Count and NonCount Nouns (with
Plurals, Articles, and Quantity
Words)
Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
Section 1: Definition of Count and
Noncount nouns
Count or Noncount?
The main difference between count and noncount nouns is whether
you can count the things they refer to or not.
Count nouns refer to things that exist as separate and distinct
individual units. They usually refer to what can be perceived by the
senses.
Examples:
table
chair
word
finger
remark
girl
bottle
award
candidate
Example sentences:
I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you
step in? Just one.)
I drank a glass of milk. (Glasses of milk can be
counted)
I saw an apple tree. (Apple trees can be counted)
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Noncount nouns refer to things that can't be counted because they
are thought of as wholes that can't be cut into parts. They often
refer to abstractions and occasionally have a collective meaning (for
example, furniture).
Examples:
anger
furniture
warmth
courage
education
leisure
progress
weather
precision
Example Sentences:
I dove into the water. (How many waters did you
dive into? The question doesn't make any sense;
therefore water is noncountable.)
I saw the milk spill. (How many milks? Milk
cannot be counted.)
I admired the foliage. (How many foliages?
Foliage cannot be counted.)
Think of the batter from which a cake is made. Before you put the
batter into the oven, it can't be divided into parts because it's a thick
liquid. Once it has been baked, it becomes solid enough to be cut
into pieces. Noncount nouns are like cake batter; count nouns are
like pieces of cake
Note: Since the issue is complicated and almost no rule is absolute,
there will be exceptions to the above definitions; however, we can
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show some general patterns. Bear in mind that what is countable in
another language may not be countable in English, and vice versa.
Section 2: Uses of Count and Noncount
Nouns
Pluralizing
The Rule
From the definitions of mass and count given above you may have
already guessed the rule for pluralizing them:
 most count nouns pluralize with -s
 noncount nouns don't pluralize at all
This rule works for all of the nouns in the lists of examples in the
first section. Check this rule for yourself before reading further.
An Exception to the Rule
For a number of nouns, the rule needs slight revision. Certain nouns
in English belong to both classes: they have both a noncount and a
count meaning. Normally the noncount meaning is abstract and
general and the count meaning concrete and specific. Compare:
Count
 I've had some difficulties finding a job. (refers to a number of
specific problems)
 The talks will take place in the Krannert building. (refers to a
number of specific lectures)
 The city was filled with bright lights and harsh sounds. (refers
to a number of specific lights and noises)
Noncount
 She succeeded in school with little difficulty. (refers to the
general idea of school being difficult)
 I dislike idle talk. (refers to talking in general)
 Light travels faster than sound. (refers to the way light and
sound behave in general)
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Note: A special case of the use of noncount nouns in a count sense has to do with
classification. Sometimes a usually noncount noun can be understood as one item
separate and distinct from other items of the same category. The nouns that
function in this way often denote foods and beverages: food(s), drink(s), wine(s),
bread(s), coffee(s), fruit(s), and so on. Examples:
 There are several French wines to choose from. (= kinds of wine)
 I prefer Sumatran coffees to Colombian. (= kinds of coffee)
 We use a variety of different batters in our bakery. (= kinds of batter)
A recent entry into this class is homework, which at least among some students
has the count plural homeworks in addition to its noncount use. (For example,
"You're missing three of the homeworks from the first part of the course.")
Because this usage is not firmly established and is likely to be considered
nonstandard, you should check with your instructor before using it in writing.
A Revision of the Rule
These exceptions require that the rule for pluralizing be revised:
count nouns and nouns used in a count sense pluralize; noncount
nouns and nouns used in a noncount sense do not.
The two possibilities in each half of the rule require different choices.
If you know that a particular noun must be either count or noncount
and cannot be both, you need to decide only if it is possible to
pluralize the noun. On the other hand, if you know that a particular
noun may be used in either a count or noncount sense, then you
need to decide whether it is appropriate to pluralize.
To summarize, we may put the rule in a chart, like this:
Pluralizes with s
Count Noun
XX
Count Use
XX
Doesn't Pluralize
Noncount
Noun
XX
Noncount Use
XX
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Articles
Nouns and Articles
Choosing which article to use (if any) with a noun is a complex
matter because the range of choices depends on whether the noun
in question is 1) count or noncount and 2) singular or plural. Both
count nouns (whether singular or plural) and noncount nouns take
articles.
Combinations of Nouns and Articles
The following chart shows which articles go with which kinds of
nouns. Notice that this, that, these, and those have been included
because, like the, they mark the noun that they modify as definite,
which means that the noun refers 1) to a unique individual or 2) to
some person, event, or object known to both the writer and reader
from their general knowledge or from what has been previously
mentioned in a piece of writing.
Count
singular
a, an
the
XX
XX
Count
plural
XX
Noncount
XX
this,
that
these,
those
no
article
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
Examples:
Count Singular:
I ate an apple.
I rode the bus.
Does she live in this house? No, she lives in that house
over there.
Count Plural:
I like to feed the birds.
Do you want these books? No, I want those books up
there.
Cats are interesting pets.
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Noncount:
The water is cold.
This milk is going sour.
Music helps me relax.
Quantity Terms
The following chart shows which quantity words go with which kinds
of nouns. Note that quantity words can be used in combinations
such as many more, many fewer, much more, and much less, any of
which can be preceded by how to form questions or relative clauses.
Negatives like not and no can also be applied to many of these
terms.
much, less,
little, a
little, very
little
some, any,
most, more,
all, a lot of,
no, none of
the
many, both,
several,
few/fewer/fewest,
a few, one of the,
a couple of
each, every,
any, one
Count
singular
XX
Count
plural
Noncount
XX
XX
XX
XX
Examples:
Count Singular:
I practice every day.
I'd like one donut, please.
Count Plural:
Can I have some chips?
She has a lot of books, and many are autographed.
I have fewer pencils than you.
Noncount:
Can I have some water?
She has a lot of strength, and much is due to her
upbringing.
I have less courage than you.
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For more on count and noncount nouns, see our second handout on
this topic.
After reviewing this handout, try our exercises.
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Count and Noncount Nouns
Exercises
Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab
Count and Noncount Nouns
Exercise 1
Are the following nouns count or noncount? Put an N next to the
noncount nouns and a C next to the count nouns. If the noun can be
either noncount or count depending on the context, put a D next to
it.
world
textbook
acid
smoking
poetry
applause
thought
banana
conduct
progress
biology
essay
crystal
shopping
Exercise 2
Put an X next to the words in the following list that can be used as
either count or noncount nouns, depending on the context.
defense
beauty
garbage
experience
baggage
rain
rug
nature
bag
emotion
Exercise 3
Fill in the blank with the form of the noun in parentheses that is
appropriate to the grammatical context of the sentence and the
meaning of the passage as a whole.
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Diabetes: Beyond the Basics
Because diabetes can cause devastating _________ (damage,
damages) to virtually all body ________ (system, systems), people
with diabetes should not underrate the seriousness of their disease.
Learning to live with a chronic ________ (illness, illnesses) such as
diabetes must be an ongoing process.
The Hospital's Center for Family Life Education is sponsoring a fivepart educational series on diabetes. The series will begin on April 30
and continue through May 29. The _________ (program, programs)
will be held in the second floor classroom of the Education Center
from 7-9 p.m.
The diabetes series is free and open to the public and will be of
specific _________ (interest, interests) to people who have diabetes
and their families and friends.
Exercise 4
On the basis of the rules for using articles discussed in the OWL file
"Count and Noncount Nouns," which combinations of words below
are permitted and which ones aren't? Put an X next to the incorrect
combinations.
a table
these person
this furniture
that
assignment
a boy
the poetry
a difficulty
a research
this eggs
those argument
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate article if one is needed.
The Computer Jungle
Though you can make ____ decision on purely economic grounds,
buying ____ computer is often more like joining ____ religious cult.
Buy ____ Apple, for example, and almost by default you join Apple
chairman Steve Jobs in his crusade against IBM. Every machine has
its "users' groups" and ____ band of loyal enthusiasts who tout its
merits. That makes it all ____ more difficult for ____ uninitiated to
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decide what machine to buy. Students have ____ huge advantage,
however. The computer companies are so eager for students'
business (it builds "brand loyalty") that many offer huge discounts.
In the past six months, IBM, Apple, and others have brought out
new computers, and ____ fierce competition has forced prices down.
Also, time is on your side: next year at ____ time you'll have even
more choice and more computing power and features for ____ same
price. On ____ other hand, this will probably be true for many years.
So for those who need or want ____ computer now, it's a great time
to buy one.
Check your answers, return to the handout, or review our second handout on count
and noncount nouns.
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Answers to Count and Noncount
Noun Exercises
Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
Count and Noncount Nouns
Exercise 1
Are the following nouns count or noncount? Put an N next to the
noncount nouns and a C next to the count nouns. If the noun can be
either noncount or count depending on the context, put a D next to
it.
world C
textbook C
acid D
smoking N
poetry N
applause N
thought D
banana C
conduct N
progress N
biology N
essay C
crystal D
shopping N
Exercise 2
Put an X next to the words in the following list that can be used as
either count or noncount nouns, depending on the context.
defense X
beauty X
garbage ___
experience X
baggage ___
rain X
rug ___
nature ___
bag ___
emotion X
Exercise 3
Fill in the blank with the form of the noun in parentheses that is
appropriate to the grammatical context of the sentence and the
meaning of the passage as a whole.
Diabetes: Beyond the Basics
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Because diabetes can cause devastating damage to virtually all body
systems, people with diabetes should not underrate the seriousness
of their disease. Learning to live with a chronic illness such as
diabetes must be an ongoing process.
The Hospital's Center for Family Life Education is sponsoring a fivepart educational series on diabetes. The series will begin on April 30
and continue through May 29. The program will be held in the
second floor classroom of the Education Center from 7-9 p.m.
The diabetes series is free and open to the public and will be of
specific interest to people who have diabetes and their families and
friends.
Exercise 4
On the basis of the rules for using articles, which combinations of
words below are permitted and which ones aren't? Put an X next to
the incorrect combinations.
____ a table
X these
person
____ this
furniture
____ that
assignment
____ a boy
____ the poetry
____ a difficulty
X a research
X this eggs
X those argument
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate article if one is needed.
The Computer Jungle
Though you can make the decision on purely economic grounds,
buying a computer is often more like joining a religious cult. Buy an
Apple, for example, and almost by default you join Apple chairman
Steve Jobs in his crusade against IBM. Every machine has its "users'
groups" and a band of loyal enthusiasts who tout its merits. That
makes it all the more difficult for the uninitiated to decide what
machine to buy. Students have a huge advantage, however. The
13
computer companies are so eager for students' business (it builds
"brand loyalty") that many offer huge discounts.
In the past six months, IBM, Apple, and others have brought out
new computers, and the fierce competition has forced prices down.
Also, time is on your side: next year at this time you'll have even
more choice and more computing power and features for the same
price. On the other hand, this will probably be true for many years.
So for those who need or want a computer now, it's a great time to
buy one.