is homework an uncountable noun

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Nouns: countable and uncountable

Countable nouns.

Some nouns refer to things which, in English, are treated as separate items which can be counted. These are called countable nouns. Here are some examples:

a car , three cars

my cousin , my two cousins

a book , a box full of books

a city , several big cities

Singular and plural

Countable nouns can be singular or plural. They can be used with a/an and with numbers and many other determiners (e.g. these, a few ):

She’s got two sisters and a younger brother .

Most people buy things like cameras and MP3-players online these days .

These shoes look old now.

I’ll take a few magazines with me for the flight .

Determiners ( the, my , some , this )

Singular and plural nouns

Uncountable nouns

In English grammar, some things are seen as a whole or mass. These are called uncountable nouns, because they cannot be separated or counted.

Some examples of uncountable nouns are:

Ideas and experiences: advice, information, progress, news, luck, fun, work

Materials and substances: water, rice, cement, gold, milk

Weather words: weather, thunder, lightning, rain, snow

Names for groups or collections of things: furniture, equipment, rubbish, luggage

Other common uncountable nouns include: accommodation, baggage, homework, knowledge, money, permission, research, traffic, travel .

These nouns are not used with a/an or numbers and are not used in the plural.

We’re going to get new furniture for the living room.

Not: We’re going to get a new furniture for the living room . or We’re going to get new furnitures for the living room .

We had terrible weather last week.

Not: We had a terrible weather last week .

We need rice next time we go shopping.

Some nouns always have plural form but they are uncountable because we cannot use numbers with them.

I bought two pairs of trousers .

Not: I bought two trousers .

Other nouns of this type are: shorts, pants, pyjamas, glasses (for the eyes), binoculars, scissors .

Some nouns which are uncountable in English are countable in other languages (e.g. accommodation, advice, furniture, information ):

They can give you some information about accommodation at the tourist office.

Not: They can give you some informations about accommodations at the tourist office .

Can you give me some advice about buying a second-hand car?

Not: Can you give me some advices about buying a second-hand car?

A good learner’s dictionary will tell you whether a noun is countable or uncountable.

Quantity expressions ( a bit/piece )

To refer to one or more quantities of an uncountable noun , expressions such as a bit of, a piece of , an item of or words for containers and measures must be used:

He bought a very expensive piece of furniture for his new apartment.

Maggie always has some exciting bits of news when she comes to see us.

I think we’ll need five bags of cement for the patio.

There’s a litre of milk in the fridge for you. And I bought you a bar of chocolate .

Determiners ( my, some, the )

Uncountable nouns can be used with certain determiners (e.g. my, her , some, any , no , the, this, that ) and expressions of quantity (e.g. a lot of, (a) little ):

They gave me some information about courses and scholarships and things.

Have you heard the news ? Fran’s getting engaged.

She’s been studying hard and has made a lot of progress .

There’s no work to do here, so you can go home if you like.

This milk ’s a bit old, I’m afraid.

Countable phrases for uncountable nouns

We can sometimes use countable noun phrases to talk about an individual example of the thing an uncountable noun refers to.

Finding a place to live is difficult if you’re a student and you’ve got no money. (or Finding accommodation … )

Not: Finding an accommodation …

She brought two big suitcases and a rucksack with her.

Not: She brought two big luggages …

I read a poem once about someone riding a horse at night.

Not: I read a poetry …

We went on a trip to the Amazon when we were in Brazil.

Not: We went on a travel …

Countable and uncountable nouns with different meanings

Some nouns can be used either countably or uncountably, but with different meanings.

Uncountable nouns used countably

Measures and examples.

Sometimes uncountable nouns are used countably, to mean ‘a measure of something’ or ‘a type or example of something’:

Can I have two teas and one coffee , please? (two cups of tea and one cup of coffee …?)

A: How many sugars do you want in your tea? (How many spoonfuls/lumps of sugar?) B: Just one, please .

To some degree we tend to eat the foods that we ate as children. (i.e. types of food)

Abstract nouns

Some abstract nouns can be used uncountably or countably. The uncountable use has a more general meaning. The countable use has a more particular meaning.

Nouns of this type include: education, experience, hatred, help, knowledge, life, love, sleep, time, understanding .

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All you need to know about countable and uncountable nouns

What’s the difference between countable and uncountable nouns , and what grammar rules do you need to know to use them correctly?

Also known as  count and noncount nouns , this vocabulary point can trip you up when you’re learning English as a second language. It’s especially tricky because:

• There are no concrete rules for classifying nouns as countable or uncountable (although there are some general guidelines that we will explain later).
• Certain nouns that are countable in other languages may be uncountable in English, so you’ll have to un-learn what you know from your native language and learn a different set of rules for English words.

So, let’s take a detailed look at countable vs uncountable nouns, with plenty of examples showing how to use them with the correct articles, quantifiers, and other determiners.

The basics of countable and uncountable nouns

What is a countable noun.

A  countable noun (also called a count noun) is a noun naming something that can be counted using standard numbers. Countable nouns usually have singular and plural forms. 

Examples of countable nouns include chair, table, rabbit, page, part, and lemon .

So, we can have one chair, five tables, ten rabbits, twenty-three lemons, and three hundred pages .

You are probably already familiar with this pattern of counting things in English.

What is an uncountable noun?

An uncountable noun (also called a mass noun or a non-count noun) is a noun naming something that cannot be counted in English using standard numbers. These nouns cannot be made plural.

Examples of uncountable nouns include rice, money, advice, news, and happiness .

We cannot have one rice, five monies, two advices, or a happiness .

Instead, we must use different determiners to quantify these particular things: a cup of rice , a bag of money , and a piece of advice .

Now you know these basics, it’s time to take a deeper look at what this means in practice. You need to know whether you’re dealing with a countable or uncountable noun so you can select the correct determiners and plural forms in your writing and speech.

Rules for using countable nouns

We’ll begin by going over the rules for using countable nouns, since these are most straightforward.

Countable nouns:

• Can be separated into whole, individual, countable units
• Broadly refer to people, places, and things
• Have a singular and a plural form (with a few exceptions like sheep, deer, fish) – see this site for more about how to form plurals
• May take indefinite articles (a/an) as well as the definite article (the)
• May take other determiners such as this/that/these/those, some/any/few/many/several, my/your/his/her/our/their
• To form a question about a countable noun, we say ‘How many…’

Countable noun example sentences

Most of the nouns we use in English are countable. Here are some example sentences showing correct usage:

• I have two cats as pets .
• She bought a few books from the store .
• We went to the zoo and saw several giraffes .
• The school has six classrooms for different subjects .
• He has a collection of ten stamps .
• My father owns a few bikes .
• The store has a variety of balloons in different colors.
• He has five siblings : three brothers  and two sisters .
• There are many oranges in the fruit basket .
• The bakery doesn’t have any bread left.
• I would like to buy that handbag .
• How many meals should I order at  the restaurant ?

Read about the difference between few vs a few here.

Rules for using uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns are used less often in English, and they:

• Are abstract ideas, qualities, or masses that can’t be separated and counted individually
• Do not have a plural form and are treated as singular nouns (and therefore take the singular form of the verb)
• May take the definite article (the) but do not take the indefinite articles (a/an)
• May take other determiners such as much/little/less/any/some and my/your/his/her/our/their
• Can be quantified with phrases that contain countable nouns (e.g. a bag of rice)
• To form a question about an uncountable noun, we say ‘How much…’

See also: What’s the difference between less and fewer?

Uncountable noun examples

We can group uncountable nouns into some broad categories. Although we cannot list them all here, the following groups are a general guide that may make it easier for you to identify others in the future:

This may seem like a long list of uncountable nouns; however, there are hundreds more. 

Quantifying an uncountable noun

Although we can’t quantify uncountable nouns using numbers, we can add a countable unit of measurement to refer to one or more quantities of these things. Below are some of the most common quantifiers we can use to refer to things that are uncountable.

• A piece of… advice, art, cheese, equipment, evidence, furniture, homework, information, luck, luggage, music, news, paper, poetry, publicity, rubbish, software
• A bottle of… beer, water, wine, sauce, salad dressing
• A carton of… juice, milk, cream
• A packet of… ketchup, rice, gum
• A plate/bowl of… cereal, pasta, rice
• A drop of… blood, oil, rain, water
• A game of… badminton, chess, football, soccer, tennis
• A ray of… hope, light, sun
• A grain of… sand, rice, sugar, dignity
• A cube of… ice, sugar
• A blob of… toothpaste, mayonnaise, glue
• A pane of glass
• A round of applause
• A bar of soap
• A mode of transport
• A bolt of lightning
• A blade of grass
• A rasher of bacon
• A sheet of paper

Determiners for count and noncount nouns

You’ll have seen from the examples above that certain determiners can only be used for one type of noun, whereas others can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. Here’s a handy reference table for these, although this is not an exhaustive list.

Most other adjectives can modify both countable and uncountable nouns.

See also:  What’s the difference between advice vs advise?

Some nouns can be countable and uncountable

You might often hear people say something like “I take two sugars in my tea”. What they really mean is “two teaspoons of sugar”, but the noun “sugar” has taken on that meaning and become countable.

In this way, uncountable nouns can sometimes be used as countable when referring to a complete unit or measurement of something, normally in relation to food and beverages. Here are some more examples:

• I’ll have three coffees , please. (three cups of coffee)
• I’ve had too many beers tonight! (glasses/cans/bottles of beer)
• Could I get two more ketchups ? (two sachets of ketchup)

Uncountable nouns may also be used as countable when they refer to a specific type, example, or category of something . For example:

• You should have at least five different cheeses on your cheese board.
• The best wines in the world are produced in France.
• We used three woods to make this beautiful box.
• They encountered a lot of difficulties while completing the project.
• These juices are all freshly squeezed.

These plural countable nouns are exceptions to the rule given earlier.

Nouns with different countable and uncountable meanings

To make things even more confusing, certain nouns in English have two or more meanings. When a noun refers to different things, one countable and one uncountable, you must remember which is which in order to form a correct sentence. Here are some common examples of words with dual meanings:

As you can see,  English can be hard to learn . Fortunately, you can always check in a dictionary to see whether a noun is countable or uncountable. Some dictionaries, such as  Oxford Dictionaries , specify this in the definition.

We hope this information about countable vs uncountable nouns has been helpful. It can be quite a tricky English grammar topic to get right because, even once you have mastered the rules of count and noncount nouns, there is still no hard-and-fast way to know which words are which, unless you look them up.

Leave a comment below if you have any more questions about this topic or want to check your understanding of a particular point we’ve mentioned.

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Why are "homework" and "work" uncountable in English? [closed]

In Bulgarian both "homework" and "work" are countable. Why are they uncountable in English then? What is the difference in meaning that makes that happen?

• uncountable-nouns

• 'Why'?' is a difficult question. Sometimes things just are . –  Mitch Commented Jan 17, 2012 at 14:30

Both are considered mass nouns , just like milk , air , etc.

However, work can also refer to a singular piece of creation (art, literature, plays, etc.), in which case it can be pluralized:

These are all the works of Shakespeare.

If you want to refer to a specific part of your work , you could use task :

I completed twelve tasks . I got a lot of work done today.

Likewise, if you want to refer to a single, discrete unit of homework , use assignment :

Our teacher gave us three assignments to complete by Friday.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged nouns history uncountable-nouns or ask your own question .

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Count on Us To Teach You the Difference Between Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable and uncountable nouns have a few differences. One of them is obvious; the others aren’t. Read on to learn more.

What Are Countable and Uncountable Nouns?

A countable noun , like apples and bottles , can be counted. An uncountable noun , like love and oxygen , cannot be counted. Countable nouns can be preceded by the indefinite article “a” or “an,” or by a number, whereas uncountable nouns cannot.

Countable Nouns vs. Uncountable Nouns

What do puppies , dinosaurs , giraffes , and donuts have in common?

They’re countable nouns —meaning they can be counted. Their counterparts are uncountable nouns , which, as you may have guessed, are nouns that cannot be counted: happiness, air, water, research, advice, etc .

There’s a bit more to the difference between countable and uncountable nouns , which we’ll examine thoroughly below.

What Are Countable Nouns?

Countable nouns (also known as count nouns ) differ from uncountable nouns in that they: can be counted, can be preceded with the articles “a,” or “an,” or a number, and usually have singular and plural forms.

Sloane was looking for a jacket .

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

I read ten books this past summer.

There were a total of 15 doctors at the national conference.

In the examples above, jackets , apples, books, and doctors are countable nouns.

Examples of Countable Nouns

Remember, nouns that can have singular and plural forms are countable nouns. A few examples are:

• penny/pennies, horse/horses, color/colors, candle/candles, key/keys, alarm/alarms, flower/flowers

What Are Uncountable Nouns?

Uncountable nouns (also known as non-count or mass nouns ) can’t be counted, can’t be used with “a,” “an,” or a number, and usually only have a singular form. These tend to include things like liquids and abstract ideas, but also nouns like bread and rice.

I need to buy honey at the market.

He asked for some advice .

Happiness is running through me.

She showed a great display of bravery .

You have probably heard someone say, “Can I have a water?” And although you most likely understood them, what they meant was, “Can I have a bottle of water?”

The only way the amount or quantity of an uncountable noun can be determined is if a quantifier like much or a little comes before it.

I needed a milk .

I needed a bit of milk .

He was asking for informations .

He was asking for information .

He was asking for a lot of information .

Examples of Uncountable Nouns

Other examples of uncountable nouns include:

love, hate, envy, snow, oxygen, information, humanity, cooperation, furniture

Nouns That Can Be Countable and Uncountable

There are nouns that can be countable and uncountable, depending on the meaning of the word and the context of the sentence . Take the word light as an example.

When I went outside, the bright light of the sun took me by surprise.

They switched on the lights of the cabin.

Because the light of the sun is something that cannot be counted, it’s considered an uncountable noun in the first sentence. However, in the second sentence, light refers to lamps or light bulbs, things that can be counted.

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Knowing if a noun is countable or uncountable is important because it can help you correctly construct a sentence and helps you determine whether to use words like fewer or less and many or much .

If you want to be certain whether a noun is countable or uncountable, you can always check the dictionary, or you can simply use LanguageTool as your intelligent writing assistant. Not only will the multilingual spelling and grammar error ensure you’re using nouns correctly, but it can also check for various types of errors and help rephrase your sentences.

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Countable and Uncountable Nouns

What are countable and uncountable nouns, and how do we use them in English grammar? Let’s learn all about these two different types of nouns today! There are some details you need to know in order to make sure your sentences with uncountable nouns are grammatically correct.

Download free PDF + quiz

Countable Nouns

Countable nouns are things we can easily count – for example, cats:

• My brother has  a cat.
• My sister has  two cats.
• My friend has  three cats.

Other examples of countable nouns:

• Things – book, table, computer, banana, shirt, television, pen, house
• People – man, woman, child, friend, brother, sister, uncle, teacher, boss

With most countable nouns, we add -s to make them plural. But there are some irregular plural nouns – like person/people, man/men, child/children, and others.

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns (or non-count nouns) are words that we can’t count, or can’t easily divide into separate parts:

• Concepts – love, fun, sadness, work, money, peace, safety
• Information –  advice, information, news, knowledge
• Categories –  music, furniture, equipment, jewelry, literature, meat
• Liquids and foods that can’t be counted –  water, butter, rice, flour, milk

Some English learners think that all countable nouns are concrete nouns (physical things), and all uncountable nouns are abstract nouns (non-physical things) – but this is not true!

• We have abstract nouns that are countable, like ideas, beliefs, hopes, dreams.
• We have concrete nouns that are uncountable, like furniture, luggage, butter, and milk.

Learn more in this lesson on 10 types of nouns.

Learn about words that can be both countable and uncountable!

Special rules for uncountable nouns

#1 – never add -s to make uncountable nouns plural:.

• I need some informations  about the course.
• I need some information  about the course.
• The factory has lots of equipments .
• The factory has lots of equipment .

In some other languages, “information” can be made plural – but it’s incorrect in English, because it’s an uncountable noun!

Instead, you can use other words to help create a plural form:

• She bought three  bottles of wine  and five  boxes of rice.
• I need two  cups of flour  and four tablespoons of butter  for this recipe.

It’s very common to use the word “piece”:

• They brought five  pieces of luggage  on their vacation.
• He gave me two  pieces of advice:  eat less and exercise more.
• I’m practicing three difficult pieces of piano music.

Uncountable nouns by themselves take singular verbs, since they are grammatically singular nouns:

• The furniture is old.  (not “are old”)
• His advice  was  good.  (not “were good”)

However, if we add one of those “helping words” to create a plural form, then we use plural verbs:

• Those three crates of furniture are  heavy. (crates –> are)
• His two pieces of advice  were  good.  (pieces –> were)

#2 – Never use the indefinite article “a/an” with uncountable nouns

Instead, you can use “some” or “a piece of”:

• I heard  a  sad news.
• I heard  some  sad news.
• That’s  an  expensive  jewelry.
• That’s  an  expensive  piece of jewelry.
• That’s  an  expensive  necklace.  (necklace is countable; jewelry is uncountable)

However, the definite article (“the”) can be used with both countable nouns and uncountable nouns:

• The facts are accurate.  (countable)
• The information is accurate.  (uncountable)
• The necklace is expensive.  (countable)
• The jewelry is expensive.  (uncountable)

Expressing quantities of countable and uncountable nouns

In English, we use different quantity words:

With  countable nouns,  you can use  many, a few, fewer, the fewest:

• How  many  brothers do you have?
• I have  a few  books in my backpack.
• There are  fewer  people here today than there were yesterday.
• Out of the whole team, John made the fewest  mistakes in his work.

With  uncountable nouns,  you can use  much, a little, less, the least:

• Our teacher gives us too  much  homework!
• Add  a little  butter to the recipe.
• I’m trying to eat  less  red meat.
• Compared to my friends, I make  the least  money.

We can use  some, any, more, the most, a lot of, and  lots of  with both countable and uncountable nouns:

• She bought  some bananas at the store. (countable)
• We heard  some  great music on the radio this morning. (uncountable)
• Does he have  any  children? (countable)
• He doesn’t have  any  furniture in his new house. (uncountable)
• We need to buy  more  bananas. (countable)
• We need to buy  more  equipment. (uncountable)
• I’ve read  the most  books in my class. (countable)
• The boss gave me  the most  work. (uncountable)
• She has  a lot of / lots of  friends. (countable)
• We’re having  a lot of / lots of  fun. (uncountable)

Countable and Uncountable Nouns QUIZ!

Uncountable Noun List

Most nouns in English are countable – but here are some common uncountable nouns organized by category.

Liquids, grains, and semi-solids:

Categories or Mass Nouns:

• Agriculture
• Entertainment
• Infrastructure
• Transportation

Abstract ideas or qualities:

• Intelligence

Master the details of English grammar:

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• How to Tell If a Noun Is Countable or Uncountable | Examples

How to Tell if a Noun is Countable or Uncountable | Examples

Published on June 21, 2019 by Fiona Middleton . Revised on April 18, 2023.

Uncountable nouns , also known as mass nouns or noncount nouns, refer to a mass of something or an abstract concept that can’t be counted (except with a unit of measurement). In contrast, countable nouns can be counted as individual items.

The main rules to remember for uncountable nouns are that they cannot be pluralized , and that they never take indefinite articles (“a” or “an”).

Table of contents

Countable noun or uncountable noun, are uncountable nouns singular or plural, using articles with uncountable nouns, numbers and amounts, “research” and “data”, other interesting language articles.

Some nouns in English, like those in the table above, are always (or nearly always) uncountable. Many other nouns, however, can be countable or uncountable depending on the context.

To identify whether a noun is countable or uncountable in a particular context, consider whether you are referring to a single tangible item, entity or type of something, or if you are describing a general mass or idea of something.

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Uncountable nouns should be treated as singular, and thus should always be used with singular verbs to ensure correct subject-verb agreement .

• Knowledges are power.
• Knowledge are power.
• Knowledge is power.

Singular countable nouns generally require an article or other determiner (e.g., “the interview ,” “a participant,” “my hypothesis “). Uncountable nouns, in contrast, can usually stand alone without an article.

Because uncountable nouns can’t be counted as a single item,  indefinite articles (“a” or “an”) should never be used with them.

• The admissions office can provide an advice about arranging accommodation.
• The admissions office can provide advice about arranging accommodation.

The definite article “the” can be used when you are referring to a particular instance or specific mass of an uncountable noun.

• All living things require water to survive.
• We wanted to swim but the water was too cold.

Many uncountable nouns are associated with words that break them up into countable units. This is helpful when you want to refer to a single or numbered instance or unit.

• A piece of advice .
• A head of broccoli.
• A bolt of lightning.
• Ten items of feedback.

Finding the correct term to describe amounts can be tricky. Many terms that describe amount (e.g., “some,” “ a lot of” and “most”) can be used with both uncountable and countable nouns (although note that these terms are often  too vague to use in academic writing).

• Uncountable: Some vegetation has started to grow over the study site.
• Countable: Some desserts can be very healthy.
• Uncountable: After 5 minutes most of the calcium carbonate should be dissolved.
• Countable: Most of the chemicals are not easy to obtain.

However, there are certain terms that can only be used with either uncountable or countable nouns. Make sure to choose correctly between “less vs. fewer,” “much vs. many,” and “amount vs. number.”

In academic writing , “research” and “data” are two uncountable nouns that are notoriously difficult to use correctly.

Never add “s” to pluralize “research” or “data”. (Note that the word “researches” is only correct when used as the third-person singular of the verb “to research.” )

• We review researches about the financial crisis of 2007.
• We review research about the financial crisis of 2007.
• The experiments produced a large amount of datas .
• The experiments produced a large amount of data .

Always use “research” as a singular noun.

• Research are lacking in this area.
• Research is lacking in this area.

Data, however, can be used as a singular or plural noun.

• Data was collected through semi-structured interviews .
• Data were collected through semi-structured interviews.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Types of nouns
• Collective nouns
• Personal pronouns
• Proper nouns
• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Types of verbs
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement
• Interjections
• Determiners
• Prepositions

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Middleton, F. (2023, April 18). How to Tell if a Noun is Countable or Uncountable | Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/nouns-and-pronouns/uncountable-nouns/

Aarts, B. (2011).  Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015).  Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage  (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016).  Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

• acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education
• receive/provide somebody with training
• develop/design/plan a curriculum/course/program/syllabus
• give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
• hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
• moderate/lead/facilitate a discussion
• sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
• go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
• be in the first, second, etc. grade (at school)
• study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
• finish/drop out of/quit school
• graduate from high school/college
• be the victim/target of bullying/teasing
• skip/cut/ ( informal ) ditch class/school
• cheat on an exam/a test
• get/be given a detention (for doing something)
• be expelled from/be suspended from school
• do your homework/a project on something
• work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/a paper
• finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies
• hand in/turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
• study/prepare/review/ ( informal ) cram for a test/an exam
• take/ ( formal ) sit for a test/an exam
• grade homework/a test
• do well on/ ( informal ) ace a test/an exam
• pass/fail/ ( informal ) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
• apply to/get into/go to/start college
• leave/graduate from college (with a degree in computer science)/law school
• study for/work towards a law degree/a degree in physics
• major/minor in biology/philosophy
• earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a Ph.D. in economics

Want to learn more?

Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

• music, art, love, happiness
• advice, information, news
• furniture, luggage
• rice, sugar, butter, water
• electricity, gas, power
• money, currency

We usually treat uncountable nouns as singular. We use a singular verb. For example:

• This news is very important.
• Your luggage looks heavy.

We do not usually use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns. We cannot say "an information" or "a music". But we can say a "something" of :

• a piece of news
• a bottle of water
• a grain of rice

We can use some and any with uncountable nouns:

• I've got some money.
• Have you got any rice?

We can use a little and much with uncountable nouns:

• I've got a little money.
• I haven't got much rice.

Here are some more examples of countable and uncountable nouns:

Countable	Uncountable
dollar	money
song	music
suitcase	luggage
table	furniture
battery	electricity
bottle	wine
report	information
tip	advice
journey	travel
job	work
view	scenery

Partitive Structure with Uncountable Nouns

To count or quantify an uncountable noun we use a unit of measurement - a measure word . For example, we cannot usually say “two breads” because “bread” is uncountable. So, if we want to specify a quantity of bread we use a measure word such as “loaf” or “slice” in a structure like “two loaves of bread” or “two slices of bread”. We call this structure a partitive structure .

partitive structure:	quantity	measure word		uncountable noun
examples:	two	cups	of	coffee
	several	games	of	tennis
	a	drop	of	water

We can use the same uncountable noun in different partitive expressions with different meanings. For example, a loaf of bread and a slice of bread are partitive expressions with different meanings. A loaf of bread is what we call a whole unit of bread that we buy from a baker. A slice of bread is what we call a smaller unit of bread after it has been cut from a loaf. 

Here are some more examples:

• Don't forget to buy a bag of rice when you go shopping.
• Can I have one cup of coffee and two cups of tea .
• The police found some items of clothing scattered around the floor.
• I need a truck that will take at least three pieces of furniture .
• You'd think a tablespoon of honey would be more than enough.
• List of common measure words
• List of partitive expressions with example sentences

Nouns that can be Countable and Uncountable

Sometimes, the same noun can be countable and uncountable, often with a change of meaning.

Countable		Uncountable
The US dollar and pound sterling are important currencies.		The expression gained wider currency after 2001.
There are two hairs in my coffee!		I don't have much hair.
There are two lights in our bedroom.		Close the curtain. There's too much light!
Shhhhh! I thought I heard a noise. There are so many different noises in the city.		It's difficult to work when there is so much noise.
Have you got a paper to read? (newspaper) Hand me those student papers.		I want to draw a picture. Have you got some paper?
Our house has seven rooms.		Is there room for me to sit here?
We had a great time at the party. How many times have I told you no?		Have you got time for a cup of coffee?
is one of Shakespeare's greatest works.		I have no money. I need work!

See also this list of nouns that are count and noncount , with example sentences, notes and quizzes

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• English Only

Homework - singular or plural?

• Thread starter Mr_Croft
• Start date Nov 19, 2007
• Nov 19, 2007

Senior Member

I haven't ( have not) done it. It is singular. My homework is singular. It names the collective tasks I have to do. Bienvenido mr_Croft! Note: Some dictionaries describe this noun as "uncountable". There are many threads here about uncountable nouns. You may find them by using the forum Search feature, or by looking up the word "uncountable" in the WordReference English dictionary. It will display threads with that word in the title: Forum discussions with the word(s) 'uncountable' in the title: Countable and uncountable, depending on context! Countable, uncountable: asparagus Countable, uncountable: homework Uncountable nouns - an exercise is the word "cheese" uncountable? Countable, uncountable: mail, e-mail Countable, uncountable: broccoli, orange Countable, uncountable: advice, bread, cabbage, hair, onions Countable, uncountable: chocolate, chocolates Countable, uncountable: food Countable, uncountable: news Two uncountable nouns become plural? Countable, uncountable: peanuts, people Should the verb be singular or plural after two uncountable nouns? Countable and uncountable, depending on context! uncountable luck Biker, Sponsor: UNCOUNTABLE??? is or are with a list of uncountable Countable, uncountable: help Countable, uncountable: snow Two types of uncountable nouns. the use of articles with uncountable nouns Countable, uncountable: patience "Advice" - uncountable??? Tip (countable or uncountable)  

The last time we talked about this, everyone but me said that homework is not countable. Countable, uncountable: homework But in this particular example, even I would say: I haven't done my homework. Have you done your homework? I haven't done it yet. - - - even if I have homework to do in several different subjects.  

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What's the correct unit for homework?

Consider the case when a teacher has thirty students in the class. The noun "homework" is uncountable so he cannot say "I have thirty homeworks to grade every week." My question is that if there is any unit of homework so that the sentence "I have thirty (units) of homework to grade every week" can be valid?

• After reading the replies, I think I should make the situation more clear. I myself am a math TA. What our students need to do for homework is usually about ten exercises from the textbook. I feel if I ask another TA how much homework he needs to grade, the usual reply will be like, "I have two sections, fifteen students each, and we have one assignment every week." Since the amount of exercises is usually the same, we don't really care about it. The amount of homework to grade mainly depends on how many students we have. But I always feel this kind of reply to be very indirect. So my precisely question is if there is any way to reply the question "how much homework do you need to grade?" by saying "I need to grade thirty (units) homework every week."
• Based on what I see from the replies, I have the impression that different countries have different answers for this question. Is this true? I'm on the west coast of the US so the way in which people there answer this question is what I care about the most. But I'm still interested in knowing the difference.
• uncountable-nouns

• 7 But, Chris, you'd need to tell us what unit is important. What did you count to reach thirty? Was it questions, exercises, assignments, workbooks? Was it students or classes? Until you tell us, we don't know. –  Gary Botnovcan Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:21

9 Answers 9

In your example, you could use pieces , as in I have thirty pieces of homework to grade every week .

piece noun [ C ] (THING) a single object of a particular type: a piece of furniture/clothing/equipment a piece of paper (= a whole sheet) a piece of china (= an object made of china) a piece of information/advice (Cambridge Dictionary)

However, that doesn't seem particularly idiomatic to me. You could use assignments , as in homework assignments :

assignment noun [ C/U ] us ​ /əˈsɑɪn·mənt/ a particular job or responsibility given to you: [C] The homework assignment was to read Chapter 2 in our history book. (Cambridge Dictionary)

However, in my experience, it's more common to use the type of assignment instead of homework . I think the most broad term is assignment , but you could be more specific: I have 30 ______ to grade every week.

• assignments

I was very briefly a grader (or, "reader") in a related field. I can't remember exactly how I talked about it, but if someone asked me, "How much homework do you need to grade?", I would probably reply

I need to grade thirty [assignments] every week.

You could also say sets (as others have mentioned), or even submissions (more generic). I'm thinking maybe even "papers", but that's usually used with reports or essay-like works.

I don't think I would have responded in the form you supplied, "I need to grade thirty (units) homework every week." But, that's just my personal feeling of it. You can still use pieces , as mentioned earlier. It may or may not sound slightly strange to the listener, but you will be understood.

To my surprise, BrE users are reporting that pieces of homework is idiomatic to them. I did a little Ngram search , and it appears that the phrase is more common in BrE.

I'm from the West Coast (US).

• 2 I always preferred "piece of homework", so +1 –  SovereignSun Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 9:19
• 4 Pieces was the first word I thought of. (brit here) –  WendyG Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 10:56
• 2 I've often heard " homework for 30 students ", or " papers ", as in " I have 30 papers to grade this weekend ". –  Todd Wilcox Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 13:58
• 8 "Assignment" strikes me as more likely American. I don't think we ever referred to pieces of homework as "assignments" in secondary school here in Britain. Maybe my school was just weird though, it's hard to tell with this sort of thing! –  Muzer Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 14:27
• 2 Pieces of homework sounds perfectly idiomatic to me (from UK) –  Ben Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 13:08

You are given homework assignments :

[Merriam-Webster] 2 b : a specified task or amount of work assigned or undertaken as if assigned by authority • a homework assignment The students were given a homework assignment .

• @Richard The way I see it, this definition is not so precise and clear too! What about: "a piece of work that a student is asked to do" (Quoted from here , definition number 2) –  a.RR Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 14:14
• 5 If the teacher were marking 30 assignments, I'd see that as 30 sets of different homework, not 30 submissions for the same assignment. –  Lightness Races in Orbit Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:16
• Agreed; one assignment to 30 students would produce (up to) 30 submissions to grade. –  chepner Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 18:19
• In Toronto, especially in high school, we always got homework assignments. They weren't called anything else. –  Jason Bassford Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 20:30
• 1 Hmm everyone I knew when I TA'd in the US would more than happily use "homeworks". Not sure if they would write since I've never had occasion to need that but in casual speech it seems completely acceptable. I wonder how many would have actually reported it as ungrammatical. –  DRF Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 13:45

You pick a different noun that is more flexible yet appropriate.

I have thirty reports to grade. I have thirty assignments to mark.

• 2 Also problem sets or essays. –  user3067860 Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 13:29

You're asking about the teacher's workload in evaluating the homework that has been returned.

I think the word 'sets' is what you're looking for.

I have 30 sets of math homework to grade, and I still have 8 sets of geography homework from yesterday that I'm not done with.

set (MW, noun definition 2)

a number of things of the same kind that belong or are used together

The dictionaries don't seem to have caught up yet but, as somebody who regularly sets and marks homework in a university in the UK, I would quite happily refer to "marking 30 homeworks". A comment on another answer says that this is also used in the US.

So, at least for informal use, I think it's fine to use homework as a countable noun and pluralize it. If you wanted to be more formal, I'd go with my usual cowardly solution of rewording to avoid the problem: "I have to grade 30 students' homework" or "I have to grade homework for 30 students."

• 1 I agree, but interestingly, if I were a student and had a math assignment, a history assignment, and an English assignment, I'd never say "I have three homeworks to do." –  thumbtackthief Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 21:21

I suggest you use the word exercise . It's one of the most frequently used words in this meaning(=homework) & it's countable too.

Well, there are other simple ways:

For homework , you're going to finish thirty exercises every week.

In other words:

Do Exercises 3, 4, 5 etc on pages 51, 52, 53 etc for homework .

If you are student you can say:

My science teacher always sets a lot of homework. The teacher told us to do thirty exercises for homework.

If you are teacher you can also say:

For homework I want you to do thirty exercises.

• 1 But if you set thirty exercises as homework then one 'unit' of homework would be thirty exercises, so 'exercise' isn't the unit for 'the homework received from one pupil'. –  Pete Kirkham Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:01
• @PeteKirkham All in all, " One exercise " can be a " Piece of homework " or " A part of assignment " . So I definitely disagree with you. –  a.RR Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:43
• 2 Probably an American thing, but "my teacher sets a lot of homework" sounds very weird to me. I would always use the verb "gives." I also agree with @PeteKirkham; to me, "exercise" only refers to a part of an assignment and not the assignment as a whole. –  Doorknob Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 14:35
• @Doorknob "Set" seems very normal to me in British English so, yes, this probably is a US/UK thing. –  David Richerby Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 16:07
• This is incorrect. If the teacher has set 30 exercises to each of 30 students, then they have 900 exercises to mark but only 30 units of homework. "Exercise" and "homework" are not synonyms: one's homework is the total work one has been set to do at home and that may consist of multiple exercises, as your answer makes clear. –  David Richerby Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 16:09

I'd quantify it by the amount of students whose homework you have to grade.

"I have homework of 30 students to grade this weekend"

• 2 Or, more simply, "30 students' homework". With your phrasing, I think you need the definite article, "I have the homework of 30 students to grade this weekend." –  David Richerby Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 16:00

At MIT, most courses assign homework in " problem sets ".

A typical engineering student has to do four problem sets per week: one for each course that he or she is enrolled in.

A typical TA (Teaching Assistant) has to grade dozens of problem sets per week: one for each student in his (or rarely her) recitation section(s).

A typical problem set consists of several problems.

Some courses (especially in Technical Writing and the Humanities) require students to write weekly essays, instead of solve weekly problem sets.

'30 sets of homework' perhaps.

But 'I've got 30 homeworks to mark' doesn't sound wrong.

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Why do we say There weren’t many people at the party but There wasn’t much wine ?

When you look at these sentences carefully, you’ll notice that it all depends on the noun. People are countable, in that you can count them – 1 person, 2 people. Wine , on the other hand, cannot be counted. You cannot say 1 wine, 2 wines. 2 glasses (or bottles!) of wine, yes, but not just 2 wines. So wine is an uncountable noun.

Countable nouns are nouns we can talk about in the singular and in the plural. Uncountable nouns usually don’t have a plural form.

Countable nouns are objects and things, which is why they are able to be easily counted. Uncountable nouns, on the other hand, are usually abstract concepts ( knowledge, advice) or things or objects which are of a substance such that it is difficult to count ( sand, milk ).

How do we use countable and uncountable nouns?

Countable and uncountable nouns differ in which quantifiers can be used with them. Countable nouns can use: many, a few ; uncountable nouns use: much, a little . Both sets of nouns can use: lots of or a lot of .

What problems do learners have with countable and uncountable nouns?

The first problem learners have with countable and uncountable nouns is understanding the concept and so using incorrect quantifiers.

For example: How many money do you have?

The second problem arises because certain nouns can be countable and uncountable depending on their usage.

For example:

I’ve seen that movie many times.

I didn’t have time to do my homework.

Here, time is countable in the first sentence but uncountable in the second.

A final problem is the fact that uncountable nouns are not used in the plural. Learners may not realise this and may use them in the plural form. This may also be a transfer problem from their first language in which the same noun is countable.

For example: He gave me a lot of informations about the course.

When teaching your students about the different parts of speech, don’t gloss over nouns because you think they are a simple aspect of English. In fact, there are lots of rules relating to nouns which need to be clarified to our learners in order for them to be able to use nouns appropriately in their English production. You need to actually focus on the grammar of nouns. In other words, you need to make sure your students know not only the form, meaning and pronunciation of the words, but also the rules governing their use.

A helpful teaching idea is to utilise a categorisation activity in class. Write down a set of countable and uncountable nouns on big pieces of paper and allow the students to put them into two categories on the board – countable and uncountable. Allowing them time to think about and discuss the nouns will help them remember the rules.

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11+ Examples of Concrete Nouns that You Must Know!

• Updated on  
• Sep 7, 2024

Wondering what are concrete nouns ? Well, to explain in simple words these refer to objects that can be physically touched, smelled, tasted and so on. In contrast to abstract nouns (which represent ideas, qualities, or concepts), concrete nouns are tangible and can be physically perceived. Furthermore, in this blog post, you will read all about the examples of concrete nouns and how they can be implemented in your writing. Make sure you continue reading this blog post to learn all about the types of concrete nouns and how they can be used in sentences. 

This Blog Includes:

Concrete nouns – definition, common nouns, proper nouns, countable nouns, uncountable nouns, collective nouns.

Concrete nouns refer to things that can be touched, seen, smelled, tasted, or heard. They represent tangible, physical objects or substances that are perceived in the real world. 

Some of the common examples of concrete nouns include  “frog”, “goose”, “fern”, “virus”, “painter”, the prime minister”, “town”, “river”, “island”,  “girl”, “mall”, and “blanket.”

Also Read: Nouns: Definition and Examples

Types of Concrete Nouns

Concrete nouns can be classified into several types based on their properties or characteristics. Let us explore all of them one by one with the help of a few examples for your understanding. 

Common nouns are general terms that refer to a class of people, places, or things without specifying a particular individual. They are used to represent a group or category rather than a specific instance.

• The boy rode his bike to school .
• The dog chased the cat through the park .

Proper nouns are specific names given to individuals, places, or things. Unlike common nouns, which refer to general categories, proper nouns identify unique entities.

• John went to Paris last summer.
• The Taj Mahal is a beautiful monument in India .

Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted. They have plural forms and can be used with numbers. This means that any person, place or thing you can count is a countable noun. Interestingly, countable nouns are studied in the form of singular nouns and plural nouns .

• I bought three apples at the grocery store .
• The teacher gave the students five homework assignments .

Uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be counted. They often refer to substances, abstract concepts, or things that are too small or too amorphous to be counted individually. Unlike countable nouns, uncountable nouns do not have plural forms and cannot be used with numbers.

• I drank a glass of water .
• Happiness is important in life.

Lastly, collective nouns refer to a group of people, animals, or things considered as a single unit. They are often used to describe a group without naming each member.

• The team lost the game .
• The flock of birds flew south for the winter.

Do check these logs

11 Examples of Concrete Nouns

Now that you have gone through all the definitions of the nouns that come under concrete nouns, it is time that you go through the examples for each one of them for a better understanding. 

Boy	Girl
Man	Woman
Teacher	Student
City	Country
Park	School
Hospital	Book
Car	Table
Phone	Computer
Tree	Dog
Cat	Cheese
Pizza	TV
Computer	Swimming

India	John
Mary	Barack Obama
Queen Elizabeth II	The Mona Lisa
Tokyo	Mount Everest
New York City	London
The United Kingdom	Oprah Winfrey
The Amazon Rainforest	Sydney
Elon Musk	The Great Wall of China
Mahatma Gandhi	Pulp Fiction
Nike	Adidas
Coca-Cola	Pepsi
Mc Donalds	Apple

Book	Car
Pen	Pencil
Desk	Chair
Table	Steak
Ice cream	Question
Answer	Day
Week	Year
Lion	Tiger
Monkey	Chocolate
Strawberry	Dollar
Idea	Apple
Banana	Student

Water	Air
Sugar	Milk
Rice	Coffee
Tea	Oil
Gold	Silver
Love	Happiness
Furniture	Luggage
Advice	News
Music	Art
Weather	Traffic
Furniture	Luggage
Courage	Honesty

Team	Family
Crowd	Class
Audience	Choir
Committee	Herd
Flock	Pack
School	Pride
Swarms	Brood
Bunch	Pile
Collection	Assortment
Fleet	Bouquet
Jury	Orchestra
Battalion	Colony

11 Examples of Concrete Nouns in Sentences

The rode his to .

The chased the through the .

I bought at the .

is important in life.

The gave the s.

went to last summer.

The is a beautiful monument in .

founded .

stands in .

wrote .

I bought at the .

The gave the

The drove his to .

The played with their in the .

I have and .

I drank a glass of .

is important in life.

is expensive in this city.

I need some on my career.

travels fast in the digital age.

The lost the .

The of flew south for the winter.

The went on a to the .

The took a to the

The cheered for the .

Check Related Reads on Learn English

The 10 examples of concrete nouns include bed, dog, cat, snake, turtle, cow, restaurant, store, sister and brother.

Milk is a common, concrete, material noun. While, ‘Amul Milk’, ‘Motherdairy Milk’, ‘Britannia milk’, ‘Nestlé Milk’ etc are proper nouns.

Yes, Ice cream is an example of a concrete noun. 

We hope this blog on ‘examples of common nouns’ provided you with all the information. To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu .

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Countable Uncountable Nouns Activities

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

1 September 2024

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Enhance your students’ understanding of grammar with this comprehensive set of Task Cards, Sorting Cards, and Worksheets designed to teach:

Countable and Uncountable Nouns, Quantifiers (How Much/How Many), and Determiners (a, an, some, any).

What’s Included:

60 Task Cards for Countable and Uncountable Nouns 60 Task Cards for Quantifier Questions (How Much or How Many) 60 Task Cards for Determiners (a, an, some, any) Sorting Cards for categorizing nouns as Countable or Uncountable 27 Differentiated Worksheets (A4 and A5 versions)

Differentiated 3 Levels of Difficulty: Tailored to different skill levels - Easier, Mild, and Tricky - ensuring all learners are challenged appropriately.

Engaging : Students can select the correct answer on each task card and record their responses on the provided answer sheets, making this activity perfect for individual practice, small group collaboration, or even homework assignments.

Sorting Cards: Perfect for Sorting: Includes cards for categorizing nouns as Countable or Uncountable. Versatile Use: These cards are not only great for sorting activities but can also be used for display purposes, enriching your classroom environment.

Differentiated Worksheets: Comes with matching worksheets where learners can color or circle their answers- perfect for reinforcing concepts in class or at home.

With 180 task cards in total, differentiated activities, versatile sorting cards, and comprehensive worksheets, this set offers extensive practice for varied levels of learners. An organised ZIP file with folders and clear file names is also included in the download.

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