| Learning
objectives |
 In
this lesson you will learn the
definition of a non-countable noun and study
examples of non-countable nouns. |
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| Definition of a non-countable noun |
- A non-countable noun:
- is also called a non-count noun,
uncountable noun, or a mass noun
- is a word used to describe a something that cannot be
counted
- does not have a
plural form
- is similar to a
collective noun and the opposite of a
countable noun
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| Examples of non-countable nouns |
- I know the importance of learning English.
- I would like the opportunity to study
abroad.
- Please check your baggage at the counter.
- Coffee smells best in the morning.
- She usually eats a lot of ice cream during
the summer.
- The fog became very thick.
- The following words are non-countable nouns (abstract nouns)
- advice, afterthought, anger, art, beauty, behavior,
business, childhood, confidence, courage, crime, democracy,
education, energy, enjoyment, entertainment, freedom,
friendship, fun, grammar, hate, hatred, happiness, health,
help, history, homework, honesty, importance, information,
insurance, intelligence, interest, justice, knowledge,
laughter, law, life, love, luck, music, news, noise,
opportunity, patience, peace, permission, politics,
practice, pride, progress, proof, responsibility,
schizophrenia, secrecy, slang, sleep, time, traffic, travel,
trouble, truth, unemployment, violence, vocabulary, wealth,
work
- The following words are non-countable nouns (mass nouns)
- baggage, cash, change (money), clothing, equipment, food,
fruit, furniture, garbage, homework, jewelry, junk, luggage,
machinery, mail, make-up, money, postage, silverware, stuff,
traffic, trash, vocabulary
- The following words are non-countable nouns (liquid
substances)
- beer, coffee, cream, gasoline, honey, juice, ketchup,
lotion, milk, oil, salad dressing, sauce, shampoo, soda,
soup, syrup, tea, vinegar, water, wine
- Note: liquid substances are
non-countable nouns but can be counted with an
appropriate unit of measure
- ie: glasses of milk
- The following words are non-countable nouns (solid
substances)
- bacon, beef, bread, broccoli, butter, cabbage, cake, candy,
cereal, celery, chalk, cheese, chicken (meat), chocolate,
corn, cotton, detergent, dirt, dust, film, fish, flour,
food, garlic, glass, gold, grass, hair, hamburger (meat),
ice, ice cream, lettuce, meat, paper, pasta, pepper, pizza,
pork, rice, salt, sand, seafood, silver, spaghetti, spinach,
soap, sugar, toothpaste, wheat, wood, yogurt
- Note: solid substances are
non-countable nouns but can be counted with an
appropriate unit of measure
- ie: spoonfuls of rice
- The following words are non-countable nouns (natural and
physical environment)
- air, carbon dioxide, cold, darkness, electricity, fire, fog,
heat, humidity, light, lightning, mist, oxygen, rain,
scenery, smog, smoke, snow, sunshine, temperature, thunder,
warmth, weather, wind
- The following words are non-countable nouns (activities)
- athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, billiards,
bowling, boxing, camping, cards, chess, conversation,
cooking, cycling, dancing, darts (game), driving, football,
golf, gymnastics, hiking, jogging, poker, reading, running,
sailing, singing, soccer, shopping, slating, skiing,
studying swimming, surfing, tennis, traveling, volleyball,
walking, wrestling
- The following words are non-countable nouns (school majors)
- accounting, art, astronomy, biology, business, chemistry,
civics, economics, engineering, geography, geometry,
history, journalism, linguistics, literature, mathematics,
music, nutrition, physics, psychology, science, sociology,
speech, writing
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