How to use countable vs. uncountable nouns in English

‘I had two meats for my dinner today’. If you think something about that sounds a little off, you’re right! But do you know why it’s incorrect? It’s because, in English, the word ‘meat’ belongs to a group called uncountable nouns. And unlike countable nouns (which, as you might have guessed, can be counted), uncountable nouns cannot be counted with numbers, nor made plural.

In this article, we’re going to look at countable and uncountable nouns in more detail. 

Countable vs. uncountable nouns in English

As we mentioned above, English nouns are divided into groups: countable and uncountable. Let’s take a look at what makes them different from each other and how they work. 

Countable nouns

Countable nouns come in both singular and plural forms: 

Singular countable nouns 

Plural countable nouns

Uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns, also known as mass nouns, are different. Here’s what they’re all about:

While we can’t list all the uncountable nouns, here are some common ones you’re likely to come across: music, art, happiness, advice, information, news, sugar, butter, oil, electricity, gas, power, money and meat. 

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Asking questions 

Depending on whether you’re asking about a countable or an uncountable noun, the words you use to form your question will be different. 

Questions about countable nouns

When you’d like to know about a specific quantity of countable nouns, you’ll say, ‘How many’ + the plural form of the noun:

Questions about uncountable nouns

To ask about the quantity of an uncountable noun, you should use ‘How much’ + the noun:

Common quantifiers

Quantifiers are words that we use with nouns to indicate quantity. Some quantifiers can be used for both countable and uncountable nouns, and others can only be used for one or the other.

Countable quantifiers

*Note: ‘A few’ means ‘some’ and ‘few’ means ‘not many’.

Uncountable quantifiers

Containers

On top of the above quantifiers, ‘containers’ can be used to count uncountable nouns. Here are a few: 

We should mention here that some uncountable nouns can be counted, but the meaning will change. For example, you can say ‘two cakes’ or ‘five chickens’ but that would be referring to two entire cakes or five whole chickens – not just a piece!

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Quantifiers for both 

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Now that we’ve gone through the basics of countable vs. uncountable nouns, you probably want to know more! Keep boosting your English knowledge with the most trusted online language school – and do it all on your own schedule. Choose your plan and get started today!