As you should know by now, nouns can be split into two different groups – countable and uncountable.
Countable nouns, as the name suggests, can be counted. For example, you can have 1 pen or 2 pens, a car or some or a lot of cars.
However, uncountable nouns cannot be counted. For example, you cannot have 2 advices or some or a lot of advices.
However, there are two ways to make an uncountable noun countable.
How to make an uncountable noun countable method 1
Add a countable ‘container’ for the uncountable noun.
For example, milk is uncountable but bottles of milk can be counted. You can say a bottle of milk, 2 bottles of milk etc.
How to make an uncountable noun countable method 2
Use a countable form of the word.
For example, work is uncountable, but job is countable.
The table below shows more examples of how to make uncountable nouns countable.
| Uncountable | Countable |
| Advice | A piece of advice – pieces of advice |
| Luggage | A suitcase, a bag or a piece of luggage – suitcases, bags or pieces of luggage |
| money | a note, a coin – notes, coins |
| cake | a slice of cake, a piece of cake – slices or pieces of cake |
| furniture | a table, a chair, a piece of furniture – tables, chairs, pieces of furniture |
| bread | a slice of bread, a loaf of bread, a piece of bread – slices, loaves, pieces of bread |
| knowledge | a fact – facts |
| travel | a journey, a trip – journeys, trips |
| toothpaste | a tube of toothpaste – tubes of toothpaste |
| wine | a bottle of wine, a glass of wine – bottles of or glasses of wine |
| butter | a pat of butter – pats of butter |
| cheese | a slice of cheese, a chunk of cheese, a piece of cheese – slices, chunks or pieces of cheese |
| sugar | a sugarcube, a spoonful of sugar, a bowl of sugar – sugarcubes, spoonfuls of sugar, bowls of sugar |
| Petrol (gas) | a litre of petrol – litres of petrol. |
| Salt | a pinch of salt – pinches of salt |
| soap | a bar of soap – bars of soap |
| hair | a strand of hair – strands of hair |
| glass | a sheet of glass, a pane of glass – sheets or panes of glass |