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Ch 8

Countable & Uncountable Nouns

Articles, quantifiers, and FCE Part 2 open cloze.

Expressions of quantity
B2 · FCE Cambridge

Uncountable nouns — key list

No plural, no 'a' or 'an'
accommodation · advice · bread · furniture · information · knowledge · luggage
news · progress · research · traffic · travel · trouble · weather · work

These nouns cannot be counted. Use 'some', 'a lot of', 'a piece of'. They do NOT take 'a/an' and have no plural form.

I need some information.
NOT: an information
Can you give me advice?
NOT: an advice
Her luggage is very heavy.
NOT: luggages
Watch out: Some nouns that end in -s are uncountable: news, maths, physics → always singular verb.

Expressions of quantity

Which quantifier with which noun type
much
uncountable only
How much money?
many
plural countable only
How many books?
a lot of / lots of
both
a lot of time · a lot of books
a little / little
uncountable
a little rice · little time
a few / few
plural countable
a few friends · few people
hardly any
both
hardly any milk · hardly any people

A little vs little · A few vs few

The article changes the meaning
a little / a few = SOME
I have a little time — I can help.
At least some → positive
A few of us are going — join us!
At least some → positive
little / few = ALMOST NONE
I have little time — I can't help.
Almost none → negative
Very few people know the secret.
Almost none → negative

Common mistakes — FCE Traps

an advice
→
some advice / a piece of advice
Uncountable — no article 'a'
many traffic
→
a lot of traffic / much traffic
Uncountable — use 'much / a lot of'
less people
→
fewer people
Countable → use 'fewer', not 'less'
a few milk
→
a little milk
Uncountable → 'a little', not 'a few'
much books
→
many books
Countable plural → 'many', not 'much'
informations
→
information
Uncountable — no plural form

Summary

much / a little
uncountable nouns
much noise · a little sugar
many / a few
plural countable nouns
many books · a few friends
a lot of / lots of
both countable and uncountable
a lot of time / books
a little (positive)
at least some (uncountable)
a little time
little (negative)
almost none (uncountable)
very little time
fewer / less
fewer = countable · less = uncountable
fewer cars · less traffic
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