Exercise 2. Look at these two sentences:
Tomatoes are as costly as lemons.
Tomatoes are not so costly as lemons. (not as costly as)
Wow frame similar sentences using these words: (for oral practice)Question is started from here
1.honey sweet sugar
2.water necessary air
3.apples delicious oranges
4.radhika pretty sunita
5.akhtar diligent nasir
IF YOU WILL TELL SO I WILL MARK YOU AS A BRANILIST
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
Home > Articles > English lessons > Countable and uncountable nouns | English grammar
Countable and uncountable nouns | English grammar
5th October 2017 by Andrew 7 Comments
What is a noun?
Look around you. Everything you see is a noun! (desk, computer, phone, car). Nouns are therefore objects and things. But they can also be non-physical things like ideas.
A noun is a word that names:
Things – Examples: table, chair, water.
People – Examples: Mark, Jane, pilot, driver.
Animals – Examples: dog, cat.
Places – Examples: London, kitchen, country.
Concepts, ideas or feelings – Examples: love, hate, jealousy, information.
2 types of noun – Countable and uncountable
In English grammar, we divide nouns into 2 categories or types:
1) Countable nouns
2) Uncountable nouns
Why do we divide nouns into these 2 groups? Why is it important to know if a noun is countable or uncountable? It is important because English grammar rules are different for countable and uncountable nouns. You must understand and learn the difference.
Let’s look at each type in more detail:
Countable nouns
A countable noun is a separate object. It is a separate unit. We can clearly count the number of units of a countable noun. An example is “apple”.
A countable noun has a singular form (when there is one unit). Example: I have one apple.
apple
I have one apple.
It also has a plural form (where there is more than 1 unit) For regular nouns, we usually form the plural by adding “s” – Example: I have two apples.
apples
I have two apples
We can count countable nouns because it is clear to see they are separate units.
In the singular form, we can use the indefinite article (“a” / “an”). Example: I am eating an apple.
Examples of countable nouns: cat, lemon, desk, bus, bowl, sandwich, radio and many more.
Uncountable nouns
An uncountable noun is not a separate object or unit. We cannot count uncountable nouns. It is a large solid mass or liquid without clear boundaries. An example is “water” We cannot count water. We do NOT say “I have 3 waters” – It does not make sense. Water is a liquid and is just one big amount all together.
Uncountable nouns only have a singular form. Example: I have some water. correct
There is no plural form for uncountable nouns. I have some waters. wrong
We cannot use the indefinite article (“a” / “an”) Example: I have a water. wrong
Uncountable nouns are therefore names of materials, gases, liquids, concepts, collections, mass objects without boundaries.
Examples: sugar, butter, oxygen, rice, pasta, salt, bread, milk, water
Example sentences:
The pasta is very nice. correct
(Notice that “pasta” is in the singular form. The verb “is” (third person singular of the verb “be”) is also the singular form to agree with the subject.
The pastas are very nice. wrong
(This is wrong because pasta does not have a plural form!)
Can I have some pasta? correct
He served me some pasta. correct
(pasta is singular)
More examples of uncountable nouns:
advice, air, alcohol, blood, butter, cheese, coffee, education, flour, food, furniture, grass, ice, information, luggage, meat, milk, money, music, news, oxygen, paper, pepper, rain, rice, salt, sand, snow, sugar, toothpaste, wine, wood and many more.
As you can see, “advice”, “information” and “news” are all uncountable in English. This often confuses ESL students because, in many other languages, these words are countable. Example, in French we say “des informations” and “un conseil” But in English, they are considered uncountable and do NOT have a plural form. “news” has a letter “s” on the end, but it is in fact singular.
Here are some examples showing the correct and incorrect versions:
He gave me some good advice. correct
He gave me some good advices. wrong
Can I have some information? correct
Can I have an information? wrong
The news is good correct
The news are good. wrong
Honey is not so sweet as sugar
2) water necessities air
Water is not so airy
3) apple is so delicious as orange
Apple is not so delicious as orange
4radhia is as pretty as Sunita
Radhika is not prettier than Sunita
5) Akhtar is so deliget as Nazir
Akhtar is not deliget than Nazir