Sustantivos Contables Y No Contables

Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

A) Most nouns have singular and plural forms. They are countable nouns.

e.g. One letter, two letters

• There is a letter on the table for you. (singular)

• There are letters on the table for you. (plural)

B) Some nouns only have one form. They are uncountable nouns.

e.g. Money

• There is no money in my bank account.

• There is a lot of money in my bank account.

C) Many uncountable nouns refer to substances:

e.g. Chocolate, water, coffee, milk, sugar, salt, cheese, bread, rice, wood, glass, plastic, soap, toothpaste.

• Do you have any chocolate?

• The milk is sour - let's make cheese.

• Rice is only edible when it has been cooked.

D) Many uncountable nouns refer to abstract ideas or emotions.

e.g. love, sadness, happiness, education, knowledge, and grammar.

• Money can't buy love.

• We like to experience happiness.

• This education is priceless.

E) You can use a/an with singular countable nouns.

e.g. an umbrella, a wheel, a mistake.

• It's raining so I need an umbrella.

• I made a mistake.

• This is a job for superman.

F) You can use plural countable nouns alone.

e.g. apples, bees, clouds.

• There are clouds in the sky today.

• There are bees making honey.

• We eat apples for breakfast.

G) You can't use an article with an uncountable noun.

e.g. time, sand, electricity.

• We need electricity to use our heater.

• I lost track of time and we stayed up very late.

• The beaches in Brazil have very nice sand.

H) It is very common in English to use some / any with plural nouns and uncountable nouns (Refer to grammar notes on Some Any for more details).

e.g. They don't listen to any advice.

• We don't have any toys for the children.

• There are many lessons in life, this is just one more.

• It is important to have some knowledge of grammar.

I) There are a range of nouns that are uncountable in English but are countable in other languages.

These include: accommodation, advice, baggage, behavior, bread, chaos, damage, furniture, information, luck, luggage, news, permission, progress, scenery, traffic, weather and work.

J) For comparison purposes, look at these sentences:

Countable Uncountable

I'm looking for a job. I'm looking for work.

What a beautiful view! What beautiful scenery!

It's a nice day today. It's nice weather today.

We had a lot of bags and suitcases. We had a lot of luggage.

These chairs are mine. This furniture is mine.

It was a good suggestion. It was good advice.

Much - Many - Lot - Few

We use these words as quantifiers that come at the start of noun phrases and they tell us something about quantity.

A lot of vs. Lots of

A lot of and lots of are used to express that there is a large quantity of something.

We use a lot of in positive sentences, negative sentences and questions. This expression can be used with countable or uncountable nouns.

• There are a lot of dogs in the street. (Countable noun)

• I have a lot of time to answer your questions. (Uncountable noun)

• I saw a lot of people waiting in the queue. (Countable)

• We did have a lot of fun, didn't we? (Uncountable)

We use lots of in positive and negative sentences, however it is more informal. It can be used with countable or uncountable nouns, and occasionally in questions.

• We have lots of time to catch the plane, lets relax. (Uncountable noun)

• There are lots of people in the queue today. (Countable)

• Oh my, you have spent lots of money on clothes! (Uncountable)

• I have lots of questions. (Countable)

She has a lot of money = She has lots of money

Much vs. Many

Much and Many are used to express that there is a large quantity of something.

Much and Many are used in negative sentences and questions.

Many is used with countable nouns

Much is used with uncountable nouns.

• I don't have many CD's in my collection. (Countable noun)

• They don't have much money to buy a present. (Uncountable noun)

• How many brothers do you have? (Countable noun)

• Is there much milk in the fridge? (Uncountable noun)

Note: we almost never use Much and Many in positive sentences, we almost always usea lot of or lots of.

I have much money. (Incorrect because the sentence is

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