Using Noncount Nouns

Using Noncount Nouns

Many words for food are noncount nouns.

Liquids	Dry Items	Meat	Dairy Products	Vegetables	Other
beer	bread	bacon	butter	broccoli	cake
coffee	cereal	beef	cheese	cauliflower	candy
cream	flour	chicken	ice cream	corn	fruit
gravy	rice	fish	yogurt	eggplant	jam
juice	sugar	meat		lettuce	jelly
milk	toast	pork		spinach	pepper
sauce				squash	pie
soup					popcorn
tea					salt
water
wine

Many personal care items are also named by noncount nouns.

aftershave lotion
bath gel
conditioner
cream
fingernail polish
fingernail polish remover
lotion
perfume
shampoo
shaving cream
soap
toothpaste

Using

Use is there any before a noncount noun to ask if it exists:

• Is there any rice in the cupboard?


• Is there any fruit in the refrigerator?


• Is there any soap in the bathroom?

Use how much followed by a noncount noun plus is there to ask the amount of it that exists:

• How much ice cream is there?
  


• How much cereal is there?
  


• How much water is there?
  


• How much shampoo is there?

To tell the approximate amount of a noncount noun, use:

some = more than nothing
a lot of = a large amount of
a little = a small amount of
not much = a very small amount of
no/not any = nothing

• There is some ice cream in the freezer.


• There is a lot of fruit in the bowl.


• There is a little cereal in the box.


• There is not much shampoo.


• There is no water./There isn't any water.

Quantities

To tell an approximate number of plural items there are, use:

some = more than one
a few = three or four
a lot of/ lots of/ many = a large number of/plenty of/enough
not many = a small number of
too many = more than is good or necessary

• I have some tickets for the ball game.


• There are a few seats in the front row.


• A lot of people are going to the game.


• There are not many seats.


• There are too many people here.

Using

To tell the exact amount of a noncount noun, use the singular or plural of the container of the item, the weight of the item, or the number of pieces or servings of it there are:

• a can of soup - three cans of soup


• a cup of coffee - two cups of coffee


• a glass of milk - four glasses of milk


• a bowl of cereal - a few bowls of cereal


• one spoonful of sugar - two spoonfuls of sugar


• one serving of spinach  - three servings of spinach


• a piece of meat-  two pieces of meat


• a tube of toothpaste  - two tubes of toothpaste

Types of Containers bag bar bottle bowl box case cup glass jar package plate tube

Weights and Measures cup drop gallon ounce pint pound quart spoonful tablespoon teaspoon

Serving Sizes bite piece sip slice

There are many things that cannot be counted. Like all noncount nouns, words for these things do not have plural forms. Review the words in the following list:

advice	help	poverty
air	homework	rain
beauty	housework	sickness
cold	intelligence	snow
courage	kindness	strength
darkness	light	water
health	news	wealth
heat	pollution	work

• There is some housework to do.


• There is a lot of news.


• There is a little snow in the mountains.


• There is not much heat in the house.


• There is too much rain.

Do not use a, an, one, many, or any number with a noncount noun.