of mineral water for our picnic. 14. I'd like some JUICE, please! 15. Successful CANDIDATES will join the camp later this year. 16. A rise in OIL prices is inevitable since there is more and more world demand for energy. 17. The EXERCISES on this website are engaging. 18. Dehydrated babies must drink a lot of WATER. 19. Adult illiterates learn through a special government PROGRAM. 20. I met some friendly PEOPLE when I was walking along the beach.

ANSWERS: Decide whether these nouns are countable (C) or uncountable (U) 1. The CHILDREN are playing in the garden. Countable 2. I don't like MILK. Uncountable 3. I prefer TES. Uncountable 4. SCIENTISTS say that the environment is threatened by pollution. Countable 5. My mother uses BUTTER to prepare cakes. Uncountable 6. There are a lot of WINDOWS in our classroom. Countable 7. We need some GLUE to fix this vase. Uncountable 8. The WAITERS in this restaurant are very professional. Countable 9. My father drinks two big GLASSES of water every morning. Countable 10. The CUPCAKES my mother prepares are delicious. Uncountable 11. DRIVERS must be careful; the road is slippery. Countable 12. Some POLICEMEN are organizing road traffic to avoid any accidents. Countable 13. I bought three bottles of mineral water for our picnic. Countable 14. I'd like some JUICE, please! Uncountable 15. Successful CANDIDATES will join the camp later this year. Countable 16. A rise in OIL prices is inevitable since there is more and more world demand for energy. Uncountable 17. The EXERCISES on this website are engaging. Countable 18. Dehydrated babies must drink a lot of WATER. Uncountable 19. Adult illiterates learn through a special government PROGRAM. Countable 20. I met some friendly PEOPLE when I was walking along the beach. Countable