Countable and Uncountable Expressions with Nouns

Countable and Uncountable Expressions with Nouns
From Kenneth Beare, About.com
See More About:countable and uncountable nounsbeginning englishenglish grammar13 of 25
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Countable and Uncountable
Uncountable

Use the singular form of the verb with uncountable nouns. Use both 'some' and any' with uncountable nouns when speaking about specific objects.

Examples

Do you have any butter?
There is some juice in the bottle.

If you are speaking in general, do not use a modifier.

Examples

Do you drink coca cola?
He doesn't eat meat.

Countable

Use the plural form of the verb with countable nouns. Use both 'some' and 'any' with countable nouns when speaking about specific objects.

Examples

There are some magazines on the table.
Has he got any friends?

If you are speaking in general, use the plural form of the noun.

Examples

They love books by Hemingway.
She doesn't eat apples.

Expressions for Use with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Use the following expressions with uncountable nouns.

most
much, lots of, a lot of
some
a little, little


Examples

There is lots of interest in the project.
She's got some money left in the bank.
There's little time to finish.


Use the following expressions with countable nouns.

many, lots of, a lot of
several
some
not many, only a few, few


Examples

There are a lot of pictures on the wall.
We have several friends in Chicago.
She bought some envelopes this afternoon.
There are only a few people in the restaurant.