what does it mean for a field to be countable

Accept you ever had influenza? Do you like to spread gossip? Did yous have a prissy babyhood? Are these questions causing you defoliation? Don't worry, you aren't being graded right at present.

We just wanted to enquire some questions that use nouns, words that we apply to refer to people, places, things, or ideas. Nosotros utilize many different types of nouns in our speech and writing, merely the nouns flu, gossip, childhood, and confusion are all the same blazon of noun known as an uncountable noun.

What is an uncountable substantive?

An uncountable noun, as well chosen a mass substantive , is "a noun that typically refers to an indefinitely divisible substance or an abstract notion, and that in English cannot exist used, in such a sense, with the indefinite commodity or in the plural."

What exactly does this mean in less technical linguistic communication? Well, an uncountable noun refers to something that can't be counted with numbers. For that reason, uncountable nouns normally don't utilise the articles a or an and don't accept plural forms. For example, yous don't feel a happiness nor does the noun Pacific Ocean have a plural form (we don't have Pacific Oceans). It would as well exist pretty weird to try to count things referred to past uncountable nouns, such as 1 peace or 37 peaces.

However, an uncountable noun may employ a plural verb if information technology is treated equally a plural give-and-take. For example, the word constabulary is an uncountable noun (you can't have two or three polices) simply it uses a plural verb every bit in The police are on their way.

One concluding thing to keep in listen is that many words accept multiple meanings and and then a noun may be an uncountable noun or not depending on context. For example, the word iron is an uncountable substantive when information technology is referring to the chemical element (a molecule doesn't have three irons) only information technology is not an uncountable noun when referring to an apparatus used to become wrinkles out of clothing (you can buy three irons at the store).

Another type of noun that frequently crosses paths with uncountable nouns are abstract nouns. Acquire more most them hither.

Uncountable noun examples

Uncountable nouns can exist difficult to spot, then permit'south await at some examples.

Emotions, ideas, and concepts

Most uncountable nouns refer to intangible concepts or abstract ideas. Because these things don't actually exist equally material objects, information technology would usually be incommunicable to count them. Nonetheless, not all abstract nouns are uncountable nouns. It is possible to have three possibilities or to take a concern and and so these are non uncountable nouns. If yous can count a noun, it's known as acountable noun—and we'll discuss these also shortly.

• Emotions: sadness, anger, enthusiasm, hesitation, unease
• Qualities: bravery, shyness, cowardice, agility, intelligence, pride
• Ideas: anarchy, peace, anarchy, nihilism, capitalism

Objects

Sometimes, objects are referred to using uncountable nouns. These likewise might take a sense in which they are too used as countable nouns.

• Foods: h2o, milk, staff of life, beloved, saccharide, meat, pork
• Chemical elements: hydrogen, oxygen, gold, uranium
• Weather: pelting, snow, fog, hail, lightning, thunder, sleet
• Collective nouns (i.e., "a whole group as a single entity"): furniture, article of clothing, equipment, machinery

Uncountable nouns and fewer vs. less

Uncountable nouns lead the states to the heated fewer vs. less debate. In general, we use fewer with countable nouns as in I need to buy fewer apples next time and less with uncountable nouns as in I think the puppy did better with less subject. Even so, there are many exceptions to this general rule, such as when referring to distances every bit inThe store is less than iii miles away.

The words less and fewer are used interchangeably more and more than often in everyday mean solar day speech (no matter how grammar purists may feel almost it—and they often feel very strongly about information technology).

List of uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns tin can be difficult to discover, so permit'due south put together a list of uncountable nouns you lot are likely to see.

• aggression, bookishness, calm, dedication, entertainment, fun, gratitude, help, isolation, junk, kleptomania, laziness, mustard, news, originality, patience, quiet, rice, stuff, traffic, ugliness, vastness, wanderlust, xenon, yoga, zest

The divergence between uncountable & countable nouns

While uncountable nouns refer to things that can't be counted, countable nouns refer to people, places, and things that can be counted. Unlike uncountable nouns, countable nouns will frequently use the articles a or an and can have singular or plural forms. Countable nouns are much more common than uncountable nouns, and it is usually straightforward to tell if a person, place, or thing can exist counted or non. But grammar likes to throw plenty of curveballs, likewise.

Need a refresher on countable nouns? We've got your number! Check out this article that offers more detail on them hither.

Yous volition need to spotter out for words that tin exist either an uncountable or a countable noun depending on meaning and context. Also remember that not all commonage nouns and abstract nouns are uncountable nouns: the discussion problem is an abstract substantive and a countable noun (you tin have a problem or 99 problems). The word army is a collective noun, and information technology too is a countable noun (you can be a fellow member of an ground forces and a battle could involve two armies).

Let's finish things upward with a test of your agreement of uncountable nouns. Read each of the post-obit sentences and come across if you can figure out why each substantive is or is not an uncountable substantive.

1. He suffered from loneliness.
2. She has a lot of pets.
3. They came to an agreement.
4. She has nerves of steel.
5. The saucepan was filled with wine.
6. Charles'south cellar is full of expensive wines.

This topic might just inspire you  to say: I honey grammar (uncountable), merely those nouns (countable) cause me trouble.

You tin can count on Grammer Bus™

Nosotros've got a noun for yous: genius! And that's what you'll be when you check your writing on Thesaurus.com's Grammer Coach™. Grammer Jitney™ uses motorcar learning technology uniquely designed to grab grammer and spelling errors. Its Synonym Bandy volition find the all-time nouns, adjectives, and more to aid say what you actually hateful, guiding you toward clearer, stronger, writing.

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Answers: ane. Uncountable 2. Countable three. Countable 4. Uncountable 5. Uncountable 6. Countable

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