Uncountable nouns

Question

My question is how can one easily tell if a noun is uncountable? Or do you simply need to learn most of them by heart?

Take clue, feedback, information and news for example. Are they all uncountable because you can't see or touch them physically? Is it as simple as that?

And when a noun like luggage describes multiple things in a group, does it always automatically make it an uncountable then?

Any other tips to help realize when a noun is uncountable?

Thank you.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Clue is countable.

I haven't a clue. Give me a clue.

GuyperAre they all uncountable because you can't see or touch them physically? Is it as simple as that?

Salt, bread, water and sugar are uncountable. You certainly can touch them.

GuyperOr do you simply need to learn most of them by heart?

I think so.

CalifJim · Answer

Guyperuncountable because you can't see or touch them physically?

No. You can't see or touch an idea, but you have hundreds of ideas in a day. 'idea' is countable.

Guypermultiple things in a group ... uncountable then?

No. You have multiple people on one team, and multiple people on another team. You have two teams. 'team' is countable.
____________

Much of it has to do with boundedness. An object has fixed boundaries. Objects are countable. Substances (e.g., liquids) don't have fixed boundaries. Many of them flow. Substances are not countable.

Often, if you divide a thing into pieces, and all the pieces can be called the same thing you started with, then it's uncountable. Suppose I have a big bowl filled with sugar. I divide it so that it's now in three smaller bowls. Each of the smaller bowls still contains sugar. 'sugar' is uncountable. You can't do that with something countable, like a car. If you break up a car into pieces, you don't end up with several cars. You just have car parts. Using this logic, you should be able to see that 'wood' is not countable, but 'tree' is.

Sometimes the boundary is time. Days, weeks, months, and years are countable.
Certain phenomena that take place in time are countable. Sunrises and sunsets are countable. Meetings are countable.

There are a number of nouns that are not obviously countable or uncountable, so yes, you have to learn those.

CJ

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Things that are implied plurals are not countable.
Luggage and baggage usually means several containers as a set.
Individual items - suitcase, trunk, tote bag, duffle bag, purse, and handbag - are all countable.

Chaitrali Gupte · Answer

Hi Guyper,
You seem to be confused between abstract nouns and the concept of countable-uncountable nouns. Essentially, all the 'things' that you can count in numbers, eg. - bags, chars, fruits, rooms, cities, devices, pens, etc. are countable nouns. Subsequently, the 'things' you can't really count, in numbers - eg, water, salt, hair, oxygen, meat, etc. Hint, names of all gasses and liquids would be considered as uncountable nouns.

Abstract nouns are those 'things' that you can't touch or don't have physical existence - eg. idea, feedback, clue, information, news, advice, knowledge, laughter, etc,.. Hints, all the feelings and characteristics that we have, are abstract nouns (sadness, happiness, bravery, honesty, leadership, evil, fear, generosity, etc.)

Hope this helps!

Chaitrali

Fivejedjon · Answer

Chaitrali Gupte Essentially, all the 'things' that you can count in numbers, eg. - bags, chars, fruits, rooms, cities, devices, pens, etc. are countable nouns.

The problem with that is that fruit is commonly uncountable , and that while it seems logical to native speakers of English to consider such words as furniture, news, information, advice,bread. luggage and many other nouns to uncountable, speakers of other languages see them logically as countable.

Uncountable nouns

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