Page 213 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

countable and uncountable nouns

Countable nouns are words like car, book, chair. They can be singular or plural.
Uncountable nouns are words like petrol, rice, water. They are only singular.

the uncountable nouns.
dog flower guitar love meat music ear oil photo river
snow sugar women wool

The following words are uncountable in English (but countable in some other languages). They are
normally only singular. We can use some with them, but not a/an. (NOT a travel, a furniture)
advice baggage bread furniture hair information knowledge luck
luggage news spaghetti (and macaroni etc) travel work
I need some advice. This furniture is too expensive.
His hair is very long. Travel teaches you a lot.

^ Put a with the countable nouns and some with the uncountable nouns.
..............bread cheque ........ baggage ............... fridge ................ furniture
..............handbag .................holiday ..............knowledge ............... luck
..............newspaper .................problem ..............station ..............travel ...............work

^ Put in suitable uncountable nouns from the box.

advice baggage furniture hair information / news spaghetti travel work

► Can you give me some . ...................about the school?

1 'Have you got much ? ''No, just one small bag.'

2 I live 50 kilometres from my work, so I spend a lot of money o n .............................................
3 This...............................................isn't very good. You've cooked it for too long.
4 I've stopped reading the papers. The...............................................is always bad.
5 I don't know what to do. Can you give me some.............................................?
6 All this...............................................is from my mother's house.

7 I've got too much.............................................and not enough free time.
8 I like your.............................................. when it's long like this.

To give a countable meaning, we usually use a longer expression or a different word.
Can you give me a piece of advice? Did you have a good journey?

^ Put in words or expressions from the box.

a piece of advice a piece of baggage/ a piece of information
a piece of news a job a journey

► asuitcase ..?. .1?he?.e. P.f. P. ?.0.0.?.0.e................................
.
1 selling cars ....................................................................

2 driving from London to Edinburgh ....................................................................
3 'Don't marry him, dear.' ....................................................................
4 'The next train leaves at 10.15.' ....................................................................
5 'There has been a big train crash.' ....................................................................

For articles with countable and uncountable nouns, see page 153.

198 NOUNS