Countable and uncountable nouns with different meanings

Countable and uncountable nouns with different meanings

Some nouns can be used either countably or uncountably, but with different meanings.

Compare

Countable use	Uncountable use
We bought a new iron and an ironing board.	People believed that ships made of iron would sink.
I broke a glass yesterday.	The table was made of hardened glass.
Would you like a chocolate?	Would you like some chocolate?
Let’s get a paper and see what’s on at the cinema.	The printer has run out of paper.
‘Hamlet’ is one of Shakespeare’s most famous works.	I had work to do so I couldn’t go out.

 

Uncountable nouns used countably

Measures and examples

Sometimes uncountable nouns are used countably, to mean ‘a measure of something’ or ‘a type or example of something’:

Can I have two teas and one coffee, please? (two cups of tea and one cup of coffee …?)

A:

How many sugars do you want in your tea? (How many spoonfuls/lumps of sugar?)

B:

Just one, please.

To some degree we tend to eat the foods that we ate as children. (i.e. types of food)

Abstract nouns

Some abstract nouns can be used uncountably or countably. The uncountable use has a more general meaning. The countable use has a more particular meaning.

Nouns of this type include: education, experience, hatred, help, knowledge, life, love, sleep, time, understanding.

Compare

uncountable use	countable use
Good education is the best investment in Britain’s future. (education in general)	The first daughter had a very expensive education at a private school in France. (the time one person spent at school)
Love is like a physical pain for some people. (love in general/all love)	I’ve always had a love of poetry, ever since I was a child. (a specific liking for something)
They have a quiz every week, with questions about generalknowledge. (all knowledge/knowledge in general)	The job requires a knowledge of statistics and basic computing. (a specific type of knowledge)
Time passes more and more quickly as you grow older. (time in general)	We had a great time in Ibiza. We didn’t want to come home. (a specific period of time)