Count and noncount Nouns

• Add an article (a, an, or the) before a singular, generic noun. (I have a book.)
• Add -s, -es, or -ies after plural, generic nouns. (I have two jackets.)

Proper nouns like John or Australia do not take an article or plural ending. (I visited Australia last year.)

Some nouns cannot be counted directly. We call these “noncount” nouns. For example:

1. 1. Things with small parts
      • hair
      • sugar
      • sand
   2. Things with no parts
      • water
      • oil
      • air
   3. Sets of things
      • furniture
      • money
      • mail
   4. Feelings or ideas
      • integrity
      • friendship
      • advice
   5. School subjects
      • history
      • geography
      • biology

Time

• We met her three times.
• What time is it?

School

• I attended school for twelve years.
• The principal visits three schools in his district.

Experience

• Do you have any experience tutoring children?
• Sherri had a good experience with that company.

Do not use an article with noncount nouns.

• two bottles of water (In informal English, we can say “a water,” meaning a bottle of water.)
• a loaf of bread (two loaves)
• three homework assignments

• mouse (mice)
• deer (deer)
• ox (oxen)