Non-countable (Noncount) Nouns
What Are Non-countable (Noncount) Nouns? (with Examples)
A non-countable noun (or mass noun as it's also known) is a noun without a plural form.Non-countable nouns refer to things that cannot be counted. Look at these examples:
Non-countable Noun> | Attempt At Making It Plural |
---|---|
music | five musics |
furniture | five furnitures |
tennis | five tennises |
mercury | five mercuries |
Non-countable nouns are singular.
Examples of Non-countable (Noncount) Nouns
Non-countable nouns usually fall into one of the following categories:Category | Example |
---|---|
Concept | bravery, honesty, information, intelligence, patience |
Activity | homework, playing, reading, sleeping |
Food | bread, butter, cheese, fish, milk |
Gas | air, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, smoke |
Liquid | coffee, petrol, water, wine, beer |
Material | chalk, cloth, concrete, lumber, wood, metal |
Item Category | clothing, furniture, luggage, mail, money, software |
Natural Phenomenon | gravity, heat, humidity, rain, snow, sunshine, thunder |
Particles | dust, flour, rice, salt, sugar |
Making Non-countable Nouns Plural
There are two methods to pluralize a concept expressed by a non-countable noun:Method 1: Precede it with a [countable noun] + "of". For example:
- five loaves of bread (Loaves is the countable noun.)
- five blocks of cheese (blocks is the countable noun.)
- five bread loaves
- five cheese blocks
- France is famous for its cheeses. (Categories of cheese)
- There are many fine wines from Chile. (Categories of wine)
A Quick Test
SOME ADJECTIVES DON'T WORK WITH NON-COUNTABLE NOUNS
The following adjectives cannot precede a non-countable noun: these, those, each, every, either, and neither.
These adjectives are either for plural nouns or for plural ideas.
Read more about demonstrative adjectives.
Read more about indefinite adjectives.