Grammar lesson : Countable and Uncountable Nouns a person people a mouse mice
A countable noun is anything we can count ; it has two forms : a datum data a bacterium bacteria
singular and plural forms : • Nouns that end in a consonant + y, we drop the letter y +
ies :
• Singular •Plural
a country countries
a banana / one banana bananas / two bananas
a fly flies
a carrot / one carrot carrots / three carrots
an apple / one apple apples / five apples a body bodies [ y + ies ]
a copy copies
an onion / one onion onions / four onions
a hobby hobbies
NB: With singular countable nouns we need articles : a /an . But,
• Incorrect • Correct a boy boys
student a student a day days
engineer an engineer a key keys [ Noun + s ]
VI : When we use countable nouns in a sentence , we pay special a way ways
attention to the verb. Singular countable nouns take singular a tray trays
a survey surveys
verbs and plural countable nouns take plural verbs :
• Nouns that end in f or fe , we change the f or fe to v + es :
• There is an orange ./ There are three oranges a calf calves a half halves
• The boy goes to school. / The boys go to school a leaf leaves a loaf loaves
a self selves a sheaf sheaves [ f/fe +ves ]
Uncountable nouns are anything we can not count . They are a shelf shelves a thief thieves
always singular and they don’t take the articles : a / an : a wife wives a life lives
• Incorrect •Correct a knife knives a wolf wolves an elf elves
a water / one water water / some water some of them can take ves or only an “ s” :
a meat / two meat meat / some meat a scarf scarves / scarfs
VI : Uncountable nouns always take singular verbs : a dwarf dwarves / dwarfs
• Water is necessary for life . • Meat is expensive . a wharf wharves / wharfs [ f + ves or noun +s ]
→ Here’s a list of common uncountable nouns : a hoof hooves / hoofs
But, these : roof , belief , chef , surf , cliff take only an “ s” .
water , milk , tea , coffee , juice , oil , blood, sugar , salt,
• Nouns that end in a consonant + o take es :
cinnamon, saffron, cumin,ginger, food, bread, butter, meat,
a potato potatoes
cheese, fish,pizza, chicken, rice,soup,flour, fruit, pasta, spaghetti,
a tomato tomatoes [ Noun + es ]
toast, advice, education, money, music, love, anger, happiness, a hero heroes
courage, homework, rain, snow,nature, gold, silver,information, a veto vetoes
chalk, knowledge, intelligence, news, Physics, gymnastics, politics, an echo echoes
Mathematics, economics ………… Some of them take “es ”or only an “s” :
How to make the plural form of countable nouns ? a volcano volcanoes / volcanos
a motto mottoes/ mottos
• Nouns that end in a consonant , e, th ,gh take an “s”:
a mosquito mosquitoes / mosquitos [ Noun + es /s ]
• Singular • Plural
a zero zeroes / zeros
a girl girls an orange oranges
a buffalo buffaloes / buffalos
a dog dogs a house houses
a turnado turnadoes / turnados
a book books a myth myths
a ghetto ghettoes / ghettos
an onion onions a month months
an avocado avocadoes / avocados
an actor actors a path paths
a mango mangoes / mangos
a student students a laugh laughs
But, nouns of foreign origin or nouns ending in a vowel +o
a table tables a sigh sighs
• Nouns that end in ch , s, sh , ss , x, z take “es”: take only an “s” :
a photo photos a pistachio pistachios
a church churches
a kilo kilos a video videos
a witch witches
a bus buses a piano pianos a tattoo tattoos [ noun +s ]
a radio radios a zoo zoos
a brush brushes [ Noun + es ]
a studio studios a kangaroo kangaroos
a kiss kisses
a box boxes
a quiz quizzes → Some nouns are the same in the singular and the plural :
• Singular • Plural
→ There are some countable nouns that have the plural form
a deer deer
without “s”. They’re called “irregular nouns”:
a sheep sheep
a man men a foot feet
a species species
a woman women a tooth teeth
a moose moose
a child children a goose geese
an ox oxen a phenomenon phenomena
