COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are substances, concepts etc that we cannot divide into separate elements. We cannot "count" them. For example, we cannot count "milk". We can count "bottles of milk" or "litres of milk", but we cannot count "milk" itself. Here are some more uncountable nouns:

• music, art, love, happiness
• advice, information, news
• furniture, luggage
• rice, sugar, butter, water
• electricity, gas, power
• money, currency

We usually treat uncountable nouns as singular. We use a singular verb. For example:

• This news is very important.
• Your luggage looks heavy.

We do not usually use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns. We cannot say "an information" or "a music". But we can say a something of:

• a piece of news
• a bottle of water
• a grain of rice

We can use some and any with uncountable nouns:

• I've got some money.
• Have you got any rice?

We can use a little and much with uncountable nouns:

• I've got a little money.
• I haven't got much rice.

Uncountable nouns are also called "mass nouns".

Here are some more examples of countable and uncountable nouns:

Countable	Uncountable
dollar	money
song	music
suitcase	luggage
table	furniture
battery	electricity
bottle	wine
report	information
tip	advice
journey	travel
job	work
view	scenery

Nouns that can be Countable and Uncountable:

Sometimes, the same noun can be countable and uncountable, often with a change of meaning.

Countable		Uncountable
There are two hairs in my coffee!	hair	I don't have much hair.
There are two lights in our bedroom.	light	Close the curtain. There's too much light!
Shhhhh! I thought I heard a noise. There are so many different noises in the city.	noise	It's difficult to work when there is so much noise.
Have you got a paper to read? (newspaper) Hand me those student papers.	paper	I want to draw a picture. Have you got some paper?
Our house has seven rooms.	room	Is there room for me to sit here?
We had a great time at the party. How many times have I told you no?	time	Have you got time for a cup of coffee?
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's greatest works.	work	I have no money. I need work!

Drinks (coffee, water, orange juice) are usually uncountable. But if we are thinking of a cup or a glass, we can say (in a restaurant, for example):

• Two teas and one coffee please.

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/nouns-un-countable_2.htm

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Go here for uncountable/countable noun games:

http://www.englishclub.com/esl-games/grammar/nouns-un-count.htm

Here is an example:

http://www.englishclub.com/esl-games/grammar/nouns-un-count-1.htm

Complete each sentence with one countable noun and one uncountable noun from the list. Each noun must be used once only:

   battery      bottle      dollars      electricity      furniture      luggage      money      music      songs      suitcase      tables      wine  

1. The only  in the apartment is a couple of old .
2. If you'd like to drink some , we should order a .
3. Is there a dark blue  with that over there?
4. Ten thousand American  is quite a lot of , isn't it?
5. If the  doesn't work, use a  instead.
6. I love playing , and I've even written three or four .