COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS An uncountable noun has only one form.

Uncountable nouns are things we cannot count. You cannot normally use a/an with uncountable nouns. They have no plural. The following are common nouns that are usually uncountable: Accommodation, advice, behaviour, luck, bread, copper, (and all other metals), English, (and all other languages), furniture, health, information, permission, knowledge, luggage, baggage, news, progress, research, rice, (and all other grains and cereals), salt, pepper, (and all other condiments), scenery, spaghetti, traffic, travel (noun meaning travelling in general), trouble, chaos, damage, electricity, water, (and all other liquids), sand, weather, work, money, music. You can use uncountable nouns alone without the/ my/ some, etc. Theres blood on your shirt. UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS Im looking for work. What beautiful scenery! Its nice weather today. We had a lot of luggage. This furniture in mine. It was good advice.

COUNTABLE NOUNS Im looking for a job. What a beautiful view! Its a nice day today. We had a lot of bags and suitcases. These chairs are mine. It was a good suggestion. Determiners used with uncountable nouns: You can use some and any with uncountable nouns: We listened to some music. Did you buy any apple juice? Much I dont have much money. How much salt does it say to put in the sauce?

Lots; a lot of Ive had lots/a lot of spaghetti. I dont think I could eat another. A little; a bit of = at least some Ill have a little time this afternoon if you would like to come and see me. Could I have a little of cheese? It looks delicious. Little = almost none Little money was spent on the building and it began to fall down almost as soon as we moved in. She made little effort and didnt do well in the exam. A slice; a lump; a piece: with uncountable nouns for food. How much sugar do you want? One lump or two? Ill just have a small slice of cake, thanks. Would you like another piece of toast?

COUNTABLE NOUNS A countable noun can be singular or plural. Countable nouns are things we can count. You cannot use singular countable nouns alone (without a/the/my, etc.) I want a banana. There has been an accident. We use a/an to say what kind of thing or person something or somebody is. Specially to say what somebodys job is: A dog is an animal. Jill is a really nice person. Im an optimist. What a pretty dress! Tims father is a doctor. Sandra is a nurse. Are you a good driver? Would you like to be an English teacher? We say somebody has a long nose / a nice face / a strong heart, etc. In sentences like these, we use plural nouns alone (not with some): Most of my friends are students. What awful shoes! Jills parents are really nice people. Jack has blue eyes. You can use plural countable nouns alone. I like bananas. (bananas in general) Accidents can be prevented.

Determiners used with countable nouns: Many: with plural countable nouns. We didnt make many photographs. How many twins d you know? There are many countries in the world where you can enjoy excellent skiing. Lots; a lot of: with plural countable nouns. Theyve got lots/a lot of friends and relatives in Australia. Few: with plural countable nouns. It means some but not many. Before few you can use: The indefinite article a A few of my friends and I are going out to dinner together this Saturday. There were only a few people on the bus. The last, the first, the next, every Over the next few days I want you to make sure you get plenty of rest. For the first few months, I felt a bit shy and insecure. We see the every few weeks. Fewer: is the comparative of few. It can be followed by than. There were fewer people at the party than we had expected. There will be fewer jobs in industry in the future. You can use some and any with plural countable nouns: We sang some songs. Did you buy any apples? We use some in two ways: 1) Some = a number of / a few of / a pair of: Ive seen some good movies recently. I need some new sunglasses. (= a new pair of sunglasses) Do not use some when you are talking about things in general: My aunt is a writer. She writes books. Sometimes you can make sentences with or without some (with no difference in meaning): There are (some) eggs in the refrigerator if you are hungry. 2) Some = some, but not all: Some children learn very quickly. (but not all children) Some police officers in Britain carry guns, but most of them dont.

NOUNS WHICH CAN BE COUNTABLE OR UNCOUNTABLE 1. Nouns we think of as single things or substances: Egg Would you like a boiled egg for breakfast? Chicken I bought a chicken to have for Sunday lunch. Well have to buy a new iron. This one just doesnt get Iron the creases out. Glass Hair Paper 2. Pass me a glass and Ill pour you a drink. Waiter! Theres a hair in my soup. I bought a paper to read.

You have split egg on your tie. There was a choice between chicken or fish on the plane. People learned to make implements from iron. What did people use for windows before the invented glass? Shes got long blonde hair. I need some paper to write on.

Normally uncountable nouns which are used to refer to particular varieties. They produce a very good white wine on that island. Would you like wine with your meal? Words for drinks (coffee/tea/beer). The countable noun means a glass of, a cup of, a bottle of, etc. Why dont we stop for a coffee? Coffee is very expensive at the moment. Theres a beer in the fridge if you want one. People in Belgium drink beer more than wine. Time, space, room, experience We had a really good time at Joss party. Fill in the spaces with a suitable word. Have you got a single room with shower? Id like a coffee, please. Enjoy your vacation. Have a good time! I had some interesting experiences while I was away. Im sorry I havent got time to talk to you now. Can you call me later? All this old wardrobe does it take up space. There is room for one more in this compartment. I like coffee. I cant wait. I dont have time. They offered me the job because I had a lot of experience.

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THE INDEFITE ARTICLE: A/AN We use the indefinite article: 1. With (singular) jobs, etc. She is an engineer. Is your father a football fan, too? With singular countable nouns (mentioned for the first time or when it doesnt matter which one). Id like a small salad and a glass of mineral water. What you need is a decent holiday. Tom sat down on a chair. (perhaps one of many chairs in the room) With these numbers: 100, 1,000, 1,000,000. There were over a hundred people at the party. He wants a thousand pounds for that old car of his. He had made a million dollars by the time he was sixteen. In exclamations about singular countable nouns. What a fantastic view! With once a week / three times a day / $1.20 a pound, etc.: How often do you go to the movies? About once a month. How much are those potatoes? A dollar a pound. She works eight hours a day, six days a week.

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THE DEFINITE ARTICLE: THE Use the definite article the to talk about the following: Inventions (also for musical instruments) When was the telescope invented? The bicycle is an excellent means of transportation. Can you play the guitar? The piano is my favourite instrument. Remember: we usually say the radio, but television (without the) I often listen to the radio. We heard the news on the radio. I often watch television. We watched the news on television. BUT Can you turn off the television, please? (= the television set) Im going to buy a new radio / television. (=television set) Species of animals The domestic cat has lived alongside humans since the time of the Pharaohs. The giraffe is the tallest of all animals. (The giraffe = one particular type of animal, not one particular giraffe.) People (with plural names) Do you know the Wilsons? They are a very nice couple. Do you know the Mitchells? (the Mitchell family) Oceans, seas, rivers, and canals My sister says the Pacific is not as blue as the Aegean. You can take a cruise along the Rhine. the Atlantic (Ocean) the Amazon (River) the Indian Ocean the Red Sea the Caribbean (Sea) the Suez Canal Mountain ranges (the Rocky Mountains / the Rockies, the Alps, etc.) Are the Andes as high as the Dolomites? Island groups (the Canaries / the Canary Islands, the Bahamas, the Hawaiian Islands, etc.) The Galapagos Islands are off the coast of Ecuador. Countries (with plural names: the Netherlands, the Philippines, etc.) Last year I visited Mxico and the United States.

the Nile the English Channel (between France and Britain)

Areas Theres flooding in the northwest and a terrible drought in the south. the north (of Mexico) BUT northern Mexico (without the) the southeast (of Canada) BUT south-eastern Canada (without the) Compare: Sweden is in northern Europe; Spain is in the south. Also: the Middle East / the Far East You can also use north/south, etc; + a place name (without the): North America / West Africa / southeast Texas Organizations (the European Union, the Red Cross, etc.) BUT remember that the names of companies, airlines, etc; are usually without the: Fiat, Sony, Kodak, United Airlines, IBM, etc. Hotels, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, deserts, museums, galleries, other buildings, bridges (the Hilton Hotel, the Sheraton Hotel, the Bombay Restaurant, the Holiday Inn-hotel-, the Shubert Theatre, the Cineplex Odeon, the Sahara Desert, the Metropolitan Museum, the National Gallery, the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the White House, etc.) They spent the first night of their honeymoon at the Ritz. That film Robert Redford directed is on at the Odeon. Theyre putting on a production of Miss Saigon at the Palais. (theatre) The sand on this beach was imported from the Sahara. Sometimes we leave out the noun: the Hilton, the Sahara. Sometimes the name is only the + noun: the Vatican (in Rome), the Pentagon (in Washington, D.C.) Remember: go to the cinema / go to the theatre I often go to the cinema, but I havent been to the theatre for ages. There isnt a theatre in this town.

Newspapers (the Washington Post, the Financial Times, etc.) You can get The Times, The Guardian, The Independent and several other British newspapers here. Names with of usually have the. For example: the Bank of Montreal the Houses of Congress the Gulf of Mexico the Tower of London the Great Wall of China the University of Michigan the Museum of Modern Art the Tropic of Capricorn National groups (the + nationality = the people of that country) The French are famous for their food. (= the people of France) The Chinese invented printing. Note that the French, the English, etc, are plural in meaning. We dont say a French, an English, etc. We say a Frenchman, an Englishwoman, etc. But the Chinese, the Japanese, the Sudanese, the Vietnamese, the Swiss, etc, can be also singular a Chinese, a Japanese, a Sudanese, a Vietnamese, a Swiss, etc. With other nationalities, the plural noun ends in s. For example: Mexicans, Italians, Thais, etc. With these words, we do not normally use the to talk about the people in general.

Also use the definite article: the same Your sweater is the same colour as mine. These two pictures are the same. With superlatives Hes the tallest, the most handsome and the nicest boy in our class. THE + ADJECTIVE: we use the + adjective (without a noun) to talk about groups of people especially: Do you think the rich should pay more taxes to help the poor? (= the rich people) The homeless need more help from the government. These expressions are always plural in meaning. You cannot say a young or an unemployed. You must say a young man, an unemployed woman, etc. the young the poor the injured the rich the disabled the homeless the sick the elderly the dead the old the unemployed etc.

When there is only one thing What is the longest river in the world? (There is only one longest river.) The earth goes around the sun, and the moon goes around the earth. Im going away at the end of this month. Paris is the capital of France. I sometimes think the world is not a very nice place. The sun is a star. The hotel we stayed at was a very nice hotel. To talk about particular nouns when it is clear what we are referring to The dollar is the currency (= the money) of the United States. Wheres the dog? I want to take him for a walk. Close the window, will you? Its freezing in here. The sky / the sea / the ocean / the ground / the country / the environment We looked up at all the stars in the sky. Would you like to live in the country? (= not in a city) We must do more to protect the environment (the natural world around us) Note that we say space (without the) when we mean space in the universe: There are millions of stars in space. BUT I tried to park my car, but the space was too small. To talk about previously mentioned things Take one egg, a small onion and a bunch of parsley. Break the egg into a bowl.

THE ZERO ARTICLE Use no article to talk about: Continents, countries and states, islands, cities, towns, villages, mountains, lakes Theyre travelling through Asia. Have you been to Peru? They have reached the summit of Mount Everest. Are Lake Constance and Lake Como both in Switzerland? San Andres is a village just along the coast from here. Horsham is a pleasant town near the Sussex coast. And now its over to Jack Russell for the latest news from Washington. We live near the lake. BUT They live near Lake Superior. Continents Africa, Asia, South America, etc. Countries and states France, Japan, Brazil, Texas, etc. Islands Bermuda, Sicily, Vancouver Island, etc. Cities, towns, etc. Cairo, New York, Bangkok, etc. Mountains Mount Everest, Mount McKinley, Kilimanjaro, Fuji, etc. Lakes Lake Superior, Lake Titicaca. BUT we use the in names with Republic, Kingdom, States, etc. the Dominican Republic the Czech Republic the United Kingdom (the UK) the United States of America (the USA) Streets, roads, squares, parks, etc. (Union Street, Wilshire Boulevard, Fifth Avenue, Broadway, Central Park, Times Square, etc.) Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road are very busy shopping streets in London. Many names (especially names of important buildings and institutions) are two words. When the first word is the name of a person (Kennedy) or a place (Cambridge) we do not usually use the. Kennedy Airport Cambridge University Penn Station Lincoln Centre Boston University Buckingham Palace Carnegie Hall BUT we say the White House and the Royal Palace because white and royal are not names. (This is only a general rule and there are exceptions.) Magazines Do you read Time magazine?

Names of companies, airlines, etc. (Fiat, Sony, Kodak, United Airlines, IBM) Many stores, restaurants, hotels, banks, etc; are named after the people who started them. These manes end in s or s. Lloyds Bank McDonalds Macys Harrahs (casino) Churches are often named after saints: St. Johns Church, St. Patricks Cathedral. Mr. / Mrs. / Captain / Doctor, etc; + a name: Mr. Johnson, Doctor Johnson, Captain Johnson, President Johnson, etc. Uncle Robert, Aunt Jane, Saint Catherine, Princess Anne, etc. We called the doctor. BUT We called Doctor Johnson. Illnesses The twins have got measles and Ive got flu. BUT: I think Ill go and lie down- Ive got a headache. Uncountable, plural and abstract nouns used in their general sense We buy fruit and vegetables at the market, but we get bread from a bakery near our house. I dont like people who try to impress you with how much money they have got. Love makes the world go round. Im afraid of dogs. (dogs in general, not a particular group of dogs) Doctors are paid more than teachers. Do you collect stamps? Crime is a problem in most big cities. Life has changed a lot in the last 30 years. Do you often listen to classical music? Do you like Chinese food / French cheese / Swiss chocolate? My favourite sport is football / skiing / running. My favourite subject in school was history / physics / English. We say most people, most books, most cars, etc. (not the most...) Most people like George. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. We dont normally use the with the names of meals. What did you have for breakfast? We had lunch at a very nice restaurant. What time is dinner? BUT we use a if there is an adjective before breakfast/lunch, etc. We had a very nice lunch. Noun + number (Room 126 -in a hotel-, Gate 10, page 29 -of a book-, Section A, etc.) Our plane leaves from Gate 10. (in a store) Do you have these shoes in size 11? Go to bed / be in bed, etc. Its time to go to bed. This morning I had breakfast in bed. BUT: I sat down on the bed. (= a particular piece of furniture) Go to work / be at work / start work / finish work, etc. Ann didnt go to work yesterday. What time do you usually finish work? Go home / come home / get home / be (at) home, etc. Its late. Lets go home. Will you be (at) home tomorrow afternoon? Go to sea / be at sea (when the meaning is go/be on voyage) Keith is a sailor. He spends most of his life at sea. BUT: Id like to live near the sea. It can be dangerous to swim in the sea.

WITHOUT THE Claudia is 10 years old. Every day she goes to school. She is at school now. School begins at 9:00 and finishes at 3:00. When we say a child goes to school or is in school (as a student), we are not necessarily thinking of a particular school. We are thinking of school as a general idea.

WITH THE Today Claudias mother wants to speak to her daughters teacher. So she has gone to the school to see her. Shes at the school now. Claudias mother is not a student. She is not in school, she doesnt go to school. But if she wants to see Claudias teacher, she goes to the school. (= Claudias school, a particular school)

PRISON / JAIL / COLLEGE / CHURCH We do not use the when we are thinking of the general idea of these places and what they are used for. WITHOUT THE Kens brother is in prison / jail for robbery. (He is a prisoner. We are not thinking of a particular prison.) When I finish high school, I want to go to college. Mrs. Kelly goes to church every Sunday. (=to a religious service) WITH THE Ken went to the prison / the jail to visit his brother. (He went as a visitor, not as a prisoner.) Dan is a student at the college where I used to work. (= a particular college) The workers went to the church to repair the roof. (not for a religious service)

We use the when we mean particular things or people. IN GENERAL (without the) PARTICULAR PEOPLE OR THINGS (with the) We took the children to the zoo. (= a particular group, perhaps Children learn a lot from playing. (= children in general) the speakers own children) The movie wasnt very good, but I liked the music. (= the I often listen to music. music in the movie) All the cars in this parking lot belong to people who work All cars have wheels. here. Sugar isnt very good for you. Can you pass the sugar, please? (= the sugar on the table) Do the Americans you know drink tea? (= only the Americans Do Americans drink much tea? (= Americans in general) you know) The difference between something in general and something in particular is not always very clear. Compare: IN GENERAL (WITHOUT THE) PARTICULAR PEOPLE OR THINGS (WITH THE) I like working with people. (= people in general) I like the people I work with. (= a particular group of I like working with people who are lively. (not all the people) people, but people who are lively is still a general idea) Did you like the coffee we had after dinner last night? (= Do you like coffee? (= coffee in general) a particular coffee) Do you like strong black coffee? (not all coffee, but strong black coffee is still a general idea)

SINGULAR AND PLURAL Sometimes we use a plural noun for one thing that has two parts. For example: Pants (two legs) / jeans / slacks (= trousers) / shorts / etc. Pyjamas (top and bottom) Glasses Binoculars Scissors These words are plural, so they take a plural verb: Those are nice jeans. BUT you can say a pair of..., in that case we use a singular verb: Thats a nice pair of jeans. Some nouns end in ics, but are not usually plural. For example: economics, electronics, gymnastics, mathematics, physics, politics, etc. >>> Gymnastics is my favourite sport. NEWS IS NOT PLURAL! >>> What time is the news on television? Some words ending in s can be singular or plural. For example: a means of transportation many means of transportation means a television series two television series series a species of bird 200 species of birds species

WE ALWAYS USE A PLURAL VERB WITH POLICE: The police have arrested a friend of mine. Do you think the police are well paid? BUT: a police officer / a policewoman / a policeman We do not often use the plural of person (persons). We normally use people (a plural word): Hes a very nice person. They are nice people. Many people dont have enough to eat. We think of a sum of money, a period of time, a distance, etc, as one thing. So we use a singular verb: Twenty thousand dollars (= it) was stolen in the robbery. Three years (=it) is a long time to be without a job. Six miles is a long way to walk every day.

NOUN + NOUN We often use two nouns together to mean one thing/person/idea, etc. The first noun is like an adjective, it tells us what kind of thing/person/idea, etc. For example: a tennis ball = a ball used to play tennis a Boston doctor = a doctor from Boston a car accident = an accident that happens while driving in a car income tax = tax that you pay on your income the water temperature = the temperature of the water (in an ocean, a lake, etc.) a television camera / a television program / a television studio / a television producer = all these different things or people have to do with television language problems / marriage problems / health problems / work problems = all these are different kinds of problems Often the first word ends in ing. Usually these are things used for doing something. For example: a frying pan (a pan for frying) a washing machine a swimming pool a dining room Sometimes are more than two nouns together: I waited at the hotel reception desk. We watched the World Swimming Championships on television. Everyone is talking about the government corruption scandal. When nouns are together like this (noun + noun), sometimes we write them as one word and sometimes as two separate words. For example: a headache toothpaste a weekend a swimming pool pea soup BUT: there are no clear rules for this. If you are not sure, it is usually better to write two words. NOTE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN:

garden vegetables = vegetables that are grown in a garden a vegetable garden = a garden where vegetables are grown a wineglass = the glass may be empty a glass of wine = a glass with wine in it a tool box = the box may be empty a box of tools = a box full of tools

When we use noun + noun, the first noun is normally singular, but the meaning is often plural. For example, a bookstore is a store where you can buy books, and an apple tree is a tree that has apples. In the same way we say: a tree hour trip a ten dollar bill a four week English course two 14 year old girls a three page letter Compare: It was a three hour trip. >>> The trip took three hours.

-S (the girls name) and OF... (the name of the book) We normally use -s for people or animals: Where is the managers office? What colour are Karens eyes? What is Karens brothers name? This isnt my book. Its my brothers. (the horses tail / Mr. Evans daughter / etc.) We dont always use -s for people. For example: What is the name of the man who lent us the money? (the man who lent us the money is too long to be followed by -s) Note that we say a womans hat (= a hat for a woman), a boys name (= a name for a boy), a birds egg (= an egg laid by a bird), etc. For things, ideas, etc, we normally use of.... Sometimes you can use the structure noun + noun: the door of the garage >>> the garage door the owner of the cafe >>> the cafe owner We normally use of with: the beginning, the end, the top, the bottom, the front, the back, etc: the beginning of the month the back of the car You can usually use either -s or of... for an organization (= a group of people). So you can say: the governments decision OR the decision of the government the companys success OR the success of the company It is also possible to use -s for places. So you can say: the citys new theatre the worlds population Brazils largest city After a singular noun we use s. After a plural noun we put (an apostrophe) after the s: my sisters room the Carters house If a plural noun doesnt end in s, we use s: the mens changing room a childrens book Note that you can use s after more than one noun: Jack and Jills wedding Mr. And Mrs. Carters house You can use s with time expressions (yesterday/ next week, etc): Do you still have yesterdays newspaper? Next weeks meeting has been cancelled. In the same way, you can say: todays / tomorrows / this evenings / Mondays, etc. We also use s (or s with plural words) with periods of time: I have a weeks vacation starting on Monday. Sally needs eight hours sleep a night. Brenda got to work 15 minutes late but lost an hours pay.