GUIDE ENGLISH GRAMMAR BOOK

PAGE 179
144 Countable and uncountable nouns
4 A noun phrase can be a subject, an object, a complement or an adverbial.
It can also be the object of a preposition.
Subject:
Object:
Complement:
Adverbial:
Prepositional object:
Security guards set a trap.
The stewardess alerted the pilot.
The cost of a bottle was 17 pence.
That day something unusual happened.
The passengers left in a hurry through fire exits.
144 Countable and uncountable nouns
1 Introduction
a Countable nouns can be singular or plural: book(s), hotel(s), boat(s), day(s), job(s),
mile(s), piece(s), pwblem(s), dream(s). Uncountable nouns are neither singular
nor plural: water, sugar, salt, money, music, electricity, happiness, excitement.
b
c
We use countable nouns for separate, individual things such as books and hotels,
things we can count. We use uncountable nouns for things that do not naturally
divide into separate units, such as water and sugar, things we cannot count.
Many countable nouns are concrete: table(s), car(s), shoe(s). But some are abstract:
situation(s), idea(s). Many uncountable nouns are abstract: beauty, love,
psychology. But some are concrete: butter, plastic.
Many nouns can be either countable or uncountable. • (5)
An uncountable noun takes a singular verb, and we use this/that and it.
This milk is off. I'll pour it down the sink.
2 Words that go with countable/uncountable nouns
Some words go with both countable and uncountable nouns: the boat or the
water. But some words go with only one kind of noun: a boat but NOT a water, how
much water but how many boats.
Countable
Uncountable
Singular Plural
the the boat the boats the water
a/an
a boat
some (some boat) some boats some water
Noun on its own boats water
no no boat no boats no water
this/that this boat this water
these/those
these boats
Possessives our boat our boats our water
Numbers one boat two boats
a lot of a lot of boats a lot of water
many/few
many boats
much/little
much water
all all the boat all (the) boats all (the) water
each/every every boat