Countable and Uncountable Nouns

First countable and uncountable nouns.

Let’s just be very clear on these.

A noun can be a physical thing an object or something more abstract something we cannot touch.

It is in many cases the uncountable things that we cannot touch and the things we can touch are countable.

But let’s not say that’s a rule because there are lots of examples in which that’s not true.

And we’ll just look at a couple.

So for example chairs.

Well we can say one chair two chairs three chairs OK one chair because there is one we say chair and then because there’s more than one we say chairs.

We had an.

This one.

One person two people we can count one two three cups one cup two cups ideas cookies eyes eyes.

Push one push Two pushes.

OK.

Builders discoveries stories.

A story two stories.

Fish.

One fish two fish.

Sometimes it doesn’t change.

Children.

One child.

Two children.

Eggs an egg.

Two eggs grains.

One grain two grains.

Very very small boats.

Boats.

A boat.

Two boats.

But I should be very very clear.

Sometimes things that are often countable can be uncountable.

That means you cannot count them for example.

Discovery can be a more general idea when something is a more general idea.

It’s often uncountable so we can have a discovery to discoveries.

But we can just say for example.

Discovery is the very beginning of a new trend.

Discovery is the beginning of a new trend that is not accountable discovery.

That is an uncountable discovery.

That’s a general idea.

OK now I want to just mention one thing very quickly when we’re talking about something generally speaking and it’s a countable thing.

Let’s use the plural form.

Let’s use the plural form the reason we use the plural form is because we could be talking about any one of those things.

For example you should say I like dogs not I like dog.

Children are wonderful.

Children are wonderful.

We’re using the plural form.

Not one child but children.

Children.

So we just have to be careful about that.

And again it can be a little bit more complicated.

For example we would say I like pizza.

I like pizza.

But then if we say pizza in that way we’re actually saying an uncountable thing an uncountable thing.

So sometimes nouns that we can count one pizza two pizzas also become uncountable.

If we’re talking about a general idea that thing for example pizza we often use that for different kinds of food.

OK so uncountable things are things we generally cannot count.

And again there are examples when it can be both.

For example you could say one time two times one time I went to Canada the second time I went to Germany.

But the idea of time is uncountable hope.

Can you say one hope.

Oh I suppose but it’s Yeah.

Generally uncountable ambition ambition.

Milk.

You can’t count a liquid.

OK liquids are another one.

Experience experience very similar to discovery.

If we make this discovery we can say many experiences but we’re then talking about each one.

But if we’re talking about the general idea of experience then we can’t make it a plural we can’t count it.

Orange juice is another liquid teamwork Love.

Love is an idea.

Generally not countable sadness and emotion generally not countable Joy beauty.

So we’re talking about a lot of a lot of concepts a lot of concepts over here general ideas.

So when we have these general ideas we’re putting them in the uncountable form we’re considering them uncountable and just to be very very clear.

You can often make these countable as well because you could say I’d like to have an orange juice.

If we’re talking about a specific one that’s ok it’s ok but most often if we say I like orange juice we’re using the uncountable version or form of orange juice.

OK if we say experience is very important.

We’re not talking about specific experiences that we can count.

We’re talking about the idea the concept of experience in which case we should use the uncountable form uncountable.

All right.

I hope that’s clear.

I wanted to just make that very very clear before we get started with examples of each different quantifying.