COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS.

All nouns are countable (countable or count nouns) or countless (countable or mass
nouns). The difference between countable and uncountable nouns is very simple:
accountants have plural form and can be counted, while countless, no. The great
majority of nouns belongs to the first category, and even within the second we can
make exceptions and count a countless noun, as for example in this common phrase:
can I have two beers, please?

1.- COUNTABLE NOUNS.

The countable names or nouns are those that can be counted. They are those that
have a singular and plural form.
Example:
 one [a] pencil (un lápiz)
 two cats (dos gatos)
 three houses (tres casas)
 Where is the cucumber? It is in the fridge.
 Where are the cucumbers? They are in the fridge.

They are those that have a singular and plural form. ‘a’ y ‘an’.
We can count them using numbers: a cucumber, one cucumber, 2 cucumbers, 4
cucumbers.
1.1.- GRAMATICAL RULES.
1.- Accounting names have a plural form:
 egg → eggs(huevo/s).
 bicycle → bicycles(bicicleta/s).
 dress → dresses(vestido/s).
2.- You can use "a" or "an" with countable names in the singular, examples:
 an apple (an apple).
 a house (a house).
3.- Se pueden usar números delante de un contable, examples:
 three apples (tres manzanas).
 five houses (cinco casas).

2.- UNCONTABLE NOUNS.

The names or countless nouns are those that we can not count because we can not
delimit them individually but they are part of a whole. They are treated as singular
(plurals can not be added by adding "-s").
They are those that have a unique form and only admit the singular verb.

salt (sal), wood (madera), tea (té), wine (vino),

sugar (azúcar), bread(pan), furniture (muebles
), hair (pelo), information (información), money
(dinero), weather (tiempo), time (tiempo),
rice (arroz)…

They are those that have a unique form and only admit the singular verb.
 Is there any bread left?
 We can not use 'a' or 'an'.
 The form does not vary, it is always bread.
 We can not count them without helping us with other words. It would be wrong
to say one bread, two breads. We need to add other words that allow us to
quantify them: a piece of bread, a grain of sugar, a useful bit of advice, etc.
However, at the time we delimit them, these same names or nouns become
countable. They must be preceded, if they want to individualize, of some word with
partitive value, example:
Ejemplos:
 gram of salt (un gramo de sal).
 a piece of Wood (un trozo de madera).
 two cups of tea (dos tazas de té).
 three glasses of wine (tres vasos de vino).

2.1.- GRAMATICAL RULES.

1.- Countless names do not have a plural form:
 rice (rice) – rices.
 milk – milks.
2.- We can not use "a" or "an" with countless names.
 a milk
3.- We can not use numbers in front of a countless.
 two rices.

3.- COUNTLESS AND COUNTLESS NOUNS:

HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE THEM?
The countable names and the countless ones combine with different words. If we find
a word preceded by another word that only combines with countless, we already have
the answer. Take a look at the list:
 They only go with accountants: a / an, few, fewer, many, several.
 They only go with countless: little, less, least, much.
Also, if you've heard the word before, you can try counting units or putting a / n ahead
to see how it sounds. Watch out! There are many countless nouns that can be used
as accountants in the right context, in addition to many errors of use in oral English.
Here are some examples of accounting uses of normally countable nouns:
 We are expecting heavy rains later this week: "rain" is usually uncountable but
there are abundant examples like this one.

 They sell three different flours in this shop: "flour" is uncountable, but it can be
used in the plural to talk about types of flour.

 We would need three Earths to sustain our lifestyle: here we are using the
plural of Earth in a hypothetical way.

 The red wines were excellent: such a phrase could appear after a wine tasting,
referring to different types or a full glass.