The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

Nouns with countable and uncountable meanings

Some nouns have both countable and uncountable meanings:

Substances

Countable meaning

Uncountable meaning

I need

an iron

to press my trousers.

Steel is made from

iron

.

My grandma raises

chickens

.

Would you prefer

chicken

or turkey?

A rolling stone

gathers no moss.

Different kinds of

stone

can be used for different purposes.

We found ourselves in the middle of

the wood

.

All the desks in here are made of

wood

.

A glass

of beer, please.

Glass

does not conduct electricity well.

Would you like

a coffee

?

Would you like

some coffee

?

Activities

Countable meaning

Uncountable meaning

I had

an interesting thought

yesterday.

Eastern

thought

is characterised by dualism.

Simon got

a basketball

for Christmas.

Basketball

is played by teams of five.

Mr Pit runs

a business

selling recyclable diapers.

Online

business

is thriving these days.

No war is

a just war

.

I've just read

War

and Peace by Tolstoy.

My literature professor's cats usually get their names from Shakespeare's

works

.

How was

work

today?

Abstract notions

Countable meaning

Uncountable meaning

This boy is

a real help

around the house.

I need

some help

to finish this essay.

Languages

can become extinct.

Language

is a human instinct.

Those apples are real

beauties

.

Beauty

is in the eye of the beholder.

It's always good to do small

kindnesses

for each other.

I thanked her for her

kindness

.

The play was

a success

.

Success

is often only the result of hard work.

Emotions

Countable meaning

Uncountable meaning

And now, some of my

worries

about the project.

Worry

is usually a destructive emotion.

He was torn between two

loves

.

All you need is

love

.

I have

a fear

of heights.

Aristotle's definition of catharsis is based on experiencing pity and

fear

.

There are

hopes

of finding a remedy for your disease.

Hope

dies last.

It is

a pleasure

to have met you.

Pat finds great

pleasure

in nursing.

Quotes:

To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart. - Thomas Watson, Sr.