Nouns that are count and uncounted

Nouns that are Count and Noncount

Some nouns can be used as both countable or uncountable, usually with a difference in meaning.

Iron

• iron = material (They tried to change iron into gold.)
• iron = electrical appliance (I scorched my dress with the iron.)

Glass

• glass = material (Glass can be recycled from old bottles.)
• glass = container (Champagne was fizzing in the glass.)

Time

• time = length of an activity (How much time did it take you to sing? )
• time = number of instances (Mary had seen the film many times.)

Paper

• paper = material (This book is made of paper.)
• paper = a report or essay (He wrote a paper on grammar.)
• paper = a newspaper (I read about it in the paper.)

Light

• light = energy form (I closed my eyes against the bright light.)
• light = lamps / light bulbs (I switched on the light in the bedroom.)

Work

• work = an activity (Stop talking and get on with your work.)
• work = a product (This is the work of Shakespeare.)

Chicken

• chicken = food (I had chicken for dinner.)
• chicken = kind of animal (They keep chickens in the back yard.)

Hair

• hair = hair in general (She had thick brown hair.)
• hair = individual strands of hair (He had a few grey hairs on his temples.)

Room

• room = space (Is there enough room for me?)
• room = place (They had to sit in the waiting room for an hour.)

Coffee, Water, Beer, Tea, Soda

• coffee, … = drink (I like tea better than coffee.)
• coffee, … = number of drinks (Two strong black coffees, please.)

Meat

• meat = food (I gave up eating meat a few months ago.)
• meat = type of meat (I hate eating red meats like beef and lamb.)

Fruit

• fruit = food (The fruit was too sour to eat.)
• fruit = kind of fruit (She sells fruits at a market stall.)

Experience

• experience = knowledge or skill (My lack of practical experience was a disadvantage.)
• experience = an incident that affects you (It was her first experience of living alone.)

Fire

• fire = element (Most animals are afraid of fire.)
• fire = a burning pile (Firemen put out fires.)

Memory

• memory = the ability to remember (I have a very good visual memory.)
• memory = specific memories of past events (He’s trying to block out memories of the accident.)