Distinguish Countable And Uncountable Nouns

Skill

Distinguish Countable And Uncountable Nouns

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In English, nouns are classified as countable or uncountable. For certain questions on the TOEFL test, it is necessary to distinguish countable and uncountable nouns in order to use the correct modifiers with them.

As the name implies, countable nouns are nouns that can be counted. Countable nouns can come in quantities of one, or two, or a hundred, etc. The noun book is countable because you can have one book or several books.

Uncountable nouns, on the other hand, are nouns that cannot be counted because they come in some indeterminate quantity or mass. A noun such as milk or happiness can­not be counted; you cannot have one milk or two milks, and you cannot find one happi­ness or two happinesses. Uncountable nouns are often liquid items, such as water, oil, or shampoo. Uncountable nouns can also refer to abstract ideas, such as security, excitement, or hope.

It is important for you to recognize the difference between countable and uncountable nouns when you come across such key words as much and many.

He has seen much* foreign films.
He didn't have many* fun at the movies.

In the first example, much is incorrect because films is countable. This sentence should say many foreign films. In the second example, many is incorrect because fun is uncountable. This sentence should say much fun.

The following chart lists the key words that indicate to you whether a noun should be countable or uncountable:

KEY WORDS FOR COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

For Countable Nouns: many, number, few, fewer
For Uncountable Nouns: much, amount, little, less

Exercise

Complete the following exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned:

Each of the following sentences contains at least one key word to tell you if a noun should be countable or uncountable. Circle the key words. Draw arrows to the nouns they describe. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

  1. ___ He received little notice that the bill would have to be paid in full.
  2. ___ The police had few opportunities to catch the thief who had committed a large amount of crimes.
  3. ___ You will have fewer problems with your income taxes if you get professional help.
  4. ___ After the strike, the company dismissed many employees.
  5. ___ Because the bottom corner of the pocket was torn, much coins fell out.
  6. ___ Since he bought the new adapter, he has had less trouble with the machine.
  7. ___ There are much new items to purchase before leaving, and there is such a short amount of time.
  8. ___ The less time you take on the assignment, the less pages you will complete.
  9. ___ A few soldiers who had been in heavy combat were brought back for a little rest.
  10. ___ It is better to go shopping in the late evening because there are less people in the market, and you can accomplish a number of tasks in a short period of time.

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