–. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/mass-nouns-or-noncount-nouns-1692801. There are some exceptions, but most abstract nouns cannot be made plural, so they are noncount nouns. * Some words have a count and a noncount status. Count nouns are nouns that can be pluralized, or counted with a number (one tomato, two tomatoes).. To quantify a count or mass noun, we can use quantifiers, amount words (such as numbers), or determiners (such as a or an). She must then make a sentence using the number to pluralize the noun she drew. Twitter. Keep this fuzziness in mind as you review the following list of 130 mass nouns in English. Non-count noun definition: A non-count noun is a noun that does not have a plural form. my-that-many-this): Example. Count nouns refer to individual, countable entities, such as books, eggs, and horses. This rule works for the nouns in the list of examples in the first section. Example. Then give a student two standard, six sided dice. Examples of Non-count Nouns. Non-count noun meaning: Non-count nouns, sometimes called uncountable nouns, do not have a plural form and they generally fit into particular categories. Or two bags of rice but not two rices? The singular form can use the determiner "a"… Recognize a noncount noun when you find one. Nouns name people, places, and things. First she rolls the dice to get her number. Quantifiers explain “how much” of something exits. Have you ever wondered why you can have two plates of spaghetti but not two spaghettis? Typically, a noun is made plural by adding an “s” to the end of the word. What are Count, Non-Count Nouns? https://www.thoughtco.com/mass-nouns-or-noncount-nouns-1692801 Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York. List of 130 Mass Nouns (Or Noncount Nouns) in English. You can, however, lie awake in bed counting the number of times that you hear thunder boom during a storm. COUNTABLE NOUNS Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. Count nouns and non-count nouns may use different quantifiers. A good example of a non-count noun is something that we pay attention to almost every day of our lives: the weather. But when we're referring to the animal ("The cat chased the chickens out of the garden"), chicken is a count noun. There are some exceptions, but most abstract nouns cannot be made plural, so they are noncount nouns. http://www.engvid.com/ A furniture? What is the Difference Between Count and Non-count Nouns? There is no plural form of weather. Do you make mistakes like these? They have no plural form. Wellbeing or Well-Being – Which is Correct? A non-count noun (also mass noun), on the other hand, has none of these properties. The Rules. Example: Fruit is a noncount noun. a pen, the computer, a bottle, the spoon, a desk, the cup, a television, the chair, a shoe, the finger, a flower, the camera, a stick, the balloon, a book, the table, a comb, etc. Noncount nouns refer to an undifferentiated mass or notion, such as butter, music, and advice. What is a count noun? Verb Noun Collocations. Overview of Noncount Nouns in English Grammar, Understanding the Types of Nouns in English Grammar, "Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat" Speech by Winston Churchill, Definition and Examples of Determiners in English, 100 Key Terms Used in the Study of Grammar. Countable and uncountable nouns determine the amount of objects or how to express them directly when describing the object itself. When they change from a count to a noncount noun, the meaning changes slightly. Verbs and nouns have a lot of fixed collocations that are set phrases. For example. Count Nouns. Verb is closest to plural noun: There were many problems. We use indefinite articles (a, an) only with singular form of countable nouns. Many abstract nouns are uncountable, but not all uncountable nouns are abstract. A concrete noun identifies an object you can see, taste, touch, or count. A crew of sailors. My phone is ringing. Define non-count noun: the definition of a non-count noun is a noun that cannot be modified by the indefinite article and does not occur in the plural. They are considered to be parts of one larger phrase. (2021, February 28). Here we have listed some of the more commonly used collective nouns for humans, animals, and objects. Liquids such as coffee or water, concepts such as love or peace, and collective nouns such as furniture or luggage are all examples of noncount nouns. Pluralizing. What is a non-count noun? An army of soldiers. The sentences in parentheses illustrate how the words are used as nouns. However, some exceptions exist to this general rule. Click on each noun for more information, including countable and uncountable meanings, example sentences and a quick test. Count nouns, as they're called, have both singular and plural forms, such as "one diamond" and "four diamonds.". Additionally, “more than one” non-count noun is explained by making a non-count noun an adjective before a count noun. Type of Noncount Noun Examples Sentence; Food: sugar, salt, pepper, lettuce, rice: Add more sugar to my coffee, please. In other words, non-countable nouns refer to things that cannot be counted (e.g., oxygen, air, food). Nouns can be divided into two categories: count nouns and mass nouns, depending on what kinds of modifiers a noun can occur with. Uncountable Noun Examples There is no more water in the pond. Examples. "A List of 130 Mass Nouns (Or Noncount Nouns) in English." Most nouns have a singular and a plural form. Table 5.2 Types of Noncount Nouns. 36 Examples of Verb + Noun Collocations [List] By. Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable, usually with a different meaning for each. For example, while we can refer to a book as a book object, we cannot express water as a water. Count and Noncount Nouns count and noncount ID: 296606 Language: English School subject: English as a Second Language (ESL) Grade/level: ESL Level 2 Age: 10+ Main content: Countable and uncountable nouns Other contents: n/a Add to my workbooks (48) Add to Google Classroom Add to Microsoft Teams Share through Whatsapp: Link to this worksheet: Copy: mpadfield Finish!! Definition, Examples of Count, Non-Count Nouns. Anastasia Koltai-June 10, 2020. In the noncount form, the noun refers to the whole idea or quantity. 0. A concrete noun identifies an object you can see, taste, touch, or count. "Common nouns can be divided into two types. This group of nouns is called noncount. In a sense, a non-count noun cannot be counted. A good example of a non-count noun is something that we pay attention to almost every day of our lives: the weather. When you want to indicate number with a noncount word, you have two options. They have a singular and a plural form. A List of 130 Mass Nouns (Or Noncount Nouns) in English. List of Collective Nouns for People. Count nouns can be pluralized by adding a final -s to the nouns. Examples of abstract nouns include anger, education, melancholy, softness, violence, and conduct. In the count form, the noun refers to a specific example or type. I need to find information about Pulitzer Prize winners. Some nouns, however, have only a singular form; you cannot add a number before or an s to the end of these words. A non-count noun is a person, place, or thing that do not have a plural form. Noncount nouns cannot be used with the articles a or an. Examples of abstract nouns include anger, education, melancholy, softness, violence, and conduct. Mass nouns, on the other hand, usually don't follow an indefinite article, though they can follow certain determiners (such as much or less). An abstract noun identifies an object that you cannot see, touch, or count. These mass nouns (which are sometimes called noncount nouns) usually have only singular forms—spaghetti, rice, and gold, for example. When the noun is countable, it can be used with the indefinite article "a" or "an" or it can be made plural. In these sentences, the noun "crime" is used as a noncount noun. Please take good care of your equipment. A count noun is a person, place, or thing that can have a singular or plural form. Non-count nouns generally fall into these categories. Quantifiers are placed directly before a noun. But there's also a group of nouns that can't be counted. In certain contexts, some of these nouns can take an -s ending. Write several noncount nouns on small slips of paper and put them in a hat or basket. An abstract noun identifies an object that you cannot see, touch, or count. Non-count noun meaning: Non-count nouns, sometimes called uncountable nouns, do not have a plural form and they generally fit into particular categories. Non-count nouns do not have plural forms. Do NOT work with much (for example, you would never say much pens or much computers). Glamor or Glamour – What’s the Difference? Please help yourself to some cheese. Much books? Nordquist, Richard. Nouns that are Count and Noncount. A collocation means that two or more words often go together. There is no plural form of weather. Let’s get rid of the garbage. There was a book on a table. Many English nouns can be used in either mass or count syntax, and in these cases, they take on cumulative reference when used as mass nouns. Also, note that a number of these words can be used as more than one part of speech. For example. Count noun meaning: Count nouns, sometimes called countable nouns, have both singular and plural forms. Noncount nouns are nouns that can’t be counted or broken into parts. Noncount nouns usually refer to a whole group of things that is made up of many individual parts – a whole category made up of different varieties . However, non-count nouns can be referred to as “more than one” using the following guidelines. Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What are Count, Non-Count Nouns? COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS It's important to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns in English because their usage is different in regards to both determiners and verbs. You seem to have a high level of intelligence. Consult your dictionary for more information on this word. "A List of 130 Mass Nouns (Or Noncount Nouns) in English." There are some exceptions, but most abstract nouns cannot be made plural, so they are noncount nouns. WhatsApp. Count nouns in the singular can follow an indefinite article (or another determiner): a plate, a bag, one diamond . She ate an orange. Typically, by adding “s” to a noun, the plural form is made. 2299. Countable nouns with a/an and some Countable nouns can be singular or plural: A dog => dogsA child/=> some children The evening => the evenings This party =>these parties An umbrella =>two umbrellas Before singular countable nouns you can use a/an: • Goodbye! There were many problems and a lot of crime. Collective Nouns Examples. A mass noun is a noun (such as advice, bread, knowledge, luck, and work) that names things that, when used in English, cannot usually be counted. Generally, if a word ends in “y,” making it plural involves dropping the “y” and adding “ies.” However, some irregular plural nouns exist, like “children” above. For example, the word water is usually treated as a mass noun, but in some contexts water can take the -s ending: "Hammerhead sharks are found worldwide in warmer waters along coastlines and continental shelves.". Noncount nouns cannot be not pluralized at all. A choir of singers. These nouns cannot be pluralized. This page lists the most common such nouns. Count noun definition: A count noun is a noun that has a plural form. There was a lot of crime*. It can’t be modified by a numeral (three furniture is incorrect), occur in singular/plural (furnitures is not a word), or co-occur with a, an, or the (a furniture is incorrect). Noncount Nouns: refer to masses or collections without distinct, separate parts. Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses We can put a number in front of countable nouns. What Is the Purpose of the Zero Article in English Grammar? These mass nouns (which are sometimes called noncount nouns) usually have only singular forms—spaghetti, rice, and gold, for example. Countable nouns (also called count nouns) are nouns that we can actually count. For more grammar terms, visit our complete grammar dictionary. The concept of a "mass noun" is a grammatical concept and is not based on the innate nature of the object to which that noun refers. Noncount Nouns. Pinterest. Nordquist, Richard. In this case, the individual parts are all the different types of fruit there are: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, etc. The word chicken is another fuzzy example. ThoughtCo. You can also choose one of the following fun quizzes to test your understanding. A band of musicians. https://www.thoughtco.com/mass-nouns-or-noncount-nouns-1692801 (accessed March 8, 2021). When we're talking about the meat ("We had chicken again for dinner"), chicken is a mass noun. Count nouns are people, places, or things that we can count. The women were known for collecting animal skins. A bunch of crooks. This page has lots of examples of non-countable nouns and two interactive tests. For example, one may say that "there's apple in this sauce," and then apple has cumulative reference, and, hence, is used as a mass noun. Example: The model was known for her lovely skin. A count noun can be counted. –, The change in weather, he added, should allow firefighters to start applying a “death grip” on the blaze over the coming days. In English, countable and uncountable nouns are known as countable and uncountable nouns. Nordquist, Richard. Then she draws a noun. By placing a count noun in front of the non-count and adding the preposition “of”, “more than one” non-count noun is formed. Each of these examples assumes that “more than one” of each non-count noun exits. Summary: What are Count and Noncount Nouns? Examples of abstract nouns include anger, education, melancholy, softness, violence, and conduct. Think of noncount nouns as the batter which forms a mass, and think of the pieces of cake as the count nouns which may be numbered and distributed. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., a top engineering and design firm with more than 230 offices around the world, is planning to move some of its corporate operations to Dallas. We have put together a non-count noun list below. Define count noun: the definition of a count noun is a noun that can form a plural or occur with an indefinite article. Count nouns in the singular can follow an indefinite article (or another determiner): a plate, a bag, one diamond. That person is a good football player. Many nouns have both a singular and a plural form: a surfer/surfers, a restaurant/restaurants, a pickle/pickles. It refers to a whole category made of individual parts. ThoughtCo, Feb. 28, 2021, thoughtco.com/mass-nouns-or-noncount-nouns-1692801. Using countable nouns with other determiners (e.g. A non-countable noun is a noun without a plural form. In the first instance, skin refers to one mass of skin, the model’s, and is therefore noncount. Nouns that are Count and Noncount - https://7esl.com/nouns-that-can-be-countable-or-uncountable/Countable nouns are individual objects, people, places, etc. Facebook. A mass noun (also known as a noncount noun) is generally used only in the singular. Definition, Examples of Count, Non-Count Nouns. Rules and Examples. A class of students. John has many articles about this subject. Quite literally, count nouns are nouns which can be counted. Most nouns In English grammar are like the words plate and bag: they can be counted. These important collective nouns are commonly used under the category of people. At times the distinction between count nouns and mass nouns gets a little fuzzy. Thunder, a noncount noun, cannot have an s added at the end. Uncountable noun is a word referring to something …