Countable nouns refer to things that can be counted, while uncountable nouns refer to things that cannot be counted. Countable nouns can be singular or plural, while uncountable nouns are always singular.
Here are some examples of countable nouns:
- People: one person, two people, three people
- Places: one city, two cities, three cities
- Things: one book, two books, three books
- Ideas: one thought, two thoughts, three thoughts
- Actions: one jump, two jumps, three jumps
Here are some examples of uncountable nouns:
- Mass nouns: water, air, milk, sand
- Abstract nouns: love, happiness, sadness, anger
- Non-physical nouns: information, advice, furniture, clothing
Countable nouns can be used with the indefinite article “a” or “an” (e.g., “a book”, “an apple”) or with a number (e.g., “two books”, “three apples”). Uncountable nouns cannot be used with the indefinite article “a” or “an”, but they can be used with the quantifiers “some” or “much” (e.g., “some water”, “much air”).
Here are some examples of how countable and uncountable nouns can be used in a sentence:
- Countable nouns:
- I have two books on my shelf.
- There are many people in the room.
- She bought a new car yesterday.
- Uncountable nouns:
- I need some water to drink.
- There is too much air in the room.
- He gave me some advice.