Non-countable (Noncount) Nouns
What Are Non-countable (Noncount) Nouns?
A non-countable noun (or mass noun as it's also known) is a noun without a plural form. Put another way, non-countable nouns refer to things that cannot be counted.Table of Contents
- Examples of Non-Countable Nouns
- Common Categories for Non-countable (Noncount) Nouns
- Non-countable Nouns vs Countable Nouns
- Some Nouns Can Be Countable or Non-countable
- Why Non-countable Nouns Are Important
- Test Time!
Examples of Non-Countable Nouns
Here are some examples of non-countable nouns:Non-countable Noun | An Attempt At Making It Plural |
---|---|
music | five musics |
furniture | five furnitures |
tennis | five tennises |
mercury | five mercuries |
Show Me More Non-countable Nouns
Common Categories for Non-countable (Noncount) Nouns
Non-countable nouns usually fall into one of the following categories:Category | Example |
---|---|
Concept | bravery, honesty, information, intelligence, patience |
Activity | homework, playing, reading, sleeping |
Food | bread, butter, cheese, fish, milk |
Gas | air, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, smoke |
Liquid | coffee, petrol, water, wine, beer |
Material | chalk, cloth, concrete, lumber, wood, metal |
Item Category | clothing, furniture, luggage, mail, money, software |
Natural Phenomenon | gravity, heat, humidity, rain, snow, sunshine, thunder |
Particles | dust, flour, rice, salt, sugar |
Non-countable Nouns vs Countable Nouns
Non-countable nouns contrast with countable nouns, which can be pluralized. Here are some examples of countable nouns:- apple, bear, cup, dog, ear, flower, giant, house, island (Note that these all have plural forms, e.g., "apples," "bears," "cups.")
Some Nouns Can Be Countable or Non-countable
Generally, non-countable nouns cannot be pluralized. However, some can be pluralized when talking about categories of that noun. This is most common with non-countable nouns in the food and liquid categories. For example:- France is famous for its cheeses. (Categories of cheese)
- There are many fine wines from Chile. (Categories of wine)
Why Non-countable Nouns Are Important
Here are two noteworthy issues associated with non-countable nouns.(Issue 1) Making Non-countable Nouns Plural
There are two methods to pluralize a concept expressed by a non-countable noun:Method 1: Precede it with a [countable noun] + "of."
For example:
- five loaves of bread ("Loaves" is the countable noun.)
- five blocks of cheese ("Blocks" is the countable noun.)
For example:
- five bread loaves
- five cheese blocks
(Issue 2) Using the Right Quantifier with a Non-Countable Noun
Use "amount of" with a non-countable noun. The terms "quantity of" and "number of" are used with countable nouns. For example:- Amount of sunshine
- Quantity of wood
Key Point
- Using a non-countable noun? Use "amount of."
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