Countable, uncountable nouns

Countable Nouns

The major division of English nouns is into "countable" and "uncountable".

Countable nouns  are things that we can count:
  * dog, cat, animal, man, person
  * bottle, box, litre
  * coin, note, dollar
  * cup, plate, fork
  * table, chair, suitcase, bag

Countable nouns can be singular or plural:
  * My dog is playing.
  * My dogs are hungry.

We can use the indefinite article a/an with countable nouns:
  * A dog is an animal.

Countable nouns are also called "count nouns".

When a countable noun is singular, we must use a word like a/the/my/this with it:
  * I want an orange. (not [DEL: I want orange. :DEL] )
  * Where is my bottle? (not [DEL: Where is bottle? :DEL] )

When a countable noun is plural, we can use it alone:
  * I like oranges.
  * Bottles can break.

We can use some and any with countable nouns:
  * I've got some dollars.
  * Have you got any pens?
  * I haven´t got any pens.

We can use few, a few and many with countable nouns:
  * I've got  few friends.
  * I've got a few dollars.
  * I haven't got many pens.


Unlike countable nouns, uncountable nouns are substances, concepts etc that we cannot divide into
separate elements:
  * music, art, love, happiness
  * advice, information, news
  * furniture, luggage, damage
  * news, progress
  * rice, sugar, butter, water
  * electricity, gas, power
  * money, currency

We usually treat uncountable nouns as singular. We use a singular verb. For example:
  * This news is very important.
  * Your luggage looks heavy.

We do not usually use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns. We cannot say "an
information" or "a music". But we can say a "something" of:
  * a piece of news
  * a bottle of water
  * a grain of rice

We can use some and any with uncountable nouns:
  * I've got some money.
  * Have you got any rice?
  * I haven´t got any rice.

We can use little, a little and much with uncountable nouns:
  * I´ve got little time.
  * I've got a little money.
  * I haven't got much rice.

Uncountable nouns are also called "mass nouns".

Here are some more examples of countable and uncountable nouns:

Countable

         Uncountable

dollar

         money

song

         music

suitcase

         luggage

table

         furniture

battery

         electricity

bottle

         wine

report

         information

tip

         advice

journey

         travel

job

         work

view

         scenery

Partitive Structure with Uncountable Nouns

We can use the same uncountable noun in different partitive expressions with different meanings.
For example, a loaf of bread and a slice of bread are partitive expressions with different
meanings. A loaf of bread is what we call a whole unit of bread that we buy from a baker.
A slice of bread is what we call a smaller unit of bread after it has been cut from a loaf.

Here are some more examples:
  * Don't forget to buy a bag of rice when you go shopping.
  * Can I have one cup of coffee and two cups of tea.
  * The police found some items of clothing scattered around the floor.
  * I need a truck that will take at least three pieces of furniture.
  * You'd think a tablespoon of honey would be more than enough.


Adapted from: https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/nouns-countable-un.htm