Countable and Uncountable Nouns

For beginners

It is important to know if a noun is countable or not. It can help form correct sentences using articles and verbs that agree with the noun.

"Countable and Uncountable Nouns" in English Grammar

What Are Countable Nouns?

Nouns that can be counted and used with a number are known as countable nouns. Countable nouns have both singular and plural forms. For example:

1 apple, 2 apples
15 cats
3 dogs
1 car
2 spoons

Take these apples.

Give me a pen.

I need five more balls.

Using Countable Nouns in a Sentence

What Are Uncountable Nouns?

Uncountable nouns cannot be counted and therefore only have a singular form. Also, they cannot be used with numbers.

butter (Not 1 butter)
rice (Not 2 ~~rices~~)
honey (Not 3 ~~honeys~~)

My hair is dark.

I'm eating bread and butter.

Verb Agreement

Keep in mind that uncountable nouns are always used with singular verb forms. Here are some examples:

My hair is growing.

The jam was sweet.

Money doesn't buy happiness.

Common Uncountable Nouns

Here is a list of common uncountable nouns:

water
air
sugar
tea
rice
butter
milk
rain
weather
money

Asking about Countable and Uncountable Nouns

When forming questions, how many is used with countable nouns, and how much is used with uncountable nouns. For example:

How many chairs are there?

How much juice is there?

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What Are Countable Nouns?
What Are Uncountable Nouns?
Verb Agreement
Common Uncountable Nouns
Asking about Countable and Uncountable Nouns

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