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 There are many differences between Thai and the English language. \
We Thai are used to using the same verb for whatever tenses or nouns
but the English language requires speakers to use different forms of verb for each tense and each type of nouns. |
 Nouns are divided into countable and uncountable nouns.
Countable nouns are names of objects, people, ideas etc, which can be counted.
We can use numbers and articles a/an. Countable nouns have the plural forms. |
A cat three cats
a newspaper two newspapers |
 Uncountable nouns are names of materials, liquids, and other things which we do not see
as separate objects. We cannot use a/an or numbers with uncountable nouns; they have no plurals. |
water (NOT a water; two waters)
weather (NOT a weather; two weathers) |
 We cannot usually use a/an with uncountable noun even when there is an adjective. |
My father enjoys very good health. (NOT..... a very good health.)
We're having terrible weather. (NOT..... a terrible weather.)
He speaks good English. (NOT..... a good English.) |
 Usually it is easy to see if a noun is countable or uncountable.
Obviously house is a countable noun, and air is not. But sometimes things are not so clear.
For instance, travel and journey have very similar meanings; but travel is uncountable
(it means 'travelling in general') while journey is countable (it means 'one movement from one place to another').
Also, different languages see the world in different ways. For example, hair is uncountable in English,
but is countable in many languages. Grapes are plural countable in English, but uncountable in some languages.
Here are some more nouns which are uncountable in English, but countable in some other languages,
together with related singular countable expressions. |
| Uncountable |
Countable |
| accommodation |
a place to live or stay (NOT an accommodation) |
| advice |
a piece of advice (NOT an advice) |
| bread |
a loaf; a roll |
| furniture |
a piece of furniture |
| grass |
a blade of grass; a lawn |
| information |
a piece of information |
| knowledge |
a fact |
| lighting |
a flash of lighting |
| luggage |
a piece of luggage; a case; a trunk |
| money |
a note; a coin; a sum; an amount |
| news |
a piece of news |
| progress |
a step forward |
| research |
a piece of research, an experiment |
| rubbish |
a piece of rubbish |
| spaghetti |
a piece of spaghetti |
| thunder |
a clap of thunder |
| travel |
a journey; a trip |
| Work |
a job; a piece of work |
|
 Exercise: Countables and Uncountables |
| Directions: Match the following uncountable nouns with its countable form.
Enter the letter of your choice in the space provided. |
 1. _________money |
| 2. _________furniture |
| 3. _________advice |
| 4. _________news |
| 5. _________informatiion |
| 6. _________work |
| 7. _________travel |
| 8. _________progress |
| 9. _________lightning |
| 10. _________thunder |
| A. a piece of |
| B. a clap of |
| C. a flash of |
| D. a pack of |
| E. a job |
| F. a step forward |
| G. others* |
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Answers |
