Countable & Uncountable Nouns + Quantifiers
some / any / much / many / a lot of / few / little.
In English, nouns can be countable or uncountable. Countable nouns are things we can count one by one, so they have a singular and a plural form (one apple, two apples; a book, three books), while uncountable nouns are things we cannot count separately and have no plural form, such as water, money, rice, milk, music and bread. We use 'many' with countable plural nouns (How many books?) and 'much' with uncountable nouns (How much water?), and 'much' is most common in questions and negatives. We use 'some' in affirmative (positive) sentences (I have some friends; There is some milk) and 'any' in negatives and questions (I don't have any money; Is there any sugar?). The phrase 'a lot of' works with both countable and uncountable nouns and is very common in positive sentences (There are a lot of cars; I drink a lot of water). To talk about a small amount we use 'few' with countable nouns (few apples) and 'little' with uncountable nouns (little time). For example: 'We don't have much sugar and we only have a few eggs, so please buy some sugar and a lot of bread.'
Key terms
| Quantifier | Countable | Uncountable | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| many | Yes | No | Countable plural nouns: How many books? |
| much | No | Yes | Uncountable nouns: How much water? |
| a few | Yes | No | A small number of countable things: a few eggs |
| a little | No | Yes | A small amount of an uncountable thing: a little time |
| some | Yes | Yes | Positive sentences: I have some milk; some friends |
| any | Yes | Yes | Negatives and questions: I don't have any milk; Is there any sugar? |
| a lot of | Yes | Yes | Usually positive sentences: a lot of cars; a lot of water |
| Type | Features | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Countable | Can be counted one by one; have singular and plural forms; take 'many' / 'a few'. | apple/apples, book/books, pencil, chair, friend, egg |
| Uncountable | Cannot be counted separately; have no plural form; take 'much' / 'a little'. | water, money, rice, milk, music, bread, sugar |
- 1Find the noun: The noun is 'water'.
- 2Countable or uncountable?: 'water' is uncountable: we cannot say 'two waters', and it has no plural form.
- 3Pick the quantifier: Uncountable nouns take 'much', not 'many'. Answer: How much water do you drink?
- 1Find the noun: The noun is 'eggs'.
- 2Countable or uncountable?: 'eggs' is countable: one egg, two eggs.
- 3Pick the quantifier: For a small number of countable things use 'a few' (not 'a little'). Answer: We only have a few eggs.
Do not mix up 'much' and 'many'. Use 'many' with countable nouns (many books, many apples) and 'much' with uncountable nouns (much water, much sugar). Saying 'much apples' or 'many water' is wrong.
Choose 'some' or 'any' by sentence type: 'some' in positive sentences (I have some milk) and 'any' in negatives and questions (I don't have any money; Is there any sugar?).
Uncountable nouns have no plural form: write 'sugar', not 'sugars', and 'juice', not 'juices'. They also take a singular verb (There is some milk), never a plural -s ending on the noun.
For a small amount, match 'a few' with countable nouns (a few eggs) and 'a little' with uncountable nouns (a little time). Do not say 'a little eggs' or 'a few time'.
Rules
- 1Countable nouns can be counted and have a plural (apple/apples); uncountable nouns cannot (water, money, rice) and have no plural form.
- 2Use 'many' with countable plural nouns (How many books?) and 'much' with uncountable nouns (How much water?).
- 3Use 'some' in positive sentences (I have some milk) and 'any' in negatives and questions (I don't have any milk; Is there any milk?).
- 4'a lot of' works with both countable and uncountable nouns, usually in positive sentences (a lot of friends; a lot of water).
- 5Use 'few' with countable nouns (few eggs) and 'little' with uncountable nouns (little time) to mean a small amount.
Practice
10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard
10 random questions per test