FOOD: COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
Uncountable nouns in English are expressed with different measures :
Expressions of quantity
Some theory…
We use a/an only before singular countable nouns.
We say a cookie, a book, a chair but an apple, an item, an example, …
Because:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
A noun can be countable or uncountable. Compare:
Countable
I eat a banana every day.
I like bananas.
Banana is a countable noun. A countable noun can be singular or plural.
Countable nouns are things we can count. So we can say ‘one banana, two bananas, etc’.
Examples of nouns usually countable:
There’s a beach near there.
Ann was singing a song.
It wasn’t your fault, it was an accident.
Have you got a ten-pound note?
Uncountable
I eat rice every day.
I like rice.
Rice is an uncountable noun. An uncountable noun has only one form which is singular.
Uncountable nouns are things we cannot count. We cannot say ‘one rice, two rices, etc’. We cannot use a/an with them.
Examples of nouns usually uncountable:
There is sand in my shoes.
Ann was listening to (some) music.
We haven’t got enough water.
I wasn’t your fault. It was bad luck.
Have you got any money?
1.2 Exercises
1.2.1 Put in a/an or some in the following blanks.
1. I read ……… newspaper, wrote ……… letters and listened to ……… music.
2. Would you like ……… milk in your coffee?
3. We met ……… interesting people at the party.4. We talked to her and she gave us ……… very good advice.
5. She didn’t eat much for lunch : only ……… apple and ……… bread.
6. Would you like ……… bread ?
7. I’m going to make ……… table. First, I need ……… wood.
8. We talked to her and she gave us ……… very good advice.
9. I want to write ……… letter. I need ……… pen and ……… paper.
10. Would you like ……… cigarette?
11. I’m going to open the window to have ……… fresh air.
12. We live in ……… big house. There’s ……… nice garden with ……… beautiful trees.
13. I need ……… money. I want to buy ……… food.
14. Would you like ……… tea ?
15. We had ……… nice weather when we were on holiday.
Countable use of uncountable nouns
We can make uncountable nouns countable by specifying a unit.
a shape (a piece of, a loaf of, … )
The unit can be a measurement ( a kilo of, a litre of, a metre of, …)
a container ( a bottle of, a glass of, a carton of, a bar of, … )
Example : Would you like some wine? → Would you like a glass of wine ?
2.2. Exercises
2.2.1 Can you do the same exercise as the one seen in the example above? Write the translation if unknown.
LOAF BOTTLE CUP CARTON SLICE
TUBE JAR TIN BAG JUG
PIECE BOX PACKET CAN BAR
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A ………. of chocolate A ………. of jam A ………. of tuna
A ………. of biscuits A ………. of cheese A ………. of cereal
A ………. of wine A ………. of tea A ………. of milk
A ………. of cigarettes A ………. of peas A ………. of bread
A ………. of advice A ………. of toothpaste A ………. of water
2.2.2. Choose the right answer.
TODAY, I DO SHOPPING.
This morning, I’m going to the supermarket/ supermarket. I buy a packet/bottle of rice, a tin/piece of tomatoes, some/any eggplants and a packet/tube of lentils. I also need two cartons/jars of milk, a kilo/tin of bananas, a papaya and a loaf/slice of bread for breakfast tomorrow. Moreover, I want to make a cake. So, I have to buy some/any ingredients. First, I need a box/bar of chocolate, a bag/kilo of flour and a kilo/packet of sugar. How hungry I am !
Quantifiers
Like articles, quantifiers are words that precede and modify nouns. They tell us how many or how
much. Selecting the correct quantifier depends on your understanding the distinction between count and uncount nouns.
QUANTITY COUNTABLE UNCOUNTABLE
LARGE >>>>>> many / a lot much / a lot of
INDEFINITE >>>>>> some some
SMALL >>>>>> a few a little
ABSENT >>>>>> no / any no / any
3.1 Exercises
3.1.1. Put in much or many.
I haven’t got …………… time. She doesn’t speak …………… English.
Do you know …………… songs? Are there …………… Americans in your company?
Was there …………… traffic on the road? Have you travelled in …………… countries?
I don’t eat …………… meat. Not …………… tourists visit our town.
We don’t have…………… rain in summer. I don’t buy …………… clothes.
3.1.2. Write questions. Do you know the answers?
Example : Plays/Shakespeare/write → How many plays did Shakespeare write? He wrote 37 plays.
Symphonies/Beethoven/write – …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Kilometers/in a mile - …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
States/in the USA - …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Blood/ in a person’s body - …………………………………………………… is there …………………………………………………………………
Air/we breathe/ every minute - ……………………………………………… do we ………………………………………………………………………….
3.1.3. Circle the correct answer.
Lots of people have/has computer. A lot of my friends work/works in London.
There is/ are lots of cinemas here. There is/are lots of food in the fridge.
Lots of snow has/have fallen today. A lot of things need/needs to change.
3.1.4. Put a little or a few.
I know …………… English. I speak …………… words of Spanish.
I’ll be on holidays …………… days. Can you give me …………… help?
Ann will be ready in …………… minutes. Could I have …………… more coffee?
I’d like to ask you …………… questions. I’m having …………… trouble with the police.
The soup needs …………… more salt. I’m going away for …………… weeks.
3.1.5. Circle the correct answer.
Example: I have little/a little time to read newspapers and no time at all to read books.
There was little/ a little water on the mountain and we all got very thirsty.
Foreign languages are difficult, and few/a few people learn them perfectly.
I’m going to Scotland with few/a few friends next week.
I’ve brought you few/a few flowers.
Life is very hard in the Artic, so few/a few people live there.
The following quantifiers work with count nouns :
Many
A few
Few
Several + COUNT NOUNS
A couple of
None of the
The following quantifiers work with non-count nouns :
Not much
A little
Little + NON-COUNT NOUNS
A bit of
No
The following quantifiers work with both count and non-count nouns :
All the
Some
Most of the
Enough
A lot of + BOTH OF THEM
Lots of
Plenty of
A lack of
