Countable and uncountable nouns

This lesson explains the difference between countable and uncountable nouns and how to use determiners and quantifiers correctly in business and everyday contexts.

• Countable nouns can be counted (one, two, three) and have singular and plural forms.
• Uncountable nouns refer to substances, concepts, or mass items that are not normally counted and usually do not have a plural form.
• Choice of determiners (a, an, many, much, some, a little, a few) depends on whether a noun is countable or uncountable.
• When in doubt, consider if you can use a number directly with the noun (e.g., three reports → countable).

This distinction affects articles, quantifiers and verb agreement in sentences.

Decide whether the noun is countable or uncountable before choosing articles or quantifiers.

• Countable (singular): use a/an or a number — e.g., a report, one report.
• Countable (plural): use numbers and plural quantifiers — e.g., three reports, many reports.
• Uncountable: do not use a/an; use some, much, a little, or measurement expressions — e.g., some information, a little feedback, a piece of advice.
• When an uncountable noun represents individual units, use a phrase like 'a piece of', 'a cup of', 'a grain of'.

Always check if you can put a number directly before the noun; if yes, it is countable.

Avoid these frequent errors when using countable and uncountable nouns.

• Adding an -s to uncountable nouns (e.g., 'informations')
• Using 'a' or 'an' with uncountable nouns (e.g., 'a advice')
• Using 'many' with uncountable nouns and 'much' with countable nouns
• Confusing 'few' and 'a few' with 'little' and 'a little' (quantity vs. sufficiency)
• Incorrect verb agreement because of misidentifying the noun type in collective contexts

Check whether the noun can be pluralized and choose quantifiers accordingly.