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Countable and uncountable nouns

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

23rd July 2020 By Edify English Leave a Comment

One of the common aspects of the noun is the aspect of its count-ability. We can count some nouns on the basis of number or size, while we cannot, for some nouns. In this article, we are going to discuss exactly that – the definitions, examples, and example sentences of Countable and Uncountable Nouns.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Some nouns can be counted, and some cannot. Those nouns that we can count in number are known as countable nouns. The nouns that cannot be counted with a certain number are known as uncountable nouns. 

Countable Nouns

Some examples of countable nouns are man, pen, dog, etc. Those nouns that can be counted in number will be categorized into this type.

The countable nouns come with the articles a/an or the measurements of quantification such as few/ many placed before the noun. For example,

  • Here is a dog.
  • A few people are gathered for the meeting.
  • Many pencils are lying on the floor.
  • In the forest, there lived an elephant.
  • A few tigers are roaming in the night.

In all the above examples, we can count all the nouns. Even in examples like ‘few people’, ‘few tigers’, and ‘many pencils’, we can count them no matter how many.

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns usually come with a singular verb as they are mostly abstract nouns. Let us take some examples.

  • Rice
  • Knowledge
  • Tea
  • Honey
  • Love
  • Evidence, etc. 

All these examples can only be used as a singular. Secondly, while using uncountable nouns, ‘a lot of’, ‘much’, ‘some’ etc should be used to measure them. Some example sentences of uncountable nouns are as follows:

  • Honey is a better alternative to sugar. 
  • He has a lot of money in his secret locker.
  • Rice is a staple food in this country.
  • Can you share some of that information with me?
  • He wastes a lot of water when he takes a bath.

These are the various examples of Countable and Uncountable Nouns.

Nouns that are both Countable and Uncountable

Some nouns are classified into both Countable and Uncountable Nouns depending on the context. Some of them are given below

  • He has a lot of hair on his body.
  • There is a hair in the soup.

In the first example, the word ‘hair’ is an uncountable noun, and hence ‘a lot of’ is used. In the second example, we are talking about a single strand of hair and hence it is a countable noun, and ‘a’ is used before it.

Now let us see another example.

  • I made some juice and put it in the fridge.
  • The fluid container broke and The floor is filled with some juices.

In the first example, the juice in the fridge is an uncountable noun. In the second example, some juices mean a mixture of apple, orange, etc. which makes it a countable noun. 

Also Read: Nouns – Definition, Classification, and Examples

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Filed Under: Nouns, Parts of Speech Tagged With: Countable and uncountable nouns, Nouns, Nouns Countability, Nouns in English, Nouns Topic, Singular Nouns and Plural Nouns, types of nouns

10 Nouns (types) in English You Must Learn!

14th July 2020 By Edify English Leave a Comment

Nouns are the first and foremost parts of speech you must learn to get a good grasp on English grammar. There are various types of nouns and each type has a lot of importance. Hence, in this article, we are going to discuss the types of the 10 nouns in English you must learn, their definitions, and examples. Let us get started!

10 Nouns Types English

10 Nouns in English You must Learn

We all know that noun is a word that denotes the name of a person, place, a thing, a collection of things, or ideas, etc. The following are the 10 different types of nouns in the English language:

  1. Proper Nouns
  2. Common Nouns
  3. Collective Nouns
  4. Abstract Nouns
  5. Countable Nouns
  6. Uncountable Nouns
  7. Material Nouns
  8. Singular Nouns
  9. Plural Nouns
  10. Tangible Nouns

Proper Nouns

Proper nouns are the nouns that are used to name a specific person, a specific place, thing, a particular event, and a group. Examples include

  • Tom Hanks
  • Peter Drucker
  • The Washington Post
  • Narendra Modi
  • Barack Obama

Common Nouns

This is a type of noun that is used to denote any general item, thing, animal, etc. For example,

  • Chair
  • Cup
  • Book
  • Pen
  • TV
  • Dog
  • Shoes

Collective Nouns

Any noun that represents a specific group of people or things is called a collective noun. For example, 

  • Team
  • School
  • Class
  • Government
  • Flock

Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns are intangible nouns, that cannot be touched or felt by the sense such as things like feelings, ideas, concepts, perceptions, etc. For example,

  • Beauty
  • Ugliness
  • Confidence
  • Fear
  • Love
  • Anxiety

Countable Nouns

Countable Nouns refer to one of the 10 nouns that can be counted. They have the singular and plural forms of the nouns. For example, 

  • Man- Men
  • Animal- Animals
  • Mountain- Mountains
  • Country- Countries
  • River- Rivers

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns cannot be counted, and do not have the singular and plural forms, unlike the countable nouns. For example, 

  • Truth
  • Air
  • Coffee
  • Water
  • sand 

Material Nouns

A material noun is a noun that indicates the names of materials from which things are made. Or it is a type of noun that cannot be counted but can be measured. For example, 

  • Gold
  • Water
  • Ice
  • Iron
  • Diamond

Singular Nouns

A singular noun is one of the 10 Nouns that names one person, thing, or place. For example,

  • A man
  • An elephant
  • A table
  • A chair
  • A classroom

Plural Nouns

A plural noun names more than one person, place, thing, or idea. For example

  • Men
  • Elephants
  • Tables
  • Chairs
  • Classrooms

Tangible Nouns

Tangible Nouns are those nouns that one can touch or feel with the senses. They are also known as concrete nouns. For example, 

  • A suitcase
  • A dictionary
  • Toothpaste
  • Laptop
  • Box of peanuts

These are the 10 nouns (types) in English Grammar. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily doses of vocabulary.

Filed Under: Grammar, Nouns, Parts of Speech Tagged With: 10 Nouns in English Language, Abstract Noun Examples, Collective Noun Examples, Common Noun Examples, Countable and uncountable nouns, Material nouns, Nouns Examples, Nouns types and Examples, Proper Noun Example Sentences, Singular and Plural nouns, Tangible and intangible nouns, types of nouns

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