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What Are Uncountable Nouns?
Countable and uncountable nouns are two different types of nouns that help to form a solid subject in a sentence.
Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns are things you cannot quantify, like feelings or emotions or abstract concepts. In general, you can divide these into mass and abstract.
They come in two forms: singular & plural. Let’s explore these a bit further…
Mass nouns are groups of items like a group, a liquid, a gas, an activity, or a collection. Even though they may seem to represent more than one item, mass noun are singular, like the group or collection that they represent.
For example, you wouldn’t say, “I need four furnitures.” Furniture is a singular group that represents all different kinds of furniture, like chairs, beds, tables, etc.
Abstract nouns are concepts, ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
Here are some examples of uncountable nouns divided by type:| Mass Nouns | Abstract Nouns |
|---|---|
| rain, snow, sleet, hail, wind | Intelligence, stupidity, cunning |
| butter, flour, milk, sugar, water | information, morality, patience |
| furniture, lumber, gold, silver | beauty, horror, growth, happiness |
| Singing, reading, fishing, baking | need, loss, love, luck, shock |
| air, hydrogen, oxygen, radon, carbon dioxide | right, opinion, dream, belief, anger |
| water, coffee, tea, wine | happiness, hope, mercy, self-control |
QUICK TIP!
Remember you CANNOT use an article like a or an in front of a noncount noun.
