Count and Noncount Nouns

What do you like I usually have soup,

to have for lunch? a few crackers, and
some fruit.
 Some nouns are countable.
Some nouns are not countable.

What do you like I usually have soup,

to have for lunch? a few crackers, and
some fruit.

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 Countable nouns are called count nouns.
Non-countable are called noncount nouns.

What do you like I usually have soup,

to have for lunch? a few crackers, and
some fruit.

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 Some common count nouns

Singular Plural Count nouns can be

an apple four apples singular or plural.
one book three books
a computer two computers
an egg six eggs Numbers and a/an can
an email seven emails be used to describe
a potato five potatoes count nouns.
a bag three bags

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4
Some common
noncount nouns

broccoli
cheese Noncount nouns are
furniture usually singular.
happiness
mail
money
rice
salt
sugar
water
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 Single items are often count nouns.
A group of items is often a noncount noun.

Count Nouns Noncount Noun

letter
postcard
advertisement
bill
mail

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 Single items are often count nouns.
A group of items is often a noncount noun.

Count Nouns Noncount Noun

banana
apple
orange
grapefruit
fruit

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 Single items are often count nouns.
A group of items is often a noncount noun.

Count Nouns Noncount Noun

necklace
ring
earrings
pin
jewelry

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Single items are often count nouns.
A group of items is often a noncount noun.

Count Nouns Noncount Noun

chair
sofa
table
lamp
furniture

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 Solids
Liquids Gases
Semi-solids
soda glass oxygen
juice cement helium
oil brass air
lemonade gold propane

Liquids, solids, semi-solids and

gases are usually noncount nouns.

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 Nature Abstractions
sunlight joy
sleet love
rain sadness
fog hate

Things that occur in nature and abstractions

are usually noncount nouns.

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 Some nouns can be both count and noncount.

Noncount
This pitcher is made of glass.
Count
I broke three of our new glasses.

Noncount
I need paper for the printer.
Count
I have to write two papers for my history class.
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Some nouns can be both count and noncount.

Noncount
Nico has brown hair.
Cooking takes so much time.
Iron is a metal.

Count
There is a hair on my plate.
There are times when we get carry-out.
An iron takes wrinkles out of clothes.

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 Yes, please get six
potatoes.
Do we need
potatoes?

Numbers are only used to

describe count nouns.

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 Yes, please get six
potatoes. We also
Do we need
need two jars of
potatoes?
honey and four
heads of broccoli.

Numbers are only used to

describe count nouns.
Nouns can be used to describe
a quantity of a noncount noun.

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A noun can describe a quantity of a noncount noun.

broccoli a head of broccoli

cheese an ounce of cheese
furniture a piece of furniture
happiness a lifetime of happiness
mail three pieces of mail
money a handful of money
rice five kilos of rice
salt a cup of salt
sugar two pounds of sugar
water seven glasses of water
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 We use a lot of/lots of with both
count and noncount nouns.

There’s lots of water in that pot.

Not a lot of people did well on that exam.

Are there a lot of mountains in your country?

There isn’t lots of salt on this food.

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We use a few with We use a little with
count nouns. noncount nouns.

There are a few computers in our classroom.

Only a few people did well on that exam.

Can you give me a little help?

I like to put a little sugar in my tea.

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For count and noncount nouns
Some is used in Any is used in questions
affirmative sentences. and negatives.

I’d like some sugar, please.

Some people have a dog and a cat.

Is there any sugar in this tea?

I don’t have any pets.

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 We use many with count nouns
in questions and negatives.

How many computers are in your classroom?

Are there many eggs left in the carton?

There aren’t many examples in that book.

Not many people were in class today.

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 We use much with noncount nouns
in questions and negatives.

How much salt do we have?

Is there much rice left.

We don’t have much furniture in our new apartment.

They didn’t put much water in the swimming pool.

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Some is used with count and noncount nouns in
questions that are requests or offers.

Would you like some sugar in your coffee?

Can I have some cookies, please?

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 Count & Noncount Nouns

Click on the count nouns.

incorrect correct incorrect
rice morning happiness
grain of rice, abstractions are
noncount usually noncount

incorrect correct correct

air apple vegetable
gases are
noncount

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 Count & Noncount Nouns

Click on the correct sentences.

We have three old furnitures to sell. incorrect
They bought some new furniture. correct
She sent fifteen emails. correct
I got five mails today. incorrect
I got five pieces of mail today. correct

Numbers can only be used to describe count nouns.

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 Count & Noncount Nouns

Click on the correct sentences.

Can you give me a little eggs? incorrect

Can you give me some eggs. correct
I have a little friends at school. incorrect
I have a few friends at school. correct
There are a few cars in the parking lot. correct

We use a few with We use a little with

count nouns. noncount nouns.
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 Count & Noncount Nouns

Click on the correct sentences.

I put some sugar in my coffee. correct

He needs any water to drink. incorrect
He needs some water to drink. correct
They don’t have any classes today. correct
They don’t have some classes today. incorrect

Some is used in Any is used in questions

affirmative sentences. and negatives.
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 Do you remember the
names of all these foods?

Beans Bread Butter Cherries chips

coconut corn cucumber

What about these?

Flour Grapes Hot Dog Lettuce Mango Pasta

Peas Sausage Steak Tea Tuna Yogurt

 Guess the ingredients! The words
are jumbled
• To make a salad you need
• Some?
• Uectetl, uccmureb, mattoose

To make this breakfast you need

Some?
Redba, ate, ttrebu
What do
you need
to make
a cake?
Some eggs Some flour A Some
chocolate sugar
bar
Make your own recipes for dinner
• Use the words some, an, a, a lot of
• EXAMPLE DINNER: STEAK AND CHIPS
• A steak, some chips, some peas
• EXAMPLE DESSERT: FRUIT SALAD
• A mango, some grapes, some coconut and some
cherries
Count and Noncount Nouns

The End

Created by Laurette Poulos Simmons