Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Countable and uncountable nouns - Coggle Diagram
Countable and uncountable nouns
Countable nouns
they are things
you can count
they have a
singular
and a
plural
form
you can use A/AN and NUMBERS with them
In case of questions
you have to use
HOW MANY?
(we use it for questions about quantity with plural countable nouns)
a banana/two banana a person/two people
WATCH OUT
some nouns have both a countable and uncountable form
the meaning is different
I like eating fish (fish is the category of food, and it is uncountable)
There are two fish in my acquarium (in this case the fish are animals and they are countable)
Uncountable nouns
they are things
you cannot count
they have no plural form and the verb is always singular.
you cannot use A/AN
in the question you have to use
HOW MUCH?
EXAMPLES
bread
sugar
rice
milk
water
cheese
WATCH OUT
to express quantity to uncountable nouns we have to use expressions like:
a bottle of
a cap of
a glass of
a piece of
a slice of
a litre of
a loaf of
Some common nouns are countable in italian but uncountable in english
hair
information
advice
homework
luggage
news
money
SOME AND ANY
we use them to express unspecified amounce
they correspond to
alcuni
dei
delle
qualche
un po'
we can also use NO
the verb is affirmative
because it is not possible to use two negative nouns
There aren't any tomatoes in the fridge
There are no tomatoes in the fridge
we use
some
in affermative senteces with plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns
we use
any
in negative and interrogative senteces
To make a question more polite or formal, we often use some in place of any (al posto di).
This is expecially true with requests using: Would you like?
Can you give me
SOME
coke pleas?
Would you like
SOME
biscuits with your tea?
alcuni nomi possono diventare countable da uncountable
information: uncountable
a PIECE of information: countable
A LOT OF/LOTS OF/MUCH/ MANY/ LITTLE/ FEW
we use A LOT OF, LOTS OF, MUCH AND MANY to talk about large quantities.
they correspond to:
molto
molta
molti
molte
we use TOO MUCH OR TOO MANY to talk about excessive quantities
they correspond to:
troppo
troppi/troppe
This food is too salty
You always walk too fast.
we use LITTLE AND FEW to talk about small quantities