What is a count noun?

Count nouns can be separated into individual units and counted. They usually have
both a singular and a plural form. Most English nouns are count nouns.
 one phone, two phones
 one dog, two dogs

 one shirt, two shirts

What is a noncount noun?

Noncount (or uncountable) nouns exist as masses or abstract quantities that cannot be
counted. They have no plural form. Although most English nouns are count nouns,
noncount nouns frequently occur in academic writing.
Here are some common categories of noncount nouns. Like all things in English (and
language in general), there may be exceptions.
A mass: work, equipment, homework, money, transportation, clothing, luggage,
jewelry, traffic
A natural substance: air, ice, water, fire, wood, blood, hair, gold, silver
Food: milk, rice, coffee, bread, sugar, meat, water
An abstract concept: advice, happiness, health, education, research, knowledge,
information, time
A game: soccer, tennis, basketball, hockey, football, chess, checkers
A disease: diabetes, measles, polio, influenza, malaria, hypothyroidism, arthritis
A subject of study: economics, physics, astronomy, biology, history, statistics
A language: Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, English
An activity (in the –ing form): swimming, dancing, reading, smoking, drinking,
studying
Practice
1..Write C for Count nouns and N for noncount nouns(20)
1._______coffee 7._______teacher 13.______rice 19.______chair
2._______letter 8._______weather 14.______house 20.______money
3._______city 9._______banana 15.______advice 21____butter
4._______traffic 10.______milk 16.______food 22.____a cup of tea
5._______cheese 11.______gold 17.______bed 23. ______A glass of milk

6._______flower 12._____meat 18.______sugar 24._______Pork

Exercise 1

Underline the noun in each sentence and write ‘C’ or ‘U’ to show whether the noun is countable or
uncountable.

1. That is a very good painting. __________

2. I don’t like coffee. __________

3. I need two clean glasses. __________

4. She bought a new iron yesterday. __________

5. They’ve got plenty of coal. __________

6. Would you like some chicken? __________

7. Too much cake isn’t good for you. __________

8. She ate a whole chicken. __________.

9. How much flour did you buy? __________.

10. Hope keeps me going. __________

 a. beef________ e. sugar________ i. pear_______ m. melon______
b. coffee______ f. strawberry j. Jam______ n. bread_____
c. peach______ g. tea_________ k. a cup of o. milk_____
d. onion______ h. pork________ p. butter____
tea_______
l. a glass of

milk___

Exercise 1

1. C 2. U 3. C 4. C 5. U 6. U 7. U 8. C 9. U 10. U