énsayo

Noncount nouns
What are COUNT NOUNS?

Look around the room or the classroom you're sitting in — the more "stuff" in the room, the better. Name some things that somebody must have carried into the room.

desks, chairs, flag, clock, computers, keyboards, projector, books, bookcases, pens, notebooks, backpacks, lights, students (Well, maybe the students walked in under their own power!)
Nowname some things that are part of the room itself.

floor, wall, ceiling, windows, door, chalkboard
You can imagine there being more than one of everything you've named so far — although you might have to have more than one room to have more than one floor or ceiling. These are all COUNT NOUNS, things that you can count.


Usage Notes:

Count nouns can be pluralized when appropriate. Seethe section on Plurals for help with the proper formation of noun plurals.
We can use expressions such as
many bottles
few bottles
a few bottles
These nouns, both singular and plural, can be preceded by the appropriate definite and indefinite articles — the with both singular and plural, a or an with singular count-nouns.
Singular count nouns can be preceded by this and that and by every,each, either, and neither.
Plural count nouns can be preceded by these and those and by some, any, enough, and the zero article. The phrase number of is accompanied by count nouns.
Count nouns cannot be preceded by much. The phrase amount of is also a sure sign that you are not dealing with a count noun.

What are MASS (NON-COUNT) NOUNS?

Here is a list of MASS NOUNS for you to consider. Canyou count any of these things? Do we use the plural form of any of these words in common speech and writing? What do the things in the first column have in common? the second column? In the first section, above, we named things in the classroom that we could count. What are some things in the same room that we can't count?

1. wood
2. cloth
3. ice
4. plastic
5. wool
6. steel
7. aluminum
8.metal
9. glass
10. leather
11. porcelain
12. hair
13. dust
14. air
15. oxygen
16. water
17. milk
18. wine
19. beer
20. cake
21. sugar
22. rice
23. meat
24. cheese
25. flour
26. reading
27. boating
28. smoking
29. dancing
30. soccer
31. hockey
32. weather
33. heat
34. sunshine
35. electricity
36. biology
37. history
38. mathematics
39. economics
40. poetry
41.Chinese
42. Spanish
43. English
44. luggage
45. equipment
46. furniture
47. experience
48. applause
49. photography
50. traffic
51. harm
52. publicity
53. homework
54. advice

Usage Notes:

Are there categories of things in the third and fourth columns as well? Click HERE for categories we see.
Generally, these nouns cannot be pluralized. The non-count nouns of the second column(foodstuff) are pluralized when we use the word to express a "type":
There are new wines being introduced every day.
The waters of the Atlantic are much warmer this time of year.
The Dutch are famous for their cheeses.
The spring rains came early.
We can use expressions such as
much harm
little harm
a little harm
It is appropriate to precede these nouns with a definite or indefinite article.the sunshine
an experience
a wine
But they frequently appear with zero article:
Smoking is bad for you.
Poetry is beautiful.
Sugar is sweet.
Experience is the best teacher.
These nouns can be preceded by some, any, enough, this, that, and much.
Because they are not countable, these nouns cannot be preceded by these, those, every, each, either, and neither.


What are ABSTRACT NOUNS?Here is a list of ABSTRACT NOUNS for you to think about. Can you touch or see any of these things in the physical sense? Can you count any of them? Can you create sentences in which some of these words can be used as plurals?

1. Peace
2. Warmth
3. Hospitality
4. Information
5. Anger
6. Education
7. Melancholy
8. Softness
9. Violence
10. Conduct
11. Courage
12. Leisure
13....