Uncountable Nouns: Meaning, Definition, Examples, Worksheet

What is an Uncountable Noun?

Uncountable nouns, which are described as “another term for mass noun” by Oxford Languages, are a type of noun that comes in a state or quantity that is impossible to count. An example of a mass noun can be liquids, which are a little difficult to count. Another examples of uncountable nouns as a subject can be abstract ideas like courage or creativity.

A simple uncountable noun meaning would be a noun that refers to something you can’t count as separate items and is treated as one whole thing, no matter how much there is. These are completely different from countable nouns, which can be counted and have both singular and plural forms.

In English, uncountable nouns can't be used with numbers or with "a" or "an" unless you also say a unit of measurement. For example, you can't say "a water" or "three flours", but you can say "a bottle of water" or "three cups of flour."

Uncountable Noun Definition

There are also multiple uncountable noun definition given by different dictionaries. However, one of the popular ones is from the Cambridge dictionary, which describes them as “a noun that has one form with no plural and names something that there can be more or less of but that cannot be counted.”

Key Characteristics of Uncountable Nouns

To understand the uncountable noun meaning in a better way, let’s take a look at a few of its characteristics. This will not only help you understand them better, but even help you form correct uncountable noun sentences and use them effectively in everyday communication:

1. We can use uncountable nouns to talk about amounts of things using words like "much" or "many" without saying an exact unit. For example, "so much water" and "so many chairs.”
2. They do not have a concept of singular or plural, but they take the singular verb form in English.
3. Unlike countable nouns, we cannot use them with indefinite articles "a" or "an.”
4. We can use them for both abstract ideas like "courage," "anger," and "information," and substances and materials like “rice,” “milk,” and “water.”
5. Since they do not have a plural form, you cannot use "-s" or "-es,” for example, “rice” or “waters.”

How to Use Uncountable Nouns in Sentences

To form a correct uncountable noun sentence, let’s understand how to use them in a sentence first. Keep in mind that there is just one difference between countable and uncountable nouns; we always use countable nouns with a determiner like articles and quantitative adjectives.

Here are a few ways that can help you use uncountable nouns in a sentence:

1. Use a singular verb in the sentence, for example, “the advice is unnecessary.”
2. Since we can use plural endings like "-s" or "-es” in uncountable noun Sentence, we can use singular forms, and describe their quantity with words like "some," "a lot of," "a little," or "much."
3. We can also use phrases like "a piece of" or "a bit of” in the sentences to show quantity.
4. To correctly use uncountable nouns, we can use words that show a container or a unit of measurement. For example, “one bag of rice,” “two tanks of water,” or “a bar of chocolate” refer to a specific object or amount.
5. Lastly, we can also use a specific countable noun to refer to a part of an uncountable noun. For example, “a grain of rice,” or “a loaf of bread.”

List of Common Uncountable Nouns

Here is an uncountable nouns list that includes various uncountable noun examples as per different categories. Knowing them can help you understand which is the appropriate quantifier and determiner you can use with them, and create a correct sentence structure.

Examples of Uncountable Nouns

Using the uncountable nouns list above, here are example sentences with 10 uncountable noun that are commonly used in everyday language.

1. I need a glass of water after that long walk.
2. She gave me some great advice about starting a new job.
3. We don’t have enough information to make a decision yet.
4. All the furniture in the living room is brand new.
5. Could you please pass the sugar for my coffee?
6. He listens to classical music to relax.
7. I can’t go out tonight; I have too much homework.
8. Her luggage was lost at the airport.
9. He spent a lot of money on that car.
10. The weather has been unusually warm this week.

Uncountable Nouns Worksheet with Answers

Now that you have a better understanding of the uncountable noun definition, its characteristics, meaning, and examples, let’s test your skills with the help of the uncountable noun worksheet below:

Exercise 1: Which of the following is an uncountable noun?

In this exercise, you have to choose the correct uncountable noun from each set of words below. However, do keep in mind that some of the words might look countable in specific contexts, but are not.

1. A) Student, B) Notebook, C) Advice, D) Magazine
2. A) Slice, B) Sandwich, C) Loaf, D) Bread
3. A) Progress, B) Achievement, C) Medal, D) Trophy
4. A) Suitcase, B) Luggage, C) Bag, D) Backpack
5. A) Bus, B) Vehicle, C) Car, D) Traffic
6. A) Furniture, B) Chair, C) Table, D) Couch
7. A) Strand, B) Hair, C) Lock, D) Wig
8. A) Hammer, B) Tool, C) Equipment, D) Drill
9. A) Case, B) Suitcase, C) Trunk, D) Baggage
10. A) Knowledge, B) Thought, C) Idea, D) Fact

Answer - Exercise 1: Which of the following is an uncountable noun?

1. C) Advice
2. D) Bread
3. A) Progress
4. B) Luggage
5. D) Traffic
6. A) Furniture
7. B) Hair
8. C) Equipment
9. D) Baggage
10. A) Knowledge

Exercise 2: Correct the sentences.

In this next exercise, each of these sentences contains one or more mistakes related to uncountable nouns. You need to find them and write the correct sentence.

1. There are several advices I want to share about healthy eating.
2. We need less informations before making a decision.
3. Could you please bring three breads from the bakery?
4. I found many furnitures that would fit perfectly in our living room.
5. She packed too many luggages for just a weekend trip.
6. How many sugars do you take in your coffee?
7. The company received several new hardwares last month.
8. He gave me some good feedbacks after my presentation.
9. There isn’t enough knowledges in this field yet.
10. They’ve added lots of equipments to the gym recently.

Answer - Exercise 2: Correct the sentences.

1. There is some advice I want to share about healthy eating.
2. We need less information before making a decision.
3. Could you please bring three loaves of bread from the bakery?
4. I found much furniture that would fit perfectly in our living room.
5. She packed too much luggage for just a weekend trip.
6. How much sugar do you take in your coffee?
7. The company received several new pieces of hardware last month.
8. He gave me some good feedback after my presentation.
9. There isn’t enough knowledge in this field yet.
10. They’ve added lots of equipment to the gym recently.

Conclusion

To sum up, uncountable nouns are a really important part of the English grammar and everyday communication. They allow us to talk clearly about things that we cannot count, like water, sugar, or advice. They follow different grammar rules from countable nouns, so using them correctly is important for speaking and writing English. In addition to our blog above, if you need any help understanding this noun or its subject-verb agreement, or simply other grammatical structures like Verbs, then you can connect with our experts at Gradding.com for tailored guidance.

FAQs

1. What is an Uncountable Noun and its Example?

An uncountable noun is a type of noun that is used to refer to something which we cannot count and does not have a plural form. For example, “knowledge,” “water,” and “anger”. As opposed to nouns like “pen” and “car”, which can be both singular and plural. Uncountable nouns refer to substances, concepts, or entities that are seen as a singular mass or whole, rather than individual units.

2. How are Uncountable Nouns Different from Countable Nouns?

Countable nouns are the type of nouns that describe items or entities that can be counted as separate units. Whereas, uncountable nouns refer to items or things that do not have a plural form, cannot be counted, and can’t be divided into distinct elements. Countable nouns have both singular and plural forms (e.g., 'ball,' 'balls'), while uncountable nouns typically don't change form (e.g., 'anger,' not 'angers')."

3. What are Some Examples of Uncountable Nouns?

Some examples of uncountable nouns include:

• Substances: oil, sugar, salt, coffee, chocolate, juice, flour, meat
• Abstract ideas: freedom, justice, courage, creativity, patience, wisdom, beauty, fear
• Concepts: education, energy, time, success, work, peace, growth, love
• Other examples: equipment, clothing, homework, pollution, traffic, money, knowledge
• Scientific & Academic Terms: research, knowledge, data, education, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, literature, history

4. How Do You Know if a Noun Is Uncountable?

You can easily know if the noun is uncountable by checking if it follows the characteristics of an uncountable noun, which include:

• Lack of plural form
• Cannot be quantified with "a/an"
• Quantity words
• Can be made countable with specific phrases