Countable Noun

Definition of Countable Nouns

Countable nouns refer to the type of noun that can be counted or quantified. They refer to individuals or discrete items that can be counted separately and can be in both singular and plural forms. 

Examples of Countable Nouns

→ I am reading a book. 
→ I have two bananas. 
→ I have installed a new front door. 
→ My dog loves to go for a walk. 
→ We will watch a movie in the evening.

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When to Use Countable Nouns?

1. We use countable nouns when we talk about individual objects or when we refer to specific animals or people that can be counted. For example, 'three oranges', 'one book', 'five students', etc. 
2. They are usually written after the article 'a' or 'an' in the singular form and article 'the' in both singular and plural forms. For example, 'a pen', 'an umbrella', 'the gifts'.
3. They are used to count or measure individual items or units. For example, 'I have three cards', 'I ate three slices of cake'. 
4. They are used when we discuss more than one of the same items. For example, 'I bought two dresses from the shop'.
5. They are used when we use quantifiers like 'many', 'some', 'a', 'an', 'few'. For example, 'We have some time left to complete our assignment'. 

How to Identify Countable Noun in a Sentence?

1. First, look for the nouns in a sentence that refer to distinct people, items or objects. 
2. Second, search articles in a sentence as countable nouns are written after these articles. 
3. Most importantly, look for plural words in a sentence. 

Common Mistakes with Countable Nouns

While using common nouns, students are likely to make some common mistakes. These mistakes are:

1. Some students forget to use articles before common nouns which are normally in singular form. For example, 'I own car' is incorrect whereas, 'I own a car' is the correct sentence. 
2. Several countable nouns have irregular plural forms and many students often use these irregular plural forms in a sentence. For example, 'My teeths are healthy' is incorrect whereas, the correct sentence will be 'My teeth are healthy'. 
3. Students can use uncountable nouns by mistake in place of countable nouns. For example, 'I have already drank two tea' is incorrect whereas 'I have already drank two cups of tea' is the correct sentence. 
4. Students often use wrong pronouns with countable nouns. For example, 'The girl has lost their phone' is an incorrect sentence whereas 'The girl has lost her phone' is correct. 

Examples of Countable Nouns in Sentences

→ I play basketball thrice a week.
→ My friend has two dogs at her house.
→ I am listening to a song. 
→ We have many books on history. 
→ I have to wear a white shirt for tomorrow's event. 
→ Can you please bring two chairs from that room? 
→ An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
→ I love to play the guitar. 
→ We have some cookies left in the fridge. 
→ Do you have a pen? 

FAQs

1. What are countable nouns? 

Answer: Nouns that can be easily counted in a separate unit or individually are known as countable noun. For example, books, moon, beach, plane, statue, mirror, etc. 

2. What are the examples of countable nouns?

Answer: Examples of countable nouns are apple, laptop, bag, pillow, door, spoon, rock, sun, a pair of shoes, etc. 

3. Examples of countable nouns in sentences? 

Answer:  The room has a comfortable chair by the window. This sentence shows that we are talking about one chair and there is only one window in that particular room.