Countable and uncountable 2

This lesson continues your study of countable and uncountable nouns and focuses on quantifiers, measurement expressions, and common patterns in business English. You will learn which words to use with countable vs. uncountable nouns and how to form correct questions and statements in professional contexts.

• Review the difference between countable and uncountable nouns.
• Learn appropriate quantifiers: many, much, few, a little, some, any, a lot of, etc.
• Practice choosing correct expressions for business contexts (reports, meetings, orders).

Emphasis: matching quantifiers and verb forms to the noun's countability.

Always decide whether the noun is countable or uncountable before choosing a quantifier. This also determines singular/plural verb agreement.

• Countable nouns: use many, a few, several, numbers (e.g., three reports).
• Uncountable nouns: use much, a little, a great deal of, measurement expressions (e.g., a sheet of paper, a cup of coffee).
• Use 'some' and 'a lot of' with both countable and uncountable nouns depending on context.

If unsure, try to use a measurement expression (a piece of, a bottle of, two items of) to make uncountable nouns measurable.

Watch out for these universal errors when working with countable and uncountable nouns.

• Using 'many' with uncountable nouns (e.g., many information) instead of 'much' or 'a lot of'.
• Using plural forms for uncountable nouns (e.g., informations, luggages, equipments).
• Using 'few' instead of 'a little' (or vice versa) and changing the meaning: 'few' implies not many (negative), 'a few' implies some.
• Incorrect subject-verb agreement when an uncountable noun is treated like a plural (e.g., 'Information are' instead of 'Information is').
• For unclear quantities, prefer measurement expressions (a piece of, a bottle of, several items) to avoid errors.

When in doubt, rephrase to use a measurable unit.