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two boxes, and then refuses to explain\nitself. ",[58,59,60],"em",{},"Book"," is countable: one book, two books, a book. ",[58,63,64],{},"Advice"," is\nuncountable: no plural, no number, no ",[58,67,68],{},"a",". You cannot say ",[58,71,72],{},"two advices",", and\n",[58,75,76],{},"an advice"," is one of the most reliable markers of a learner in the wild. The\ndistinction sounds like it should follow logic, and for the obvious cases it\ndoes. For the rest, it does not, and the fastest way through is to accept that\nearly and learn the awkward ones as a list.",[54,79,80,81,85,86,90,91,94,95,98],{},"This page assumes you have met the idea in passing on the\n",[68,82,84],{"href":83},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Farticles","articles"," and\n",[68,87,89],{"href":88},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fquantifiers","quantifiers"," pages. Here it gets the full\ntreatment, because almost every article error and every ",[58,92,93],{},"much"," or ",[58,96,97],{},"many"," error\nin English traces back to this one decision.",[100,101,103],"h2",{"id":102},"countable-is-a-fact-about-the-word-not-about-the-world","Countable is a fact about the word, not about the world",[54,105,106],{},"This is the point that unlocks the topic. Countability is grammar, not physics.",[54,108,109,110,113,114,117,118,121],{},"Sugar comes in grains you could, in principle, count. English calls it\nuncountable. A suitcase can obviously be counted, but the word ",[58,111,112],{},"luggage","\ncannot. Money exists in discrete coins, yet ",[58,115,116],{},"money"," has no plural, while\n",[58,119,120],{},"coin"," does. The world has not changed; the word has.",[54,123,124,125,128,129,132,133,136,137,140],{},"Other languages draw the line in different places, which is exactly why the\nerrors are so consistent. French ",[58,126,127],{},"un conseil",", Spanish ",[58,130,131],{},"un consejo"," and German\n",[58,134,135],{},"ein Rat"," are all countable, so speakers of those languages reach for ",[58,138,139],{},"an\nadvice"," and it feels perfectly reasonable. It is not reasonable. It is just\nEnglish.",[100,142,144],{"id":143},"three-tests","Three tests",[54,146,147],{},"When you are unsure, run the noun through these.",[149,150,151,175,188],"ol",{},[152,153,154,158,159,162,163,166,167,170,171,174],"li",{},[155,156,157],"strong",{},"Can you put a number in front of it?"," ",[58,160,161],{},"Two cars"," works, so ",[58,164,165],{},"car"," is\ncountable. ",[58,168,169],{},"Two advices"," does not, so ",[58,172,173],{},"advice"," is not.",[152,176,177,158,180,183,184,187],{},[155,178,179],{},"Does it take a plural ending?",[58,181,182],{},"Books, friends, ideas"," all pluralise.\n",[58,185,186],{},"Information, music, work"," do not.",[152,189,190,158,199,202,203,174],{},[155,191,192,193,94,195,198],{},"Can it follow ",[58,194,68],{},[58,196,197],{},"an","?",[58,200,201],{},"A job, an idea, a chair"," are fine. ",[58,204,205],{},"An\ninformation",[54,207,208,209,158,212],{},"A noun that fails all three is uncountable, and one more thing follows\nautomatically: ",[155,210,211],{},"it takes a singular verb.",[58,213,214],{},"The information is wrong. Her\nadvice was useful. The news is good.",[100,216,218],{"id":217},"the-uncountable-nouns-that-catch-everyone","The uncountable nouns that catch everyone",[54,220,221],{},"Here is the group that causes the actual damage. Learn these and you have\nremoved most of your countability errors in one go.",[223,224,225,241],"table",{},[226,227,228],"thead",{},[229,230,231,235,238],"tr",{},[232,233,234],"th",{},"Uncountable noun",[232,236,237],{},"Wrong",[232,239,240],{},"Right",[242,243,244,258,273,288,303,317,332,345,360,375,390,404,418,433,447,462,477,491],"tbody",{},[229,245,246,249,253],{},[247,248,173],"td",{},[247,250,251],{},[58,252,76],{},[247,254,255],{},[58,256,257],{},"a piece of advice",[229,259,260,263,268],{},[247,261,262],{},"information",[247,264,265],{},[58,266,267],{},"informations",[247,269,270],{},[58,271,272],{},"some information",[229,274,275,278,283],{},[247,276,277],{},"news",[247,279,280],{},[58,281,282],{},"the news are",[247,284,285],{},[58,286,287],{},"the news is",[229,289,290,293,298],{},[247,291,292],{},"furniture",[247,294,295],{},[58,296,297],{},"two furnitures",[247,299,300],{},[58,301,302],{},"two pieces of furniture",[229,304,305,307,312],{},[247,306,112],{},[247,308,309],{},[58,310,311],{},"my luggages",[247,313,314],{},[58,315,316],{},"my luggage",[229,318,319,322,327],{},[247,320,321],{},"work",[247,323,324],{},[58,325,326],{},"I have many works",[247,328,329],{},[58,330,331],{},"I have a lot of work",[229,333,334,336,341],{},[247,335,116],{},[247,337,338],{},[58,339,340],{},"moneys",[247,342,343],{},[58,344,116],{},[229,346,347,350,355],{},[247,348,349],{},"bread",[247,351,352],{},[58,353,354],{},"a bread",[247,356,357],{},[58,358,359],{},"a loaf of bread",[229,361,362,365,370],{},[247,363,364],{},"weather",[247,366,367],{},[58,368,369],{},"a nice weather",[247,371,372],{},[58,373,374],{},"nice weather",[229,376,377,380,385],{},[247,378,379],{},"traffic",[247,381,382],{},[58,383,384],{},"many traffics",[247,386,387],{},[58,388,389],{},"a lot of traffic",[229,391,392,395,400],{},[247,393,394],{},"homework",[247,396,397],{},[58,398,399],{},"homeworks",[247,401,402],{},[58,403,394],{},[229,405,406,409,414],{},[247,407,408],{},"research",[247,410,411],{},[58,412,413],{},"researches",[247,415,416],{},[58,417,408],{},[229,419,420,423,428],{},[247,421,422],{},"progress",[247,424,425],{},[58,426,427],{},"many progresses",[247,429,430],{},[58,431,432],{},"a lot of progress",[229,434,435,438,443],{},[247,436,437],{},"knowledge",[247,439,440],{},[58,441,442],{},"knowledges",[247,444,445],{},[58,446,437],{},[229,448,449,452,457],{},[247,450,451],{},"equipment",[247,453,454],{},[58,455,456],{},"equipments",[247,458,459],{},[58,460,461],{},"pieces of equipment",[229,463,464,467,472],{},[247,465,466],{},"health",[247,468,469],{},[58,470,471],{},"a good health",[247,473,474],{},[58,475,476],{},"good health",[229,478,479,482,487],{},[247,480,481],{},"music",[247,483,484],{},[58,485,486],{},"musics",[247,488,489],{},[58,490,481],{},[229,492,493,496,501],{},[247,494,495],{},"hair",[247,497,498],{},[58,499,500],{},"my hairs are long",[247,502,503],{},[58,504,505],{},"my hair is long",[54,507,508,509,512,513,512,516,85,519,522,523,525],{},"There is no rule hiding underneath that table. People will tell you that\nuncountable nouns are abstract, and then ",[58,510,511],{},"idea",", ",[58,514,515],{},"problem",[58,517,518],{},"fact",[58,520,521],{},"reason"," walk past, all countable and all abstract. They will tell you\nuncountables are masses, and then ",[58,524,292],{}," turns up, which is a set of\nseparate objects. The pattern is too leaky to trust. Learn the twenty words.\nIt takes an afternoon and it lasts for good.",[100,527,529],{"id":528},"the-s-that-lies-news-maths-politics","The s that lies: news, maths, politics",[54,531,532,533,536],{},"A small group of nouns end in ",[58,534,535],{},"s"," and look plural, but behave as singular.",[538,539,540,549,557],"ul",{},[152,541,542],{},[58,543,544,545,548],{},"The news ",[155,546,547],{},"is"," on at six.",[152,550,551],{},[58,552,553,554,556],{},"Maths ",[155,555,547],{}," my worst subject.",[152,558,559],{},[58,560,561,562,564],{},"Politics ",[155,563,547],{}," a dirty business.",[54,566,567,568,571,572,575,576,578],{},"The same goes for ",[58,569,570],{},"physics"," and ",[58,573,574],{},"economics",". Nobody says ",[58,577,282],{}," in\nEnglish, however plural it looks, and getting this right is a quick and cheap\nwin.",[100,580,582],{"id":581},"counting-the-uncountable","Counting the uncountable",[54,584,585,586,589,590,593],{},"You often do need to count these things, and English gives you a workaround:\nput a countable ",[155,587,588],{},"unit word"," in front and link the two with ",[58,591,592],{},"of",". The unit\ntakes the plural, and the uncountable noun stays untouched.",[538,595,596,604,612,620,628,636],{},[152,597,598,600,601],{},[58,599,257],{}," -> ",[58,602,603],{},"two pieces of advice",[152,605,606,600,609],{},[58,607,608],{},"a bit of news",[58,610,611],{},"several bits of news",[152,613,614,600,617],{},[58,615,616],{},"a glass of water",[58,618,619],{},"three glasses of water",[152,621,622,600,625],{},[58,623,624],{},"a cup of tea",[58,626,627],{},"four cups of tea",[152,629,630,600,633],{},[58,631,632],{},"a bottle of milk",[58,634,635],{},"two bottles of milk",[152,637,638,600,641],{},[58,639,640],{},"a piece of furniture",[58,642,643],{},"six pieces of furniture",[54,645,646,649,650,653,654],{},[58,647,648],{},"Piece"," is the general-purpose unit and will rescue you almost anywhere: a\npiece of advice, a piece of news, a piece of information, a piece of work.\n",[58,651,652],{},"Bit"," does the same job more casually and usually means a smaller amount: ",[58,655,656],{},"a\nbit of help, a bit of luck.",[100,658,660],{"id":659},"nouns-that-go-both-ways","Nouns that go both ways",[54,662,663],{},"Plenty of nouns sit in both boxes, and the meaning changes when they move.\nThis is not an exception to the system; it is the system working.",[223,665,666,679],{},[226,667,668],{},[229,669,670,673,676],{},[232,671,672],{},"Noun",[232,674,675],{},"Uncountable meaning",[232,677,678],{},"Countable meaning",[242,680,681,693,706,718,731,747,760,772,785,798],{},[229,682,683,687,690],{},[247,684,685],{},[58,686,495],{},[247,688,689],{},"all the hair on a head",[247,691,692],{},"one single strand",[229,694,695,700,703],{},[247,696,697],{},[58,698,699],{},"paper",[247,701,702],{},"the material",[247,704,705],{},"a newspaper, or a piece of writing",[229,707,708,713,715],{},[247,709,710],{},[58,711,712],{},"glass",[247,714,702],{},[247,716,717],{},"something you drink from",[229,719,720,725,728],{},[247,721,722],{},[58,723,724],{},"room",[247,726,727],{},"space",[247,729,730],{},"a room in a building",[229,732,733,738,741],{},[247,734,735],{},[58,736,737],{},"time",[247,739,740],{},"time in general",[247,742,743,744],{},"an occasion: ",[58,745,746],{},"three times",[229,748,749,754,757],{},[247,750,751],{},[58,752,753],{},"light",[247,755,756],{},"light in general",[247,758,759],{},"a lamp",[229,761,762,766,769],{},[247,763,764],{},[58,765,321],{},[247,767,768],{},"effort, a job",[247,770,771],{},"a work of art",[229,773,774,779,782],{},[247,775,776],{},[58,777,778],{},"business",[247,780,781],{},"trade in general",[247,783,784],{},"a company",[229,786,787,792,795],{},[247,788,789],{},[58,790,791],{},"coffee",[247,793,794],{},"the drink as a substance",[247,796,797],{},"one cup of it",[229,799,800,805,808],{},[247,801,802],{},[58,803,804],{},"experience",[247,806,807],{},"knowledge gained over years",[247,809,810],{},"one thing that happened to you",[54,812,813],{},"Compare them in pairs and the difference is obvious:",[538,815,816,825,833,841],{},[152,817,818,821,822],{},[58,819,820],{},"Her hair is long."," \u002F ",[58,823,824],{},"There is a hair in my food.",[152,826,827,821,830],{},[58,828,829],{},"I need paper.",[58,831,832],{},"I read it in a paper.",[152,834,835,821,838],{},[58,836,837],{},"Is there room for me?",[58,839,840],{},"Is there a room free?",[152,842,843,821,846],{},[58,844,845],{},"He has experience.",[58,847,848],{},"We had a strange experience.",[54,850,851,852,571,855,858],{},"Note the last one especially. ",[58,853,854],{},"I have experience",[58,856,857],{},"I have an experience","\nare not near-misses; they mean different things.",[100,860,862],{"id":861},"what-the-choice-changes-downstream","What the choice changes downstream",[54,864,865],{},"Countability is not a label you attach and forget. It decides three other\nthings in the sentence.",[538,867,868,877,902],{},[152,869,870,873,874],{},[155,871,872],{},"The verb."," Uncountable nouns are singular. ",[58,875,876],{},"The information is here.",[152,878,879,158,882,571,885,888,889,85,891,894,895,898,899,901],{},[155,880,881],{},"The quantifier.",[58,883,884],{},"Much",[58,886,887],{},"little"," go with uncountables, ",[58,890,97],{},[58,892,893],{},"few"," with countables. ",[58,896,897],{},"Much money, many coins."," Full detail on the\n",[68,900,89],{"href":88}," page.",[152,903,904,158,907,571,910,912,913,916,917,919,920,922,923,925,926,928],{},[155,905,906],{},"The article.",[58,908,909],{},"A",[58,911,197],{}," are impossible with an uncountable noun, so\nyour only choices are ",[58,914,915],{},"the"," or no article at all. That is why ",[58,918,76],{},"\nfails: not because ",[58,921,173],{}," is wrong, but because ",[58,924,197],{}," cannot get near it.\nSee ",[68,927,84],{"href":83},".",[54,930,931,934,935,938,939,942],{},[58,932,933],{},"Some"," is the useful word that ignores the split entirely: ",[58,936,937],{},"some books, some\nadvice",". When you are unsure and need to keep talking, ",[58,940,941],{},"some"," will not let you\ndown.",[100,944,946],{"id":945},"common-mistakes","Common mistakes",[54,948,949],{},"Ranked by how often learners actually make them.",[149,951,952,961,976,988,1000],{},[152,953,954,158,957,960],{},[155,955,956],{},"Adding a plural to an uncountable noun.",[58,958,959],{},"Informations, advices,\nfurnitures, equipments, researches."," None of these exist. The noun stays\nsingular and any counting happens on the unit word in front of it.",[152,962,963,158,966,969,970,972,973],{},[155,964,965],{},"Putting a or an in front of an uncountable noun.",[58,967,968],{},"An advice, a\ninformation, a good weather."," Use no article, or ",[58,971,941],{},", or a unit: ",[58,974,975],{},"some\nadvice, a piece of advice, good weather.",[152,977,978,158,981,984,985],{},[155,979,980],{},"Treating news as plural.",[58,982,983],{},"The news are bad"," is wrong every time. ",[58,986,987],{},"The\nnews is bad.",[152,989,990,158,993,571,996,999],{},[155,991,992],{},"much with a countable noun, many with an uncountable one.",[58,994,995],{},"How many\nmoney",[58,997,998],{},"how much people"," both fail. Fix the noun type first and the\nquantifier follows.",[152,1001,1002,158,1005,1008,1009,928],{},[155,1003,1004],{},"Missing that a noun has changed sides.",[58,1006,1007],{},"I bought two papers"," is fine if\nyou mean two newspapers, and wrong if you mean two sheets. If you want the\nmaterial, say ",[58,1010,1011],{},"two sheets of paper",[100,1013,1015],{"id":1014},"practice","Practice",[54,1017,1018],{},"Countable or uncountable? Then fix the sentence if it is wrong. Answers are\nbelow.",[149,1020,1021,1029,1035,1040,1046],{},[152,1022,1023,1024,1028],{},"She gave me two ",[1025,1026,1027],"code",{},"___"," advice.",[152,1030,1031,1032,1034],{},"How ",[1025,1033,1027],{}," (much \u002F many) information do you need?",[152,1036,544,1037,1039],{},[1025,1038,1027],{}," (is \u002F are) not good this morning.",[152,1041,1042,1043,1045],{},"There is a ",[1025,1044,1027],{}," in my food. (one strand of hair)",[152,1047,1048,1049,1051],{},"I would like a ",[1025,1050,1027],{}," of water, please.",[54,1053,1054,1057,1058,1060,1061,1063,1064,1066],{},[155,1055,1056],{},"Answers:"," 1. two pieces of advice (",[58,1059,173],{}," needs a unit word) 2. much\n(",[58,1062,262],{}," is uncountable) 3. is (",[58,1065,277],{}," is singular in spite of the s) 4. hair (countable here, meaning one single strand) 5. glass (the standard\nunit for water)",{"title":1068,"searchDepth":1069,"depth":1069,"links":1070},"",2,[1071,1072,1073,1074,1075,1076,1077,1078,1079],{"id":102,"depth":1069,"text":103},{"id":143,"depth":1069,"text":144},{"id":217,"depth":1069,"text":218},{"id":528,"depth":1069,"text":529},{"id":581,"depth":1069,"text":582},{"id":659,"depth":1069,"text":660},{"id":861,"depth":1069,"text":862},{"id":945,"depth":1069,"text":946},{"id":1014,"depth":1069,"text":1015},"A2-B1","Which English nouns can be counted and which cannot, why advice and information have no plural, how to count an uncountable noun with a piece of, and the nouns that work both ways.",[1083,1102,1130,1156],{"type":1084,"instructions":1085,"options":1086,"items":1089},"which-one","Decide whether each noun is countable or uncountable in English.",[1087,1088],"countable","uncountable",[1090,1091,1093,1094,1096,1097,1099,1100],{"prompt":173,"answer":1088},{"prompt":1092,"answer":1087},"book",{"prompt":262,"answer":1088},{"prompt":1095,"answer":1087},"chair",{"prompt":277,"answer":1088},{"prompt":1098,"answer":1087},"job",{"prompt":321,"answer":1088},{"prompt":1101,"answer":1088},"milk",{"type":1084,"instructions":1103,"items":1104},"Choose the word that fits the noun after the gap.",[1105,1108,1111,1115,1118,1121,1124,1127],{"prompt":1106,"answer":93,"options":1107},"How ___ advice did she give you?",[93,97],{"prompt":1109,"answer":97,"options":1110},"How ___ pages did you read?",[97,93],{"prompt":1112,"answer":547,"options":1113},"The news ___ very good today.",[547,1114],"are",{"prompt":1116,"answer":1114,"options":1117},"My friends ___ here.",[1114,547],{"prompt":1119,"answer":93,"options":1120},"There is too ___ noise in here.",[93,97],{"prompt":1122,"answer":893,"options":1123},"She has ___ friends in town.",[893,887],{"prompt":1125,"answer":887,"options":1126},"We have ___ time left.",[887,893],{"prompt":1128,"answer":941,"options":1129},"He gave me ___ good advice.",[941,68],{"type":1131,"instructions":1132,"items":1133},"fill-blank","Write the missing unit word so the uncountable noun can be counted.",[1134,1137,1139,1142,1145,1147,1150,1153],{"prompt":1135,"answer":1136},"Can I give you a ___ of advice?","piece",{"prompt":1138,"answer":712},"She drank a ___ of water.",{"prompt":1140,"answer":1141},"He made me a ___ of coffee.","cup",{"prompt":1143,"answer":1144},"I bought a ___ of milk.","bottle",{"prompt":1146,"answer":1136},"I have a ___ of news for you.",{"prompt":1148,"answer":1149},"Give me a ___ of help with this.","bit",{"prompt":1151,"answer":1152},"There was not a ___ of rain all day.","drop",{"prompt":1154,"answer":1155},"He read three ___ of the book.","pages",{"type":1157,"instructions":1158,"pairs":1159},"match","Match each unit word to the noun it is normally used with.",[1160,1162,1165,1168,1170,1173,1176],{"left":1161,"right":173},"a piece of",{"left":1163,"right":1164},"a glass of","water",{"left":1166,"right":1167},"a cup of","tea",{"left":1169,"right":1101},"a bottle of",{"left":1171,"right":1172},"a bit of","help",{"left":1174,"right":1175},"a drop of","rain",{"left":1177,"right":116},"a lot of","md",[1180,1183,1186,1189],{"q":1181,"a":1182},"Why is advice uncountable in English?","There is no satisfying reason, and you should stop looking for one. English treats advice as a mass, like water, so it has no plural and never takes a: not an advice, not two advices. If you need to count it, put a unit in front: a piece of advice, some good advice, a lot of advice. Advice belongs to a short list of nouns that behave this way, along with information, news, furniture, luggage, work and weather, and the list is short enough to learn by heart.",{"q":1184,"a":1185},"Is news singular or plural?","Singular, in spite of the s on the end. Say the news is good, never the news are good. News takes no a and has no plural, so use some news or a piece of news. The same trap catches other s-shaped singulars such as maths, physics and politics: maths is hard, not maths are hard.",{"q":1187,"a":1188},"How do I count an uncountable noun?","Put a counting unit in front of the noun and join them with of. A piece of advice, a bit of news, a glass of water, a cup of tea, a bottle of milk. The unit is countable even though the noun is not, so the plural goes on the unit: two pieces of advice, three glasses of water, four cups of coffee.",{"q":1190,"a":1191},"Can the same noun be countable and uncountable?","Yes, and the meaning shifts when it changes side. Uncountable hair is all the hair on your head (her hair is long); countable a hair is one single strand (there is a hair in my food). The same split gives paper the material against a paper you read, glass the material against a glass you drink from, and time in general against three times.","english",{},true,"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fcountable-and-uncountable-nouns",{"title":48,"description":1081},"english\u002Fgrammar\u002Fcountable-and-uncountable-nouns","nTjdN1YAosmzDihTFuk1IDq3IC-XTWD_jnW131ZlLF0",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1200},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1202},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M11 4.702a.705.705 0 0 0-1.203-.498L6.413 7.587A1.4 1.4 0 0 1 5.416 8H3a1 1 0 0 0-1 1v6a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h2.416a1.4 1.4 0 0 1 .997.413l3.383 3.384A.705.705 0 0 0 11 19.298zM16 9a5 5 0 0 1 0 6m3.364 3.364a9 9 0 0 0 0-12.728\"\u002F>"]