English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 83: Uncountable nouns

Word List
  • advice
  • baggage
  • brick
  • cloth
  • coal
  • currency
  • equipment
  • experience
  • flour
  • hat
  • information
  • knowledge
  • leather
  • luggage
  • money
  • news
  • oil
  • plastic
  • poverty
  • research
  • software
  • spaghetti
  • stone
  • transport
  • wealth
  • weather
  • wood
  • accommodation
Exercises

83.1 ‣ Complete each sentence in two ways using the nouns in brackets.

  1. He gave me about applying for university courses. (advice / tip)
  2. I'm sorry, I can't come. I have _____ to do. (job / homework)
  3. She's doing _____ teenage slang in English for her university project. (research into / study of)
  4. You'll need _____ if you want to make a Chinese meal. (rice / noodle)
  5. I have _____ for you: you're going to meet the President next week! (news / surprise)
  6. They make _____ for the furniture industry in this factory. (textile / cloth)

83.2 ‣ List these words under the headings in the table: uncountables and countables. Then pair up the words which have related meanings.

  1. recommendation
    • uncountables
    • countables
  2. money
    • uncountables
    • countables
  3. bread
    • uncountables
    • countables
  4. case
    • uncountables
    • countables
  5. information
    • uncountables
    • countables
  6. job
    • uncountables
    • countables
  7. advice
    • uncountables
    • countables
  8. travel
    • uncountables
    • countables
  9. coin
    • uncountables
    • countables
  10. trip
    • uncountables
    • countables
  11. work
    • uncountables
    • countables
  12. baggage
    • uncountables
    • countables
  13. fact
    • uncountables
    • countables
  14. loaf
    • uncountables
    • countables

83.3 ‣ Correct the mistakes in these sentences. There may be more than one.

  1. We had such a terrible weather that we left the campsite and found an accommodation in town instead.
  2. In the south of England, most houses are made of stones, but in the north,. bricks are more common.
    _____
  3. I love antique furnitures, but I would need an advice from a specialist before I bought any. My knowledges in that area are very poor.
    _____
  4. Her researches are definitely making great progresses these days. She has done a lot of original works recently.
    _____
  5. What equipments do you need to go skiing? If you can give me any informations, I would be grateful.
    _____
  6. Oil exports have produced a great deal of wealths for the country.
    _____
  7. Package holidays often include transports from the airport to your accommodations.
    _____
  8. I don't have any experiences of working in education, but I would like to do some voluntary works in a school.
    _____
  9. A poverty is the biggest problem in many countries.
    _____
  10. I bought a new software that shows you the kind of weathers every country has each month of the year.
    _____

83.4 ‣ Can you add more items to the lists in C and E opposite?

  1. Food:
  2. For making clothes, furniture, etc.:
    _____
  3. For buildings:
    _____
  4. For energy: .
    _____

83.5 ‣

Over to you

Imagine you are going away for a week’s holiday and you pack a suitcase with everything you need. Make a list of what you would pack. Which items on your list are uncountable nouns in English?
Answer Key
A ‣ What are uncountable nouns?

Countable nouns can be used with a/an and made plural (e.g. a hat, two hats). Uncountable nouns are not normally used with a(n) or the plural, e.g. information (NOT an information or some informations). You can learn uncountable nouns in groups associated with the same subject or area. Here are some useful headings.

B ‣ Travel


  1. luggage baggage (more common than luggage in AmE)

  2. accommodation

  3. money currency

  4. information

  5. transport

Language help

Travel is an uncountable noun, e.g. Travel broadens the mind. If you want to refer to an individual occasion of travel, use journey or trip, e.g.
It was a very long journey. (NOT a very long travel)
She was away on a business trip for three days. (NOT a business travel)

C ‣ Food

The word food is usually uncountable, and so are many food names. Other uncountable food words can be added to this list.

  1. sugar
  2. nee
  3. spaghetti
  4. butter
  5. bread
  6. flour
  7. soup

D ‣ Abstract uncountable nouns and nouns for activities

She gave me some advice on how to study for the exam.

I picked up some interesting knowledge on that course.

She's made a lot of progress in a very short time.

She has done some research on marine life.

They've done a lot of work on the project.

The teacher always gives us homework at the weekend.

Do you have any experience of working with children?

Wealth [state of being rich] does not guarantee happiness, but neither does poverty. [state of being poor]

E ‣ Material and resources

For making clothes, furniture, etc.: cloth (e.g. silk)     leather

For energy: coal     oil

For buildings: stone     brick     plastic

General: equipment     software

F ‣ Other common uncountable nouns

I have some news for you: Henry is getting married.

What lovely weather! Let's go for a walk.

Common mistakes

Although you may have learnt these words and their meanings before, it is very easy to continue making mistakes with them.

We say: What terrible weather! I have some news for you. We bought some new furniture. (NOT What a terrible weather! I have a news for you. We bought some new furnitures.)

See Unit 86 for ways of making uncountable nouns countable.

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