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Classroom
Today
Learn English
non-countable nouns |
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Today in the Fun Easy English classroom you are going to learn about
non-countable nouns an important part of English
grammar. |
 Hey
if you cannot understand something on this page,
then use the Fun Easy English
dictionary
(opens in a new window) |
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 Grammar:
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 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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- I know the importance of learning English.
- Please check your baggage at the counter.
- The fog became very thick.
- The following words are non-countable nouns (abstract nouns)
- advice, afterthought, anger, art, beauty, behavior,
childhood, confidence, courage, democracy,
education, energy, enjoyment, entertainment,
friendship, fun, grammar, hate, hatred, happiness, health,
help, history, homework, honesty, importance, information,
insurance, intelligence, justice, knowledge,
laughter, law, love, luck, music, news, noise,
patience, peace, permission, politics,
practice, pride, progress, proof,
schizophrenia, secrecy, slang, sleep, time, unemployment, violence, vocabulary, wealth,
work
- The following words are non-countable nouns (mass noun)
- baggage, cash, change (money), clothing, equipment, furniture, garbage, homework, jewelry, junk, luggage,
machinery, mail, make-up, money, postage, silverware, stuff,
trash, vocabulary
- The following words are non-countable nouns (liquid
substances)
- beer, 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, broccoli, butter, celery, chalk, chicken (meat), chocolate,
corn, cotton, detergent, dirt, dust, film, fish, flour,
food, garlic, glass, gold, grass, hair, hamburger (meat),
ice, lettuce, meat, paper, pepper,
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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 From
YOUR Teacher:
These are basically words which cannot be counted. |
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Additional Lessons |
 About These
Lessons
The following classroom lessons are great for students
who want additional conversation, listening, and reading
practice. |
-
Conversation Lesson -
Intermediate Level. Let's
Learn English conversation lesson
with a conversation video, a video script, audio
listening practice, and a new
words section.
|
 Conversation Lesson
12 - Run! Bees!
(Intermediate -
Conversation, Listening, Reading)
In this lesson Anna is afraid of bees. Her friend Kaveh
tells her to talk with Caroline, a beekeeper and bee
educator. Will Anna fight her fear and learn to love
bees? |
Lesson Video
Watch the video and then read the video script. |
Video Script
Anna: Wow. Did you know that bees are dying?
Kaveh: That is bad news. If all the bees died, there would be no food. Bees are
very important.
(buzz sound)
Anna: Yes, they are. Speaking of bees, one of our little friends is here now.
Kaveh: You know, Anna, if you ignore it, it will fly away. But if you swat it,
it might sting you.
Anna: I’ll ignore it. I can ignore it. See, I’m ignoring it. (she is swatting at
the bee)
Kaveh: Anna, are you afraid of bees?
Anna: What makes you say that?
Kaveh: Anna, you should call my friend, Caroline. She is a beekeeper and a bee
educator. If you talk to her, she’ll probably help you get over your fear of
bees.
Anna: I am not afraid of bees.
Kaveh: Here’s her card.
Anna: Ahhh!
Prof. Bot: In this lesson, you can learn about conditionals. They have "if" and
"will" or "would." There are two kinds of conditional sentences in this lesson.
Type 1 conditionals have a real event, and a result that probably will happen.
Chances are good. Here is the pattern:
If +present tense verb ... will + future tense verb.
Kaveh uses this when he says: "If you ignore it, it will fly away."
Type 2 conditionals have a possible event and a result that may or may not
happen. We don't know. Here is the pattern:
If + past tense verb ...would + infinitive verb.
Kaveh uses this pattern when he says, "If all the bees died, there would be no
food."
Look for the "if" in a sentence to find more conditionals in today's lesson.
I'll color them, too!
Anna: I think I'm at the wrong address. This does not look like a place where
bees are kept. (knocks on door)
Anna: Oh, sorry to bother you. I’m looking for beekeeper Caroline. I’m here to
take her “Learn to Love Bees!” class.
Caroline: You’re in the right place! I’m Caroline!
Anna: Oh, nice to meet you! Um, Caroline, I thought this class used real bees
and real hives.
Caroline: It does! If you look in my backyard, you will see my bees! I’m a home
beekeeper!
Anna: What? You live with bees? That is really amazing! And at the same time
really scary.
Caroline: It’s not scary. If you come, I’ll show you.
Anna: Caroline, how many bees are in that hive?
Caroline: About thirty thousand (30,000) in each.
Anna: What? That's amazing! But, aren’t you afraid that they are gonna come out
and kill you?
Caroline: No, not at all, Anna. Even my children help me. Tell me, why are you
afraid of bees?
Anna: I don't know. Well, when I was a little girl my mom ran out of honey. And
I really wanted honey for my pancakes. So, I climbed high into a tree and hit a
beehive with a stick … several times. Then I reached inside with my bare hands
to pull the honey out. That’s when I got stung … a lot.
Anna: Caroline, if you hit a beehive with a stick and reach inside, you might
get stung.
Caroline: No, Anna. If you do those things, you will get stung.
Anna: Yes. I did.
Caroline: And you know that it was your fault you got stung, don’t you?
Anna: Yes. I did.
Caroline: Bees know your feelings. And if you stay calm, the bees will be calm.
If you're nervous, the bees will be nervous. And if bees are nervous, they may
sting. So, please be calm.
Anna: I will be calm. I am calm. Okay, I'm ready. I'm ready
Caroline: Great. Let’s get our equipment on.
Anna: Wait! Wait! I’m not ready! I'm nervous! Give me a minute to be calm.
Prof. Bot: Are you ready for one more conditional sentence?
If you are not afraid, you will join us next time to learn more about bees! |
Listening
Now practice listening to only the audio portion of the conversation. |
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New Words |
- attack -
v. to try to hurt, injure, or destroy
(something or someone)
- backyard -
n. an area of grass behind someone's house
- bare -
adj. not covered by clothing, shoes or a hat
- bee -
n. a black and yellow flying insect that can
sting and that is often kept in hives for the honey that it produces
- beekeeper -
n. a person who raises bees
- calm -
adj. not angry, upset, or excited
- fault -
n. responsibility for a problem, mistake, or
bad situation
- hive -
n. a nest for bees
- honey -
n. a thick, sweet substance made by bees
- ignore -
v. to refuse to show that you hear or see
(something or someone)
- local -
adj. relating to or occurring in a particular
area, city, or town
- probably -
adv. very likely or almost certainly
- run out of (something) -
phrasal verb. to use up the available supply of
(something)
- sting -
v. of an insect, plant, or animal - to hurt
(someone) by piercing the skin with a sharp, pointed part that usually
contains poison
- swat -
v. to hit (someone or something) with a quick
motion
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Conversation
Lessons
Study all 30 English intermediate conversation lessons.
Let's Learn English conversation lessons each with a
conversation video, a video script, audio listening
practice, and a new
words section.
These lessons are for
intermediate students. |
 Conversation
Lessons
Study all 52 English beginner conversation lessons. Let's Learn
English conversation lessons each with a conversation
video, a video script, audio listening practice, video
speaking practice, video pronunciation practice, a new
words section, and a writing activity.
These
lessons are for beginning students. |
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Source:
Voice of America |
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Additional Information |
Study Tips
(Beginner - Listening)
Avoid Ineffective Study Methods. An audio lesson to help
you study English more effectively. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed. Great English study tips.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program. |
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