1. Miguel Ángel Fuentes Ramírez TIC
COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
A noun renames a person, place or thing. If a noun is viewed as countable if:
• A or an can be used in front of it : a table, an egg
• It has a plural form: there are two tables
• It can be used in a question with how many: How many rooms are there?
• A number can be used before it: four computers
If a noun is viewed as uncountable:
• a/an cannot be used in front of it: Cereal is healthy
• it does not have a plural form: I like butter (NOT BUTTERS)
• it can be in a question with how much: How much sugar would you like?
• a number isn’t used in front of it: It has little caffeine.
• it always takes a “singular” verb: Milk is good for you.
*** En si los sustantivos contables son aquellos que puedes contar (poner un numero antes del
sustantivo: una mesa pero no una agua Todos los liquidos como agua, leche, cerveza, vino son
no contables (EN ESPAÑOL PUEDE SER DISTINTO). Tambien las carnes son no contables como
pollo, pescado etc.
USING THERE IS / ARE WITH COUNTABLE and UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
Countable Uncountable
Singular Plural One form
(+)There is a chair There are some chairs There is some water
(-) There isn’t a table There aren’t any tables There isn’t any cheese
(?) Is there a bathroom? Are there any bathrooms? Is there any coffee?
Conclusions from the table:
• With countable nouns we have two forms: singular and plural and when we refer
to uncountable nouns we only use one form.
• When we use the singular form with countable nouns we use a/an and with
plurals we use some/any.
• With the uncountable nouns we do not use a/an and we can use some/any
• With countable nouns some/any means “an indefinite number”
• With uncountable nouns some/any means “a portion of”

2. Miguel Ángel Fuentes Ramírez TIC
Conclusiones:
Como vemos cuando un sustantivo es contable hay dos formas: singular y plural
pero con los no constables solo hay una forma. Nunca usen la forma plural cuando
usen los no contables. También cabe resaltar que cuando usamos el some /any
con los contables significa algunos/algunas o en negativo ningun pero cuando se
usa con los no contables quiere decir algo de
There are some books on the table. (Hay algunos libros)
There aren’t any books. (No hay ningun lbro) Ojo que en español se usa la forma
singular de libro pero en inglés no.
Are there any books? (Hay algún libro)
There is milk. (Hay algo de leche)
There isn’t any milk. (No hay nada de leche)
Is there any milk? (Hay algo de leche?)