Nouns – countable or uncountable
„Countable nouns“ ist die englische Bezeichnung für „zählbare Hauptwörter“ wie zum Beispiel Schreibmaschine oder Aktenordner. „Uncountable nouns“ sind „nichtzählbare Hauptwörter“. Diese gibt es auch im Deutschen: zum Beispiel Benzin oder Verkehr.
Exercise – many/much, some/any ... Mark the correct words.
1 I would like to give you an/some information about our company.
2 We need some new office equipments/equipment and furniture/ furtnitures.
3 I’m afraid I don’t have many/much time.
4 The news is/are on at nine. See if there is any news about the merger.
5 We have some/any new blue products but we don’t have any/some red ones.
6 I’m going home now. I don’t have some/any more emails to write.
Answers: 1) some; 2) equipment, furniture; 3) much; 4) is, any; 5) some, any; 6) any
Most nouns are countable. They have a singular and plural form and we use numbers with them: one keyboard, two keyboards, one USB stick, three USB sticks. Uncountable nouns only have one form. We cannot use numbers with them. We can count them using phrases like a bit of, a piece of, some, an item of, a cup of, a bottle of
The following nouns are uncountable in English:
accommodation
advice
air
cash
electricity
equipment
food
furniture
help
information
knowledge
life
luggage
machinery
money
oil
permission
progress
research
rubbish
time
travel
water
weather
work