Countability:
§ Refers to entities which can be counted or not
§ Distinction of countability and uncountability is related to the context and intention of the speaker
Countability markers:
§ Related to determination
§ Related to singular or plural of the verb
§ Contrast between using a/an with singular or zero determiner with singular
a good knowledge - knowledge
§ Using of every/each with singular or all with singular
each / every book – all happiness, all mathematics
§ Use of many/few with plural or much/little with singular
many / few students – much / little bread
§ If there is or isn’t number contrast in the form of the noun
student ® students – logic ® 0
§ Singular or plural concord or only singular concord with the verb
student is / students are – happiness is
Degrees of countability:
Fully mass – some occasionally with a/an
§ Predominantly used as uncountable
denoting activities – walking, speaking, meaning
abstractions – happiness, sincerity
luggage, information, news
sciences – physics, mathematics, logic, arithmetic
§ Some occasionally with a/an if they are specified by pre-/post-modifier
a good knowledge, a pride like his, a courage like hers, a piece of luggage, news item
§ They may also appear in other degrees but this is the most important
Fully mass – some occasionally with a/an or in plural form
phenomena of water – rain, snow, fog, frost
materials as foodstuff – water, wine, cheese
money, literature, help
states of human body – hunger, thirst
§ If they are used in plural they change their meaning
cheese – substance x cheeses – different kinds of cheese
snow – general phenomenon x snows – repetition in appearance, intensity, amount
§ They cannot take numeratives (numbers)
§ Singular with a/an – there must be a modifier
a huge hunger, a deep sleep
Fully mass and fully count
§ Changes meaning
· states of human mind
need, doubt
painting, writing – C meaning product x U meaning activity
business – C meaning company x U meaning kind of human activity
success, failure – as individual instances they are countable
· animal names
hake, salmon, deer – C meaning individuals x U meaning classes of animals
skittles, darts, bowls – C figures that you use x U games
Partially count and never mass
§ They cannot be used with singular concord verb
§ It is always a group of something or somebody
· noun from adjective
the rich, the poor, the famous
· nations
the English, the French, people (lidé – partially C x národ – fully C)
· collectives for animals
cattle, police, riches, goods, surroundings, outskirts, belongings, trousers, scissors, pliers, spectacles
· by the form they indicate they can be only used in plural
door – singular when it consists of one wing x plural when they consist of two wings
Fully count except number contrast in form, never mass
§ One form in singular and also in plural
sheep
aircraft, spacecraft
gallons, barracks, headquarters
means, offspring, series, species
Fully count and some occasionally mass
house, book
detail, advantage
§ when used with preposition they are uncountable
· method of travelling
by ship, by car, by plane
· institutions
at school, at home, in hospital
· abstractions
in detail
· means of communication
by letter, by telegram
Grammatical category of the number:
§ Singular form – unmarked (noun itself)
§ Plural form – marked
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