Countability
COUNTABLE & UNCOUNTABLE WORDS
Some English words are countable (you count them: 1, 2, 3… or more pieces) and some are not countable (you cannot count them because they are, for example, abstract or there are no pieces to be counted).
Countable words (they can make the plural):
• Car (cars), hotel (hotels), glass (glasses)
Uncountable words:
• water (2 litres of water), cheese (a piece of cheese), tennis (a game of tennis)
MUCH and MANY
– used to express large quantity
– much is used for uncountable words
• much water, much money, much salt
– many is used for countable words
• many students, many problems, many mistakes
LITTLE (a little) and FEW (a few)
– used to express low quantity
– little is used for uncountable words
• little time, little salt, little air
– few is used for countable words
• few people, few dollars, few ideas
BE CAREFUL!!!
Some words are not countable in English unlike other languages.
Some words can surprise you!
TYPICAL MISTAKE: HOMEWORK is not countable. You cannot say HOMEWORKS.