Countable & Uncountable Nouns

Concept

Countable nouns have singular and plural forms and take a/an and numbers. Uncountable nouns (information, advice, furniture, equipment, luggage, news, research, homework, money) have no plural and take a singular verb.

المعدودة لها مفرد وجمع وتقبل a/an والأعداد، وغير المعدودة بلا جمع وتأخذ فعلاً مفرداً.

Rules & forms

• Common uncountables: information, advice, furniture, equipment, luggage, news, research, homework, traffic, progress

  • • He gave me some useful information.
  • • The furniture is new.

• Quantify uncountables with a piece of / an item of / a bit of

  • • two pieces of advice
  • • an item of furniture

• Irregular plurals: child–children, person–people, man–men, woman–women, foot–feet, tooth–teeth, phenomenon–phenomena, analysis–analyses

  • • Three phenomena were observed.

• Some nouns are countable and uncountable with different meanings.

  • • I'd like a coffee. (a cup)
  • • Coffee is expensive. (in general)

Common mistakes & STEP traps

• ❌ He gave me many advices.

  ✅ He gave me a lot of advice.

  Advice is uncountable.

• ❌ The furnitures are new.

  ✅ The furniture is new.

  Furniture has no plural form.

• ❌ I have three homeworks.

  ✅ I have three homework assignments.

  Homework is uncountable.

• ❌ Two childs were absent.

  ✅ Two children were absent.

  Child has an irregular plural.