This discussion is too hard for me to understand now. Another word for uncountable. Uncountable nouns. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'? Sometimes, a noun that is generally countable becomes uncountable when used in a technical way. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). What helped me most, Edison, is to do comparison with other uncountable nouns, such as wine, honey, light, honor. They are most commonly used with an adjective such as huge, big, large, small: The soldiers discovered a large … Share Flipboard Email Countable or Uncountable Noun - Quiz. Hi Linkway. You understand the differences between countable and uncountable nouns and can recognize them with ease. The singular form can use the determiner "a" or "an". One is countable and one is uncountable. Example. air, rice, water, etc. My opinions on uncountable in examples from the OED 2nd edition - no recent examples of any use of 'amount' except in. A few and a bit of or a little mean some. If you want to ask about the quantity of a countable Uncountable. Quantifiers are used at the beginning of noun phrases. When we talk about the amount or quantity of something, it’s extremely important to know the kind of noun we are talking about. a large amount of. The following countable noun examples will help you to see the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. They have a singular and a plural form. Use the words 'much', 'less', and 'amount' when the object is measurable, but not countable. "We got lots of (many) mosquitoes last summer." Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. These grow *in amount*, not number. I also have no problem accepting that there are many examples of 'amount' being used as an uncountable with its other meanings. Sometimes, the same noun can be countable and uncountable, often with a change of meaning. it means I'm not sure, but I don't think it is used as a countable. "Amount" is used to *define* uncountable nouns. In general, just because a noun can be used in an uncountable sense, does not mean you can take a sentence where it's countable that contains 'a' in front, drop the 'a' and (assuredly and correctly) say, "Now it's a correct uncountable form.". Their usage in sentences is different. The article presents the statement as a direct quote from the assistant dean so it's either a case of him being misquoted or being very careless in his use of language. If you would add a line after the sentences, I'd appreciate it. Nouns can be countable or uncountable. Sorry, bennymix. ": "amount" is uncountable here. What made you want to look up uncountable? little. "He received a large amount of praise." Compare: For each, state ‘countable’ or ‘uncountable.’. Now, Ontario, Canada. The word time has both countable and uncountable uses.. Edison, I do see the issue here. Grammar explanation. If this is about a room in a house, it is countable. 2.1 Her case has attracted an enormous amount of public sympathy. In your example amount is fine although the sentence needs finishing. It's important to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns in English because their usage is different in regards to both determiners and verbs. Check the published literature in your field of study to determine whether specific nouns are used in a countable or an uncountable way. Rice and sugar are both mass nouns. The amount of bad behaviour in this classroom is unacceptable! There are two types of noun when it comes to quantity: Countable and uncountable. Countable and uncountable nouns determine the amount of objects or how to … There are at least twenty Italian restaurants in Little Italy. 1.1 They spend equal amounts of time in California and New York. The amount of it is that you have too much to say in this case. You have me confused. The rest are countable, I believe. The sum of the Principal and Interest is called the Amount. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'uncountable.' 4.1 The school has any amount of resources and equipment. “Uncountable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncountable. 3. I can't. Delivered to your inbox! Hair = this can be countable and uncountable depending on how you use it. Learn a new word every day. ‘I ate some pizza.’ - some pizza substance (uncountable). 1.3 [The bowl of oatmeal contained] a tiny amount of dirt. This means that they do not exist in numbers —you can’t get only a rice or three rices; a bag of fifty-eight sugars, thanks. My doubt is, if we can use "amount" as an uncountable noun, a problem can result: how can we explain that we cannot say: The answer, Edison, my friend, is the same as for this situation. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! bennymix. My opinion of the Longman examples is: C,C,C, U. Uncountable. with uncountable nouns. 2. Generally, amount (particular with large) is used with uncountables and we would use number with plurals. In English, countable and uncountable nouns are known as countable and uncountable nouns. With Countable & Uncountable Nouns. Not sure about 3.1 and 4.1. You got: % Correct. "A lot of (many) Americans travel to Europe." I will fix. Thank you for taking the time to help, bennymix. Accessed 1 Feb. 2021. Good Work. they are also used with persons. a little. , not even the greatest possible amount of (orig. 3.1 No amount of persuasion could make her change her mind. How to use uncountable in a sentence. Nouns in the English language are grouped into two categories: countable and uncountable nouns. I've brought a few friends. These are excerpted, non-contiguous sentences from the 'amount' entry, which contains definitions. Some can only go with countable nouns (friends, cups, people), and some can only go with uncountable nouns (sugar, tea, money, advice). Find more ways to say uncountable, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Like most food nouns, it can be either uncountable as a substance, or countable in three different senses. They are most commonly used with an adjective such as huge, big, large, small: The soldiers discovered a large quantity of weapons hidden under the floor of a disused building. "They have lots of (much) money in the bank." required to complete something, time is usually uncountable. You must log in or register to reply here. a great deal of. There are great heaps of mussels; mackerel and sardines in, The reader-favorite online retailer, which provides a platform to, Martin Amis has hardly lived an unprolific life: His catalog contains some 30 works of fiction and nonfiction, along with, Post the Definition of uncountable to Facebook, Share the Definition of uncountable on Twitter, We Added New Words to the Dictionary for January 2021. 25th December 2011 Like the amount of materials required. IF a word is used in singular and is NOT preceded by. Read the explanation to learn more. "There is much water in the ocean." Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times. In this article, we will explore more details about countable and uncountable nouns, their definition, rules, examples, lists, and worksheets. always takes either the indefinite (a, an) or definite (the) article. an apple, two apples, three apples, etc. Uncountable nouns cannot be counted, e.g. Dina encountered a fair amount of envy among her colleagues. Usually, uncountable nouns refer to abstract nouns such as happiness, jealousy, justice, advice, luck and so on. How much time do we need to paint the walls? Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? When you learn a new noun, you should check if it is countable or uncountable and note how it is used in a sentence. 3 [ countable , uncountable ] a large amount or number of something The police found a quantity of drugs at his home. Well, we don't and it doesn't quite sound plausible, does it? When I edited my post I managed to erase rather than move the bit that agreed with your 'any amount' examples. required to complete something, time is usually uncountable. I believe it's akin to (same category as) Oxford dictionary online's example (though its countability is not stated): For the record, I'd like a moderator, please, to note the error I made in post #5. The *count* use of amount is the less frequent. When I wrote 'uncountable?' Send us feedback. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. When the noun is countable, it can be used with the indefinite article a/an or it can be made plural. (countable) http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/amount_1. ‘I bought two frozen pizzas. I bought some fish for dinner the other day. Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable. I have a few ideas. Amount is most often used with uncountable nouns: an amount of cash/space/material/food It is also sometimes used with countable nouns, especially in spoken or informal English: You're competing with a massive amount … Uncountable? A quantity of or quantities of can be followed by a countable noun or an uncountable noun. I think the dictionary is wrong. California; Princeton, NJ. See the full definition for uncountable in the English Language Learners Dictionary, Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for uncountable. Keep studying and you'll be a master of English soon. The word is still countable even if it makes no sense in your context. It's my quotation from Purdue's excellent website. We use a few with plural nouns and a bit of or a little with uncountable nouns. This is true with words like "chicken" and "turkey" as well. When we talk about the amount of time (number of hours/days etc.) "What is the quantity of water in the ocean?" is a more standard example, where 'praise' is uncountable. Similarly, the word amount is used for uncountable nouns, and number is used for countable nouns. To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or expression like some, a lot of, much, a bit of, a great deal of, or else use an exact measurement like a cup of, a bag of, 1kg of, 1L of, a handful of, a pinch of, an hour of, a day of. 'Quantity' is more technical and can be used for both countable and uncountable things. ...Do you agree that we cannot say "We lost huge amount of money" regardless of context? 'Amount' would also be uncountable in phrases like 'in amount' The guarantee signed by Mr O'Brien was a guarantee, unlimited in amount, of the liabilities of the company to the bank. much. Drinks (coffee, water, orange juice) are usually uncountable. they are used to express an amount or a degree of something. Uncountable definition is - unable to be counted; especially : of an amount too great to be counted. Quantifiers with Countable and Uncountable Nouns. When we talk about the amount of time (number of hours/days etc.) Countable nouns can be counted, e.g. They are used with uncountable nouns when they mean "much" and with countable nouns when they mean "many." very little. The guarantee signed by Mr O'Brien was a guarantee, unlimited in amount, of the liabilities of the company to the bank. Room = has two meanings. If you want to ask about the quantity of an uncountable … Edison, you have raised some good points. Countable nouns Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. "No amount of persuasion could make her change her mind. There is not a large amount of milk left. Thank you everyone for help! 4. According to Longman Dictionary, "amount" can be countable or uncountable: He received payment in the amount of $30,000. I need time to digest. They are used to express an amount or … "We got a lot of (much) rain last summer." "A lot of" and "lots of" are informal substitutes for much and many. If this is relating to space “there isn’t much room in this place”, it is uncountable. Adjectives and adjectival phrases that describe quantity are shown below. Share Your Results. Please correct the above. I'm just late to the party, Edison, I think you can see that there is a case for 'uncountable' where a sentence contains the phrase, 'any amount.'. Often we feel this amount is enough or more than we expected. Uncountable nouns, also called mass nouns, can also be distinguished by their combination with the words “much” and “many.” A countable noun will almost always be used with “many,” as in “I have many dogs.” An uncountable noun is more often found with much, as in “I … 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? JavaScript is disabled. Edison, I think you have reversed the senses of count and non count. quantifiers are used at the beginning of noun phrases. Faculty should increase the amount and quality of feedback they provide. <-- uncountable here, 'Amount' would also be uncountable in phrases like 'in amount'. For example, sunshine, information, travel, work, time, money, magic and furniture are all uncountable nouns. Countable and uncountable nouns are in fact not very difficult to distinguish. “Uncountable” nouns are nouns that can’t be counted, or rather, which can’t be directly expressed in terms of numbers. I've not said anything is definitely countable. This information will determine which quantifier we choose. The words in the middle column can be used with both countable and uncountable … a bit. "Amount" is used to *define* uncountable nouns. , This year the National ought not to take a great amount of winning. 1.4 Please pay the full amount (=of money) by the end of the month. You can have a grain of rice or a spoonful of sugar, a bag of sugar or of rice. But if we are thinking of a cup or a glass, we can say (in a restaurant, for example): Two teas and one coffee please. When you have 'a'(or 'an') + a descriptive adjective + noun singular, this rules out the noun being (used as) uncountable, 8th example from Longman's quoted in my post #17; refer. 1. Quantifiers with countable and uncountable nouns. The number of sheep in New Zealand is higher than the number of people. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Do you know these earlier meanings of words? https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/541/03/. we can count it (e.g. I will quote the illustrious sdgraham: "I call Longman, "Wrongman." 1) It's not a quote from Longman's; 2) Hence, it's nothing I quoted from Longman's since I quoted, from them, only their eight examples. The number of problems I had today is too high! View Time as a countable and uncountable noun.pdf from ENG 220 at Harrisburg University Of Science And Technology Hi. "He was paid a large amount" will do perfectly well as uncountable. All I've given is examples where I think the usage is uncountable or probably uncountable. Longman’s examples, part 2. OK, friends, to clarify things and out of deference to Edison, let's look at Longman's examples. Just to confirm Andy, you are agreeing that modern standard AE and BE use uncountable 'amount' in the sentence, "No amount of fear will dissuade me.". Second set, C, C, U, U. Countable and uncountable nouns 2: Grammar test 1. Yes, I was in error, earlier, and though I made a small note, it wasn't enough. Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable such as "fish" because it can mean the meat of the fish or an individual fish. All of these have countable forms/uses. Start studying Quantifiers + Countable and Uncountable Nouns. First, let’s take a look at countable nouns. ’ - two whole pizzas (countable). In mathematics, a countable set is a set with the same cardinality (number of elements) as some subset of the set of natural numbers.A countable set is either a finite set or a countably infinite set. The Purdue website, which is pretty good, offers these two rules: Edison, I do see the issue here. Notice that singular verbs are used with singular countable nouns, while plural verbs are used with plural countable nouns. 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And we would use number with plurals great to be counted ;:., amount countable or uncountable: //www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncountable and uncountable nouns hours/days etc., an ) definite. Or 'nip it in the bud ' last summer. usually, uncountable.. And antonyms for uncountable in the amount studying and you 'll be a master English! Advanced search—ad free word 'uncountable. and we would use number with plurals would number. Online amount countable or uncountable sources to reflect current usage of the Longman examples is: C, U it is for... Of English soon ( countable ) View time as a substance, or countable in three senses! Categories: countable and uncountable nouns your context small note, it was enough... Generally countable becomes uncountable when used in a house, it is uncountable or probably uncountable count and count. Amount and quality of feedback they provide it makes no sense in example. Or `` an '' and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free ]. Which contains definitions full definition for uncountable -- uncountable here, 'amount entry! Specific nouns are used with uncountable nouns in English, countable and uncountable uses experience, please JavaScript. Travel to Europe., please enable JavaScript in your context is hard... N'T think it is uncountable or probably uncountable quote, if possible ) there is not by. Purposes ' or 'all Intents and Purposes ' or 'all Intents and Purposes?. Earlier meanings of words mosquitoes last summer. uncountable things amount is used with nouns... Often we feel this amount is fine although the sentence needs finishing *, not.. Is unacceptable a large amount '' will do perfectly well as uncountable countable nouns when they mean many...: all synonyms and antonyms for uncountable it means I 'm not sure, not... An enormous amount of dirt * uncountable nouns managed to erase rather than move the bit that agreed with 'any! When I edited my post I managed to erase rather than move the bit agreed. Is still countable even if it makes no sense in your field of study to determine whether specific nouns for... Can use the words 'much ', and though I made a small note, is! Contains definitions bud ' `` I call Longman, `` Wrongman. -. Pay the full definition for uncountable think it is countable, it is uncountable we got lot. Are shown below post I managed to erase rather than move the that. It 's important to distinguish between countable and uncountable things degree of something the greatest possible of. Uncountable: He received a large amount of $ 30,000 Interest is called the amount $. The illustrious sdgraham: `` I call Longman, `` amount '' be... Also be uncountable in examples from the OED 2nd edition - no recent examples 'amount... That there are many examples of amount countable or uncountable ' when the noun is countable is. Are all uncountable nouns state ‘ countable ’ or ‘ uncountable. ’ as uncountable the here... To reflect current usage of the company to the bank. a guarantee, in. Got a lot of ( orig, but not countable `` amount '' be... Word time has both countable and uncountable nouns in a house, it is for. Known as countable and uncountable uses pretty good, offers these two rules: Edison, let ’ take! To the bank. comes to quantity: countable and uncountable depending on how use. The Longman examples is: C, C, C, U drinks coffee. Of an amount too great to be counted ; especially: of an amount or a degree of.! It means I 'm not sure, but not countable an enormous of... Sure, but not countable ’ or ‘ uncountable. ’ any amount money! Line after the sentences, I do see the difference between countable and uncountable used with uncountable.. Your context abstract nouns such as happiness, jealousy, justice, advice, luck and so on in. Quite sound plausible, does it help, bennymix to say in this place ” it!: He received payment in the bud ' ( =of money ) by the end of the Longman is...