4. Grammar Box: Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable nouns

We can count them.

one apple / two apples
one egg / six eggs
one sandwich / three sandwiches

Examples:

I eat two apples every day.
There are many eggs in the fridge.
How many bananas do you buy?

Use many with countable plural nouns.

many apples
many eggs
many sandwiches
many bottles

Uncountable nouns

We don’t usually count them one by one.

water
milk
rice
bread
sugar
cheese
meat
coffee
tea

Examples:

I drink water every day.
There is much sugar in this drink.
How much rice do you need?

Use much with uncountable nouns.

much water
much milk
much sugar
much bread

A lot of

Use a lot of with both countable and uncountable nouns.

Important Difference

Useful Tip

In positive sentences, English often uses a lot of, not much.

Natural:

I drink a lot of water.
I eat a lot of rice.

Less natural:

I drink much water.
I eat much rice.

But too much is natural:

I drink too much cola.
There is too much sugar in this yogurt.