Page 105 - Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking

enjoy the lists but resist the temptation to use things like a shrewdness of apes in
your writing.

8.4 Count Nouns and Non-Count Nouns

Groups of nouns can be divided into two groups: count nouns and non-count

nouns.

Count nouns are usually discrete items that can be counted and made plural
by adding -s. Count nouns can take an article: a, an, the. They can be used in the

plural form with words like few, many, and these, but they don’t work with much
or less. In the singular, they would be used with words like every and each.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ book computer day seashell tortilla Non-count nouns are usually a
material, substance, or process. They are often abstract. They are awkward or

impossible to count as individual items, or are counted only that way in
highly specialized jargon. Non-count nouns are rarely used with an article,

and can be used with much and less but not with many or few.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ air anger dirt dying earth English ice living peace sugar sunshine water

■ wood To make non-count nouns plural, we use constructs such as a lot of (or
synonyms, such as an abundance of) and much.

■ A lot of earth was moved to make the hole.
■ My wish is that there be much peace in the world.

Some nouns have two meanings that make them both count and non-count

nouns.

Word Count Non-Count
drink Ask the waiter for The party will have

drinks. food and drink.
light I turned off the lights. Light reflects off the