Count and non count nouns

What are the differences?

1. Count and Non-Count Nouns What are the differences?

2. A count noun has singular and plural forms. Count Noun Non-Count Noun Child/children (irregular with no -s) money Chapter/chapters electricity Number/numbers eductation School/schools fun Book/books sleep Discovery/discoveries water Politics (a strange non-count noun because the –s makes it look like a plural count noun, but actually it’s non-count.) A non-count noun has no singular and plural.

3. Some nouns can be count or non-count, depending on context. Count Noun Non-Count Noun Religion/religions How many religions are there in the U.S. (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism …) I’m not really interested in religion. (non-count) Gas/gasses What are the gasses in the air? I smell gas in the kitchen. (non-count) Time/times I tried to call him three times yesterday. I don’t have very much time to do my homework. Tradition/traditions Giving money in red envelopes is a Chinese New Year tradition. Tradition is an important part of marriage customs.

4. Notice the verb agreement: Count Nouns: The verb agrees with the singular or plural form of the noun. Non-Count Nouns: Always use the singular form of the verb. A doctor often has a white coat. Doctors often have white coats. Gas doesn’t always have a strong smell. Is there a book for this course? Are there any books for this course? Education is very important. The glass was broken. The glasses were broken. Glass was not used for windows a thousand years ago.

5. For a count noun, ask “How many?” Count Noun Non-Count Noun How many children do you have? How much money do you have? How many chapters have we finished? How much electricity does a computer use? How many numbers does your child know? How much education do you need to become a doctor? How many schools are there in Oakland? How much fun did you have last night? How many books do I need to buy for this class? How much sleep did you get last night? How many discoveries did Priestley make? How much water should I put in the pan to cook rice/ For a non-count noun, ask “How much?”

6. For a singular count noun, use a/n. For a plural count noun, use some/any. Singular Count Noun Plural Count Noun Non-Count Noun A doctor wears a white coat. (Question) Does he have a white coat? (Negative) He doesn’t have a white coat. He has some white coats in his closet. (Question) Does he have any white coats? Does he have some white coats? (Negative) He doesn’t have any white coats. A lab technician needs some training. (Question) Does a lab technician need any/some training? (Negative) There’s no job where you don’t need any training. For a non-count noun, some/any.