English Language Learners Stack Exchange
English Language Learners Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [uncountable-nouns]

For questions about nouns that are viewed as a "mass" or "whole" that cannot be counted or separated. These nouns usually aren't used in the plural, with the indefinite article ("a" or "an"), or with numbers.

373 questions
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How many pieces of garlic? How much garlic? uncountable noun

I learned that we should say How much gravel do you have now? since "gravel" is an uncountable noun, but it's also okay to say How many pieces of gravel do you have now? Then, how about garlic, which is another uncountable noun? I know I can say…
dbwlsld
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Saying "a syrup" while syrup is uncountable

In Cambridge Dictionary, syrup is marked as an uncountable noun and there is no entry of it being countable. Quite contrary, in one of the examples of "syrup" in Cambridge Dictionary it has been written that: 1 Make a syrup by boiling 100 g sugar…
alireza
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Can an uncountable noun be an apposition of a countable noun?

Can an uncountable noun be an apposition of a countable noun? For example, A castle, sand, is desturcted. It means a sand castle (a castle made of sand) is destructed.
Gate Pending
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Strange use of "were" with uncountable nouns

In the sentence If aging were programmed, then... were is used instead of is or was or have been. Why?
Aleksey Belikov
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All this information

Is it correct to say all this information? I know that the noun information is uncountable, and subsequently preceded by this instead of these, but I wonder whether the full phrase *all* this information is correct.
Franck Dernoncourt
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different "culture" or different "cultures"

I believe this is simple, yet crucial and time-worthy to know amongst ELLs. As a traveler, I've experienced different culture/cultures across the world. First off, culture is an uncountable noun. Every time I'm going to use this word "culture",…
John Arvin
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Can we use 'availabilities' as the plural of 'availability'?

If -s/es can be added to a noun (to form a plural noun), then we understand that it's a countable noun. Is the noun availabilities the plural form of the noun availability? If it's not so, then how come the noun availability is an uncountable noun?
Raheel Bari
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Countable and uncountable nouns

I just asked some question and I have another one and this one is more unsettling to me than the previous one. So, how can you tell which nouns are countable and uncountable? I understand you cannot count sugar, bread, coffee, cheese, sheep and…
MrLee
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The furniture is/are

The furniture in our classroom ___ uncomfortable. Should I use is or are here? I found on the internet things like all of furniture is and house full of furniture is. But nothing about my example. Personally I think that correct is is, but…
ValeraKundas
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When to use the uncountable form of a noun?

I understand that certain nouns are both uncountable and countable at the same time. Some of these nouns have different meanings in different form so choosing which form to use is relatively easy. However, what if the countable and uncountable forms…
Alan
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any reason behind writing looks are?

I know that the noun looks usually takes plural form, eg: Her looks are deceptive. But since looks is an uncountable noun, why does it take a plural verb? Shouldn't it be treated like the other uncountable nouns - love, happiness, news or beauty…
user18593
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How can I know if "analysis" is countable or uncountable?

According to dictionaries, analysis can be both countable and uncountable. What is the rule to know if I should use the countable or uncountable form? For example: Completing consulting projects for companies does not always demand a painstaking…
user165203
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has good reason vs has a good reason

Tom has good reason to be angry. Tom may well be angry. My textbook says that the above two sentences are the same. What is the meaning of "reason" above?
Taro
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Uncountable and countable

All the major dictionaries say that exercise, when denotes a physical activity, is an uncountable noun. Swimming is good exercise. (OALD) Cycling to work is good exercise. (Cambridge Dictionary) Longman Dictionary of Common errors explained and…
Hunter
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"Any correction" or "any corrections": Are they interchangeble?

I know that the noun "correction" is both countable, meaning a change that makes something more accurate than it was before, and uncountable, meaning the act or process of correcting something. When I want to say, "Any correction is appreciated,"…
Vic
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