1. Common nouns are divided into countable, example: university, book and uncountable, example: snow, beauty. Countable nouns include the names of objects and persons that can be counted, therefore they are used in both singular and plural: a room – two rooms, an engineer– many engineers. Countable nouns are used in the singular with the indefinite article “a/an”; combined with numerals or with words denoting quantity: many, some, several, a few, few. Example: many cities, some journals, several enterprises, a few hotels, few friends.
2. Uncountable nouns include the names of objects that cannot be counted. They are used only in the singular:
а) nouns of material: steel, oil, сoffee;
б) abstract nouns, denoting states, actions, sciences, processes, etc.: freedom, labour, mathematics etc.
Uncountable nouns, without having a plural form, cannot be combined with the definite article or with numerals. They can be used with words: much, some, little, a little. Example: much information, some juice, little time.
Both countable and uncountable nouns are used with words a lot of /lots of and plenty of. Example: a lot of subjects (a lot of work), plenty of ideas (plenty of money).
Examples of uncountable nouns:
Food: bread, butter, meat, cheese, water, tea, coffee, milk, wine, beer, lemonade, chocolate, salt, pepper, fish, etc.
Material: paper, wood, stone, glass, chalk, silver, gold, iron, silk, cotton, wool, etc.
Abstract nouns: peace, love, beauty, work, sleep, courage, honesty, youth, excitement, anger, trouble, darkness, history, physics, music, etc.
Many others: time,work, money, furniture, police, information, news, progress, baggage (luggage), advice, accommodation, scenery, weather, snow, rain, soap, petrol, oil, traffic, travel, etc.
3. Some material nouns can be used to designate objects made of a given substance or material; in this case they become countable nouns, for example:
Paper
I bought some paper. (uncountable = material)
I bought a paper. (countable = a newspaper)
Hair
She has beautiful hair. (uncountable)
There is a hair in my soup. (countable = one single hair)
Our house is built of brick.
Нe carried two bricks in each hand.
Real nouns can be used, as in the Russian language, to designate different varieties and types of substance and then they turn into countable nouns, for example:
wine – wines; fruit – fruits; glass – glasses; ice – ices
He prefers Caucasian wines to Crimean ones.
4. Abstract nouns become countable nouns when they are instantiated, e.g.: speech – speeches; amusement – amusements
His speeches are always interesting.
Animals do not possess the power of speech.