Do you know what a non countable noun is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on non countable nouns, including the definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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Kevin
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December 26, 2021
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What is a non countable noun?
According to Grammar Party Blog, non-countable nouns which are also called “uncountable nouns” and “mass nouns,” are nouns that cannot be divided into separate parts. There is no definite quantity of a non countable noun.These fall into the following categories of non countable nouns:
- ideas: advice, motivation, existentialism, mathematics
- actions/gerunds: smoking, caution
- feelings: anger, happiness, fear, courage
- liquid categories: orange juice, tea, water, petrol, medicine, soaps, soda, fine wines or categories of wine
- gases/powders: air, helium, argon, nitrogen, mercury, hydrogen
- foods: cheese blocks, rice, grapes, pudding, butter, grains, chocolate, cake, bananas, beer, pasta, chile, bread loaves
- powder: flour, makeup powder, powdered sugar
- time: november, tomorrow, the future, october
- punctuation/grammar terms: comma
- states of existence: childhood, sleep, sickness, girlhood
- weather: rain, snow, sleet, sunshine
- other: social media, politeness, semantics, pronouns, particles, concrete, France
What are examples of non-countable nouns?
A non countable noun can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are many examples of non-count nouns from Thought Co. that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. Try to use the term non countable noun today or notice when someone else is using a non countable noun. It is hard to create an exhaustive list, but we have tried!
- weather – Bad weather slowed the delivery of much furniture.
- violence – Violence never achieves peace
- feedback – Negative feedback is better than no feedback at all.
- homework – Jorge decided to finish his homework before going out.
- fun – Tom liked being around the Simpsons for the fun they had and their big fancy dinners.
- equipment – We used camels to carry all our equipment and provisions.
- independence – Texas declared independence in 1836 and joined the U.S. in 1845.
- awareness – Awareness of problems is no guarantee they will be solved.
- gratitude – The hiker expressed her gratitude to the boys who had rescued her.
- nonsense – It’s nonsense to think that you can lose weight just by taking a pill.
- wheat – Wheat is the most important source of vegetable protein in our food.
- shame – Imagine the shame of being caught cheating!
- music – I can’t listen to music while I’m trying to write.
- morale – Poor management leads to low morale and inefficiency.
- pneumonia – Winston has just recovered from a bout of pneumonia.
- hesitation – When the alarms went off, Bruno acted without hesitation.
- timber – Basswood is the best timber for building pulpits.
- steel – In 1943 all pennies in the U.S. were made of steel.
- hate – “Hate cannot drive out hate,” Dr. King said. “Only love can do that.”
- toil – Churchill said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
- advice – As usual, my brother gave me some bad advice.
- bravery – It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.
- honesty – A good relationship is based on honesty.
- work – The fire was the work of a careless burglar.
- furniture – Jane looked around at the bare walls and broken furniture.
- humility – Gratitude and humility are the true keys to success.
- thunder – Thunder rumbled over the western hills.
- baggage – At the airport I lost my baggage but found a new friend.
- air – The air in the storeroom was musty and cold.
- jargon – The politician’s jargon confused the voters.
- slang – Slang is a sport that belongs essentially to the young.
- humanity – Though Earl had been mistreated, he never lost his faith in humanity.
- jealousy – Passion can quickly turn into jealousy.
- public – The young violinist lacked the confidence to perform in public.
- gold – The crown was made of gold and precious stones.
- sweat – Churchill said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
- punctuation – Punctuation is the written expression of pauses and gestures.
- understanding – I have only a limited understanding of basic physics.
- satisfaction – Success is finding satisfaction in giving a little more than you take.
- vehemence – John was surprised by the vehemence of Joan’s response.
- justice – Justice delayed is justice denied.
- luggage – The airline lost my luggage.
- gravel – The path to the beach was made of gravel.
- mail – The letter carrier delivered my mail to the wrong address.
- lumber – A truckload of lumber was stolen from the sawmill.
- garbage – The skunk fell asleep in the garbage bin.
- admiration – I have a deep admiration for any writer whose books stay in print.
- warmth – She felt the warmth of the breeze on her arms.
- participation – Participation in school sports often has a positive effect on children’s grades.
- propaganda – Propaganda helps people to deceive themselves.
- recovery – The insurance agency assisted in the recovery of the stolen jewels.
- rice – Rice is the most important food crop in the developing world.
- hospitality – I thanked Marie’s mother for her hospitality.
- jewelry – Jennifer left her jewelry on the dressing table.
- perseverance – With perseverance and passion you can achieve your goals.
- evidence – The investigators looked for evidence in the debris.
- clothing – The vast majority of donated clothing is exported overseas.
- rust – Achilles scraped the rust off the head of his spear
- grammar – I studied English grammar in grammar school.
- immortality – The key to immortality is living a life worth remembering.
- pessimism – Jill couldn’t put up with Will’s unrelenting pessimism.
- clay – The birds built their nests out of clay.
- blood – Churchill said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
- hardware – Until it’s loaded with software, a computer is just a piece of hardware.
- poetry – Peter’s poetry is pretty awful.
- diligence – The supervisors’ lack of diligence led to disasters of gigantic proportions.
- anticipation – Anticipation is usually greater than realization.
Overall, a non countable noun in American English is a set of isolable objects that cannot be counted.
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