Countable and Uncountable Nouns

 COUNTABLE NOUNS 

Things you can count = 1-2-3-4-5... 
They can be singular (a dog, an apple, one cookie):

• She has a dog. 
• He is eating an apple. 
• You can have one cookie. 

or plural:  She has three cats. 

Use  HOW MANY  for questions with countable nouns. 

• How many T-shirts does Mary have?
• How many students are there in your class?

   

 UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS 

Things you can't count, like liquids.
You can't count water, but you can count a bottle or a glass of water. 

UNCOUNTABLE  COUNTABLE

       pasta / rice                                        a bowl of pasta/rice
       pizza                                                         a slice of pizza
      clothes                                                      a shirt / a dress 
      jeans                                                         a pair of jeans

      cheese                                                   a piece of cheese

      bread                                                        a loaf of bread

     tea/coffee.                                             a cup of tea/coffee
       

Other examples of uncountable nouns:
information, money, time, love, intelligence, food, hair, homework, furniture, weather, glue, sand, shampoo

Use some for uncountable nouns:

• Mom is buying some bread at the baker's. 
• I would like some soup for lunch. 

Use  HOW MUCH  for questions with uncountable nouns:

• How much homework do you have?
• How much milk is in the fridge?

NOTE:
How much money do you have? 
How many euros do you have?

 SOME and ANY 

Use SOME before plural (countable) nouns and uncountable nouns in positive sentences: 

• She has some cookies.
• They have some eggs. 
• I need to buy some clothes.
• There is some ice cream in the freezer. 

Use ANY before plural nouns and uncountable nouns in negative sentences and questions*:

• We don't have any oranges.
• He doesn't have any pets. 
• I have some paper, but I don't have any glue.
• We don't have any tea.
• Are there any apples?
• Do you have any brothers or sisters?
• Do we have any fruit?
• Is there any milk in the fridge?

NOTE - SOME in questions (offers):

• *Do you want / Would you like some cake? (you think the answer is yes)  
• *Could I please have some water? (I think they will give me some water)

Use IS or ISN'T with singular nouns and uncountable nouns:

• There is a garden, but there isn't a swimming pool.  Is there a garage? 
• There's some water, but there isn't any juice. Is there any Coke?

Use ARE or AREN'T with plural nouns:

• There are some sandwiches, but there aren't any cakes.  Are there any chips?