 The basic rules: Count and noncount nouns
 Count and noncount nouns with adjectives
 Other basic rules

 A count noun can be expressed in plural form, usually with an "s."
 For example, "cat —cats," "season— seasons," "student —students.“
 car, man, key, house, flower, idea, accident

 A noncount noun cannot be expressed in a plural form.
 For example, "milk," "water," "air," "money,"
"food."
 advice, information, weather, news, bread, hair, furniture, paper, work, baggage
 Usually, you can't say, "He had many moneys."


If sentence is true, write OK. If it’s wrong, correct with a/an.







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. it usually contains the two kinds of nouns:
Class noun
Tractor panda factory teacher
Collective noun
Class herd crowd army
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).
Material noun
Steel grain fire cotton
Abstract noun
Happiness life work whiteness

Usually, some word has different meanings in the different sentences.
 I've had some difficulties finding a job. (refers to a number of specific problems)
 She succeeded in school with little difficulty. (refers to the general idea of school being difficult)
 The city was filled with bright lights and harsh sounds. (refers to a number of specific lights and noises)
 Light travels faster than sound. (refers to the way light and sound behave in general)

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; -es ; noncount nouns don't pluralize at all

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. So, we can separate the noun into 4 parts: the Count Noun, Count Use, Noncount
Noun, Noncount Use

Count Noun
Count Use
Noncount Noun
Noncount Use
Pluralizes with -s
XX
XX
Doesn't Pluralize
XX
XX

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
2) singular or plural. Both count nouns (whether singular or plural) and noncount nouns take articles.

a, an
XX the
XX this, that these, those no article
XX
Count singular
Count plural
Noncount
XX
XX XX
XX XX
XX

Count singular
Count plural
Noncount much, less, little, a little, very little some, any, most, more, all, a lot of, no, none of the many, both, several, few/fewer/fewes t, a few, one of the, a couple of each, every, any, one
XX
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.

1. Countability and uncountability of English nouns
Countable nouns - could be used with indefinite articles, such as, a, an, or
one, two, many, a large number of, plenty of. They show the number.
Uncountable nouns - cannot be used with indefinite articles, but with
« much », « a little », « a large amount of », « plenty of », etc. They show the quantity.
Something that is countable, but rarely counted, such as « hair » and « rice », is considered as uncountable. Remember: uncountable nouns always go with singular verbs. Ex.,
1. The CNN news is always very informative.
2. This ink is not suitable for my pen.
3. The rice from Thailand tastes very good.

2. Common errors - determining the real subject
A box of eggs (is, are) on the table.
The memoranda (is, are) not important.
Fifty years (is, are) not a long time.
The United States (is, are) in North America.
3. Parenthetical elements between subject and verb
If a subject is followed by a parenthetical element like, as well as, besides, like, together
with, in addition to, as much as, no less than, etc., the verb is often mistaken as plural.
Ex., a.
My sister, together with Bob and John, (is, are) gone.
b.
The boy, like his father, (sit, sits) still.
c.
Your father, rather than your brother, (is, are) responsible for the act.

4. Colletive nouns family board enemy crew committee audience crowd party reader
 This group of nouns can both be singular and plural, depending on the situations.
○
○
This class has only 16 students.
The class are all listining to me.

○
○
○
○
○
Other nouns have singular forms but plural contents, so the verbs to be used must be plural.
people, cattle, police, etc.
Japanese are a hard-working people.
The cattle are in the shed.
Fish are cold-blooded.
Why Iraq’s police are a menace?
The youth of Taiwan have lofty ideals.

5. Plural nouns commonly misused as singular
The following nouns are always plural: annals ashes billiards dregs pants scissors tweezers leavings pliers shears wages goods pincers thanks clothes obsequies remains trousers
6. Singular nouns with plural forms acoustics comics ethics aeronautics dynamics hydraulics mathematics means phonetics physics
United States whereabouts athletics economics linguistics news politics civics esthetics magnetics optics statistics
7. Incorrect use of uncountable nouns
- There are many evidences; He gave me several informations.
- Several deformations are observed in this mountain belt.
- This is a good news.
- He gave me many good advices; Do you have other softwares?
- What progresses have you made? He has plenty of knowledges.

 I have many good news to tell you.
(Some or so much)
 I saw a flock of sheeps in the meadow.
 The tailor cut the cloth with a scissors.


I received many e-mails yesterday.
This cattle (is, are) from Australia, not from
Holland.
 He has plenty of knowledges.
 Her family (is, are) all waiting for her.
 Politics (is, are) much more difficult than physics.

 Food & Drink : beef, bread, cheese, milk, water, rice, ice cream
 Nonfood: air, coal, plastic, wood, dirt, petroleum, soap, steel
 Abstract: advice, anger, beauty, fun, information, knowledge, truth
 Other: research, clothing, furniture, weather, work, equipment
 Language:
English, Mandarin, French

 Uncountable nouns are not plural
 We need some information[s] about rainforests.
 He asked me for some advice[s].
 Wood and steel are used in construction.
 Uncountable
 The CNN news is always very informative.


This ink is not suitable for my pen.
The rice from Thailand tastes very good.

 Uncountable nouns do not usually need an article (a, an), because those articles imply specific individuals
 Furniture makes our houses more comfortable.
 We had some delicious beef for dinner.
 Knowledge is power.
 Time is money.
 Geology is an interesting field of study.

 But Uncountable nouns do take the referring to the group or concept as a whole
 The air in this room is cool.
 The pork in this restaurant is very good.
 The dirt on the wall is very messy
 The knowledge we have gained will be useful to us.

 Some adjectives for uncountable nouns
 analysis
 paper
 a statistical analysis
 a scientific paper
 calculation  a computer calculation
 a little rain
 less violence
 more coffee
 enough money
 any homework

 More examples
 a bottle of water
 a cup of coffee
 a carton of milk
 a loaf of bread
 a piece of advice
 a cubic meter of wood
 a tube of toothpaste
 an item of information
 an article/piece of furniture






Some deformation (is/are) observed in this mountain belt.
These windows are made of (glass/glasses).
(Many/Much) clothing is needed in cold weather.
I ate six (loaves/slices) of bread for breakfast this morning.
In the number 198,700,504,000, there are six
(0s/0’s)

English articles, in comparison with nouns, verbs, adverbs, etc., appear to be unimportant; they are often overlooked by the learner of English. However, article is used the most frequently among the 10 categories of words. The presence or absence of an article may significantly change the meaning of a sentence.
Correct use of article is indeed very important, but it is not an easy thing to do.
Indefinite article exists in two forms: a, an
Test: which one is correct?
1.
Do you have father? Do you have a father?
2.
I need a secretary and treasurer. I need a secretary and a tresurer.
(two different meanings)
3. Happy New Year to you. A Happy New Year to you.
4.
Heineken is a good beer. Heineken is good beer.
(Material noun in normally uncountable. However, if it represents a kind, a part, or a brand, then it becomes a countable noun.)

Definite article « the »
The most important concept of « definite article » is to distinguish a particular object from a group of similar objects. In general, the use of a definite article is more flexible and complicated than that of an indefinite article. Consequently, the chance of misuse is also greater.
Ex.,
1.
Do you play piano? Do you play the piano?
2.
Do you play tennis? Do you play the tennis?
3.
He is very good at baseball. He is very good at the baseball.
4.
Sun usually sets before moon rises. The sun usually sets before the moon rises. (unique subject needs it; other examples: the earth, the world, the universe, the Pacific)
5.
The pen is mightier than the sword (abstract concept needs it).
6.
Proper nouns do not need articles unless they are rivers, oceans, bays, ranges, islands, or country names (The Yangtse River, the
Thames, the Japan Sea, the Rockies, the Philippines, the U.S.A.)
7.
Abstract nouns do not need articles:
Honesty is the best policy; Diligence is the father of success.