Cách phân biệt Uncountable and Countable nouns, quantifiers? Cho ví dụ minh họa

Question

Hãy viết cách phân biệt Uncountable and Countable nouns, quantifiers, cho ví dụ minh họa.

Answer 1

• Uncountable and collective nouns + Verb

1. Uncountable nouns take singular verbs.

2. We use collective nouns referring to groups of people/things/animals (the government, the team,…) + singular OR plural verbs.

→ This furniture has arrived fully assembled.

→ The government is/are building wind farms in the north of the country.

• This/That – These/Those

1. We use “this/that” + singular nouns and verbs. We use “these/those” + plural nouns and verbs.

2. We use “this/that” and “these/those” to refer back to objects already mentioned. They must agree with the noun already mentioned.

→ In my opinion, this government’s record on protecting wildlife is not good enough.

→ Tropical climates produce great biodiversity. These conditions are found mainly near the equator.

• Both – Either – Neither

1. We use “both… and…” + plural verbs.

2. We use “either… or…” and “neither… nor…” + singular OR plural verbs. The verb form agrees with the second noun.

→ Both wind power and solar power are alternative forms of energy.

→ Either the government or the car manufacturers need to make carbon emission reduction their priority.

• Each – Every – All

1. We use “each” and “every” + singular nouns and verbs.

2. We use “all” + plural nouns and verbs.

→ Each/Every country has to agree on the climate change penalties for oil companies.

→ All forms of energy cause some damage to the environment.

• Quantifying expressions

“The” + general noun + “of” + specific noun. The verb usually agrees with the general noun, NOT the specific noun.

→ The amount of pollution has increased dramatically.

→ The number of pesticides in farming is declining.

→ The types of pollution are more varied now compared with the 19th century.

→ The quantities of chemicals in rivers have changed according to environmentalists.

• Countable nouns

Objects, places, people, etc. that can be counted are called countable nouns. We can use articles and numbers with countable nouns. They can be singular or plural.

→ Approximately 2000 calories per day are necessary for women to give them enough energy.

→ If you want specialist advice on food, the person you should see is a nutritionist.

• Uncountable nouns

Concepts, qualities, information, materials, etc. that cannot be counted are called uncountable nouns. We cannot use the indefinite article or numbers with uncountable nouns. They are always singular.

→ Rice is the main ingredient of many traditional Asian dishes.

→ The doctor advised against eating food such as cheese, which is high in fat.

• Exceptions

1. By using a countable quantifying expression, we can indicate amounts or separate parts of the thing an uncountable noun refers to, for example, “tea – a pot of tea”, “advice – a bit of advice”, “rice – a bowl of rice”, “coffee – a cup of coffee”.

→ She ordered two cups of coffee.

2. Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable. “a glass (object) – glass (material)”, “a business (company) – business (general)”,…

→ Could I have a glass of water, please?

→ The restaurant walls are made entirely of glass.

3. Some nouns only have a plural form and take a plural verb. “goods, clothes, trousers, stairs…”

→ My trousers were completely ruined after I sat on the chewing gum.

• Quantifiers

Quantifiers are used with countable and uncountable nouns as follows:

	Countable	Uncountable
some	Some top chefs in the world are men.	Everyone needs to eat some protein every day.
any	Have we got any tomatoes?	There is not any salad left in the fridge.
many/a lot of	Many children do not eat enough vegetables.
much/a lot of		We do not eat much meat these days.
few	There are few nutritional benefits in fast food.
a few	Eating a few nuts every day provides vitamin B.
little		Teenagers have little interest in cooking.
a little		A little milk is good for digestion.

Note: “Much” is used in negative sentences and questions. “Much” can be used in positive sentences when there is a modifying adverb (too, so, as) and with some abstract nouns.