Ngữ Pháp Anh 8 HSG

Uncountable Nouns

Use:        Some nouns are countable – you can count them. These include: apples, books, cars, trees Some nouns are uncountable – you cannot count them. These include: water, oil, rice, fruit, bread, information, money
Uncountable nouns have different grammar rules from countable nouns.
countable singular nouns e.g. apple
countable plural nouns e.g. apples
uncountable nouns e.g. fruit

 
Singular countable nouns always need a determiner:  a, this, that, my, the etc.
Look at that cat!  Can I have an apple?  Is this your bag?
 
 
Plural countable nouns do not need a determiner.
I like apples.   Dogs are friendly.
But they can be used with determiners: Where are my shoes? Are those pens yours?
 
Uncountable nouns do not need a determiner.
I like fruit. 
But they can use singular determiners:
This fruit is nice.

 
 
 
You can count countable nouns. Can I have five apples please?
 
You cannot count uncountable nouns. Can I have five breads please?

 
Use singular verbs and determiners. This apple is nice.
 
Use plural verbs and determiners. These apples are nice.
 
Use singular verbs and determiners. This bread is nice.

 
Some determiners can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
some, a lot of, lots of, loads of, plenty of, any
We’ve got some potatoes. We need some bread. We don’t have any potatoes. We don’t have any bread.

 
Some determiners can only be used with countable nouns:
several, various, a few, many
Some determiners can only be used with uncountable nouns:
much, a bit of, a little