Countable vs Uncountable Nouns: The Rule Behind the Rule
⏱ 5 Minutes · A2/B1
📖 From Experience
“I need an information.” I said this. In a job interview. The interviewer smiled kindly and said nothing. Information is uncountable in English — a fact that ruins sentences for speakers of almost every other language, including Bengali and French.
📚 The Principle
Countable = you can count individual units: a book, three chairs.
Uncountable = mass/abstract — no plural, no a/an: information, advice, furniture, luggage, money, news, progress, research, travel, work.
📚 Quantifiers
| Countable | Uncountable | |
|---|---|---|
| some/any | some books / any chairs | some information / any advice |
| much/many | many people | much time |
| a lot of | a lot of questions | a lot of luggage |
| a few/a little | a few days | a little money |
✏️ Your Turn
Correct the errors:
- Can I have an advice?
- I have many homeworks tonight.
- She bought a new furniture.
- Do you have any informations about the job?
💡 Check Answers
- Can I have some advice? / a piece of advice?
- I have a lot of homework tonight.
- She bought some new furniture. / a piece of furniture.
- Do you have any information about the job?
Independent project — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.