NONCOUNTABLE NOUNS

Singularia tantum are nouns which have no plural form but are not grammatically uncountable

Meassure word: one item/ two items of sau one piece of-two pieces of

1. Materials : (iron, tin, sand, coal, bread, cheese, wine, tea, water, fruit, money, hair, coffee, butter, furniture, clothing)

NB! Some of them may become countable with a change of meaning:

An iron(s) – утюг, a tin(s)-конс.банка , a coal(s)-уголёк, a coffee(s)-порция кофе, a butter –пачка масла, a hair(s)-волосок,

Fruits, teas, wines, mineral waters – different kinds; the sands of Sahara, the blue skies of Italy.

-Ways of showing partition:

A ball of string, a bar of chocolate, a block of ice, a heap of earth, a loaf of bread, a lump of coal (sugar), a slice of bacon(bread), a stick of chalk (dynamite), a sheet of paper, a strip of land, an article of furniture, a grain of rice, a pile(heap) of rubbish, a blade of grass, a drop of water(blood), a (bit) piece of …

2. Abstract Notions : (advice, information, knowledge, permission, progress, weather, news, behaviour.)

NB! Some of them may become countable with a change of meaning: a beauty(ies) – красавица, a youth(s) – юноша.

-Ways of showing partition: a piece of advice(news), an item of news, a word of advice. e.g. He gave me some pieces of advice.

NB! * Sciences in –ics (physics, mathematics, phonetics, linguistics) are in the singular (IS) unless we put “these” and they express processes (is/are):

e.g. These acoustics are(is) unreliable. Your phonetics are(is) as good as they were.

* Illnesses: measles, mumps, rickets, shingles IS

* Games : billiards, draughts, dominoes, bowls, darts, cards, fives IS. When used attributively –s is omitted: a billiard table.

3. Proper Names: (Athens, Naples, Wales, the United Nations, the United States, Brussels, Flanders.)

Pluralia tantum is a noun that appears only in the plural form and does not have a singular variant for referring to a single object. These are used in English for objects that function as pairs or sets (glasses, pants, scissors, clothes, electronics, bagpipes, genitals).

In English, a word may have definitions which are pluralia tantum. The noun glasses (corrective lenses to improve eyesight) is plurale tantum. The word glass (a container for drinks) may be singular or plural.

Meassure word: one/a pair of – three pairs of

1. binoculars, braces, breeches, shorts, glasses, knickers, pants, pincers, pliers, pajamas, scales, scissors, spectacles,

tweezers, tights, tongs, trousers, drawers, suspenders) [can be used with a pair of … ]

2. Other nouns: (the Middle Ages, annals, arms, ashes, belongings, clothes, credentials, damages (pay*), dregs, earnings, goods, manners, odds, outskirts, pains, particulars, premises, quarters, remains, resources, shortcomings, surroundings, the tropics, valuables, whereabouts, brains, contents, customs, fireworks, holidays, wages, wits, clergy, folk, people, police, vermin, youth, graffiti, the rich, the poor, the sick, the Midlands, the Highlands.

3. Full Family: (The Robinsons are …; if the name ends in s,ss,ch,sh,x,z + es e.g. the Johneses, the Goozes)

COLLECTIVE NOUNS : audience, board, class, the clergy, the aristocracy, committee, (the) Congress, crew, crowd, the elite, family, flock the gentry, government, group, herd, jury,

majority, minority, Parliament, the Proletariat, the public, staff, team IS or ARE

People are (oamenii sunt) – people is(poporul este)  , peoples are– popoarele sunt A number of … agrees with a plural verb. e.g. There were a number of people there.

10 staff (=10 people on the staff), 20 crew (=20 crewmen). 40 police (=policemen). Offspring is(are) BUT never offsprings

Counter Mass Nouns

kilo (kilos) of rice, sugar, beef, tomatoes

lot (lots) of knowledge, love, hope, humor

meter (meters) of ribbon, wire, cord, garter

piece (pieces) of cloth, advise, furniture, cloth

sheet (sheets) of paper, iron, plywood

cup (cups) of flour, coffee, tea, rice

ganta (gantas) of beans, rice, mongo

quire (quires) of parchment paper

bar (bars) of gold, soap, chocolate

bottle (bottles) of water, ink, wine, vinegar

a pound of butterthree baskets of fruitfour slices of breadtwo liters of oila glass of watera grain of sandtwo pairs of eyeglasses

bag A bag of flour.

barrel Two barrels of beer.

bottle Three bottles of wine. 

bowl Four bowls of sugar.

box Five boxes of cereal.

bucket Six buckets of water.

can Seven cans of Coke.

carton Eight cartons of milk.

cup Nine cups of coffee.

glass Ten glasses of water.

jar Eleven jars of honey.

packet A dozen packets of butter.

a saucepan Thirteen pans of rice.

tank Fifteen tanks of petrol.

tin Sixteen tins of custard.

tub Seventeen tubs of margarine.

tube Eighteen tubes of toothpaste.

 

You can measure something to count it, but For example:-  

it still doesn't take the plural form. The measurement takes the plural form:-

litre1 and a half litres of milk.

pintTwo pints of beer.

pound / ounce / kilo etc...Two pounds / ounces / kilos of butter.

 

You can measure uncountable nouns in other ways, using shapes or portions. Again the measurement takes the plural form.

   

ballTen balls of wool.

barThree bars of soap.

pinchTwo pinches of salt.

sliceFive slices of cake.

spoonFourteen spoonfuls of sugar.

squareNine squares of chocolate.

What about money?

Money is uncountable,

but you can count how

much money or cash

you have. Accountants

do it all the time.

So, how much money

have you got?

   

First you can put your

money into piles.

How many piles of

money have you got?

A pile of money

You can put money into

bags.

How many bags of

Two bags of money

money have you got?

You can use different

currencies.

How many English

pounds have you got?

Two

pounds

Two

dollars

Two

euros

£2

$2

€2

You can use different

denominations.

How many

pennies/cents have you

got?

Two

pennie

s

Two

cents

2p

2c

My favourite things

The sound of music

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittensBright copper kettles and warm woolen mittensBrown paper packages tied up with stringsThese are a few of my favorite nouns

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudelsDoorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodlesWild geese that fly with the moon on their wingsThese are a few of my favorite nouns

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashesSnowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashesSilver white winters that melt into springsThese are a few of my favorite nouns

When the dog bitesWhen the bee stingsWhen I'm feeling sadI simply remember my favorite nounsAnd then I don't feel so bad.