Countable nouns (also known as count nouns) are nouns that can be considered as individual, separable items, which means that we are able to count them with numbers—we can have one, two, five, 15, 100, and so on. We can also use them with the indefinite articles a and an (which signify a single person or thing) or in their plural forms.
Countable nouns contrast with uncountable nouns (also known as non-count or mass nouns), which cannot be separated and counted as individual units or elements. Uncountable nouns cannot take an indefinite article, nor can they be made plural.
Singular
When a noun is singular and names a person (or, sometimes, a pet) whose gender is known,* then we use the third-person singular he, him, or his (masculine) or she, her, or hers (feminine). For example:
• “The man left early, so I didn’t get a chance to talk to him.” (Man is singular, so it takes the third-person singular pronoun him.)
• “The president has many things that she wants to accomplish in office.” (President is singular, so it takes the third-person singular pronoun she.)
• “We taught our dog to know which bed is his.” (Dog is singular, so it takes the third-person singular pronoun his.)
If the noun names a singular place, thing, or non-domestic animal, then we must use the third-person neuter pronoun it:
• “I hate this computer because it is so slow!”
• “The cow lowed softly as it ate.”
• “Some people dislike this town, but I’ve always loved it.”
Plural
When a noun is plural, we use the same third-person pronouns for people, places, animals, and things: they, them, and theirs*. For example:
• “The parade floats are spectacular! I love watching them go down the street.”
• “Bill and Samantha told me they were coming over later.”
• “Make sure the children know which bags are theirs.”
*Usage Note: “Singular they”
English does not have a way of identifying a single person with a pronoun if his
or her gender is not known, so sometimes the third-person plural forms (they, them, etc.) are used as a gender-neutral alternative to the third-person feminine/masculine forms. This is sometimes called “singular they.”
For example:
• “You shouldn’t judge someone until you know what they are really like.”
• “If anyone needs extra help with their studies, they should feel free to see me after class.”
While it is still considered incorrect by some writers and writing guides, especially in American English, “singular they” is gradually becoming accepted as the norm, especially in instances with indefinite pronouns that sound plural but are grammatically singular (like anyone in the example above).
Uncountable Nouns
Nouns that cannot be divided or counted as individual elements or separate parts
are called uncountable nouns (also known as mass nouns or non-count nouns). These can be tangible objects (such as substances or collective categories of things), or intangible or abstract things, such as concepts or ideas.
Nouns that can be divided are called countable nouns, or simply count nouns.
Here are some examples of uncountable nouns:
• wood, smoke, air, water
• furniture, homework, accommodation, luggage
• love, hate, beauty, intelligence, arrogance
• news*, access
(*Even though news ends in an “-s,” it is uncountable. We need this “-s” because
without it, news would become new, which is an adjective.)
Using articles with uncountable
nouns
Uncountable nouns cannot take the indefinite articles “a” or “an” in a sentence,
because these words indicate a single amount of something. For example:
✖ “Would you like a tea?” (incorrect)
✔ “Would you like tea?” (correct)
✖ “Do you have an information?” (incorrect)
✔ “Do you have (some/any) information?” (correct)
(We often use the words “some” or “any” to indicate an unspecified quantity of
uncountable nouns. We’ll investigate this more in a later part of this section.)
However, uncountable nouns can sometimes take the definite article “the,” as in:
• “Have you heard the news?”
• “The furniture in my living room is old.”
However, this is only the case if a specific uncountable noun is being described.
For example:
✖ “I am looking for an accommodation.” (incorrect)
✖ “I am looking for the accommodation.” (incorrect)
✔ “I am looking for accommodation.” (correct)
✔ “I am looking for the accommodation listed in this advertisement.” (correct
—references specific accommodation).
Uncountable nouns are not plural
Third-person singular vs. third person plural pronouns
Just as uncountable nouns cannot take the indefinite articles “a” or “an” because
there is not “one” of them, it is equally incorrect to use third-person plural
pronouns with them, as they are not considered a collection of single things. For
example:
• Person A: “Your hair looks very nice today.”
✖ Person B: “Yes, I washed them last night.” (incorrect)
✔ Person B: “Yes, I washed it last night.” (correct)
Note that single hairs become countable. If there are two hairs on your jacket,
you can say “hairs” or use the plural pronoun “they.” The hair on your head,
however, is seen as an uncountable noun.
Plural forms of the noun
We also cannot make uncountable nouns plural by adding “-s” on the end.
Again, they are grammatically regarded as single, collective units. For example:
✖ “We bought new camping equipments.” (incorrect)
✔ “We bought new camping equipment.” (correct)
✖ “The teacher gave us many homeworks.” (Incorrect. We also cannot use the
quantifier “many” with uncountable nouns, because it refers to individual
things.)
✔ “The teacher gave us a lot of homework.” (Correct. We can use the
quantifier “a lot” to indicate a large amount of an uncountable noun.)
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