The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

The difference between countable and uncountable nouns

Countable nouns can be counted (a/one book, two books, a lot of books), while uncountable nouns cannot (*a/one news, *two freedoms). Therefore, uncountable nouns only have singular forms and are followed by singular verbs. We should bear in mind that, even though a noun is uncountable in English, the word for it in another language may well be countable, and vice versa. When in doubt, one should always consult a dictionary. However, certain kinds of nouns are usually countable or uncountable in English:

Countable nouns

people (a teacher, a child, a gentleman)

animals (a butterfly, an elephant, a whale)

plants (a flower, a bush, a tree)

physical objects (a bag, a pen, a mountain)

units (a litre (of), a kind of, a part of, a family, a village, a word)

Uncountable nouns

abstract ideas (love, death, beauty)

gases (smoke, air, steam)

liquids (water, milk, blood)

substances and materials (wood, iron, fabric)

other substances consisting of many small particles (sugar, rice, sand)

Quotes:

Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. - Albert Einstein

The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do. - Author unknown

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. - Bill Cosby

The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. - Donald Kendall

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

The greatest weariness comes from work not done. - Eric Hoffer

Gossip needn't be false to be evil - there's a lot of truth that shouldn't be passed around. - Frank A. Clark

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. - Henry David Thoreau

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. - Jim Rohn

Freedom lies in being bold. - Robert Frost

Friendship is a sheltering tree. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Fate leads the willing, and drags along the reluctant. - Seneca

Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. - Voltaire

Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day. - Zen saying