Money is countable or uncountable in English. What is important to know about countable and uncountable nouns in English

We are accustomed to not paying attention to which category a noun belongs to. In English everything is different. For example, some words that were uncountable, after adding the ending, not only become , but their meaning changes dramatically. But let's look at everything in order

With countable nouns everything is more or less clear. These include everything that we are able to count. In the singular the article a|an, the is used, in the plural - the zero article or the. With uncountable nouns the situation is somewhat more complicated.

The main features of Uncountable nouns in English

• We never use them with the articles a\an, while they are freely used with the
• After them there must be a verb in the required form according to the general scheme of the sentence
• They are preceded by the words little, any, much, etc., and not just pronouns:

Flour is produced in many foreign counties - Flour is produced in many foreign countries

The latest news was good - The latest news was good

Knowledge was his main weapon - Knowledge was his main weapon

Category of uncountable nouns: study in more detail

Learning and remembering all the nouns and their category separately is difficult and completely useless. How can you determine which word is in front of you? Everything is very simple. In English, uncountable nouns include entire categories of concepts. For example, look at this list of uncountable nouns. There are many exceptions in the English language, but we will look at the basic rules.

Those sneaky nouns!

Since nouns are the oldest part of speech in the English language, they represent one of the most difficult topics to master. The problem is that an uncountable noun can easily change its category, and you need to keep an eye on this. For example, when specifying with the addition of an article, not only the category changes, but also the entire meaning. Below is a small table of uncountable nouns that change category and meaning:

I visited them a few times - I visited them several times

Time went by - Time has gone...

Your life is worth fighting - Your life is worth fighting for

A life of the man was difficult - This man’s life path was thorny

If an uncountable noun is used to denote a part of a whole, then it changes category and becomes countable, subject to the same rules. For example:

I like tea. Give me a tea - I love tea. Pour me a cup.

The wine is useful, would you like a wine? - Wine is good for you, would you like a glass?

I’d like a coffee and a cake please – Please give me a cup of coffee and one cake.

He hated coffee - He hated coffee

He hated an Indian coffee - He hated Indian coffee

Added ending - changed category

When you add an ending to some nouns, they change the meaning and category. This transformation very clearly demonstrates the mechanism of word formation and the transition of one meaning to another. For example:

The color of her eyes was dark blue – She had dark blue eyes

They saw the king’s colors and cheered him up - They saw the king’s banners and began to greet him

Strike iron while hot – Strike the iron while it’s hot

The irons were too heavy for the boy – The chains were too heavy for the boy

Articles with uncountable nouns

Both articles and uncountable nouns in English are difficult topics, to put it mildly. But nothing is impossible if you have the desire to learn and develop. Below we provide a short list of rules with examples that will help you figure out how to use articles with uncountable nouns.

The article the is placed before a real uncountable noun if we mean not the whole substance, but a specific part. For example, in the following sentence it is clearly visible that the article is used to clarify quantity.

I bought the bread at the supermarket – I bought a loaf of bread in the supermarket

Put the milk into my bag – Put the milk in the bag.

In this case, the reference is to a bottle of milk that both speaker and listener know about.

The meat was too hot - The meat chop was too hot

Here the article also indicates that we are talking about a piece of meat, and not about the meat as a whole.

They won’t ship the ore today - They will not load the ore today

This sentence refers to a consignment of goods that, for one reason or another, cannot be loaded onto a ship.

The article the is also used with real nouns according to the general rule. According to which it is put in the event that the object or substance has already been mentioned in the text and the listeners already know what is being discussed.

We bought some tea and some coffee. The tea was awful but the coffee was amazing. — We bought tea and coffee. The tea was terrible, but the coffee was great.

I ordered some milk for my cat. They told me that the milk was spoiled. — I ordered milk for my cat, but they told me that the milk was spoiled.

That is, we see that in both examples, when a substance is mentioned again, the article the is used according to the general rule.

If an uncountable noun somehow stands out from the class of its own kind. That is also used with the article the.

The silk made by these worms is the best - The silk that this type of silkworm produces is the best.

The ore explored in Africa will help our industry – An ore deposit discovered in Africa will support our industry

The stone used for this castle was delivered from Egypt – The stone that was used to build this castle was brought from Egypt.

Hello dear readers! Today I have prepared a very sensitive topic for you. After studying the material, you will become familiar with the main groups of uncountable nouns, learn how to denote the number of uncountable nouns in English, and also learn in which cases an uncountable noun can be used as a countable noun. The topic is not as simple as you might think. The fact is that when translating an uncountable noun from Russian into English, you can easily make a mistake. Very often, a noun that is countable in Russian is uncountable in English, and vice versa. Because of this, confusion arises. As you can see, this topic needs to be treated with special attention.

You could already familiarize yourself with countable nouns in the article: Plurals of nouns in English. Let me remind you that countable nouns in English denote objects and concepts that can be counted. They can be in singular or plural form. You could also familiarize yourself with the rules for forming the plural in the article “Plural nouns in English.” Let's move on to learning about uncountable nouns in English.

Uncountable nouns in English

Uncountable nouns are nouns that denote substances and concepts that cannot be counted. These include both real (liquid, gaseous, solid materials) and abstract nouns (natural phenomena, actions, feelings, etc.). But in English, unlike Russian, many nouns can be used both as countable and uncountable.

So, uncountable nouns are used only in the singular and, accordingly, agree with verbs in the singular. Remember that in English they are not used with the indefinite article a or an. If it is necessary to distinguish an uncountable noun from the general category of substances or concepts, the definite article is used the.

As a subject, they agree with the singular predicate. Can be replaced by singular pronouns. In most cases this is a pronoun it.

Classification of uncountable nouns

There are quite a lot of uncountable nouns in the English language, and in order to remember them better, you can classify them into groups. We have compiled a list of commonly used uncountable nouns in colloquial speech.

1. Natural phenomena: darkness - darkness, snow - snow, fog - fog, gravity - gravity, heat - heat, humidity - dampness, light - daylight, hail - hail, lighting - lightning, rain - rain, thunder - thunder, sunshine - sunlight, weather - weather, wind - wind, etc.
2. Liquids: petrol - gasoline, oil - vegetable oil/petroleum, coffee - coffee, water - water, tea - tea, lemonade - lemonade, milk - milk, wine - wine, blood - blood, etc.
3. Gaseous substances: nitrogen - nitrogen, oxygen - oxygen, air - air, steam - steam, smoke - smoke, smog - thick fog, etc.
4. Food: bread - bread, cheese - cheese, butter - butter, meat - meat, spaghetti - spaghetti, yoghurt - yogurt, etc.
5. Languages: Russian - Russian, Greek - Greek, German - German, English - English, Arabic - Arabic, Chinese - Chinese, Spanish - Spanish, etc.
6. Substances consisting of many small particles: semolina - semolina, rice - rice, flour - flour, corn - corn, dust - dust, salt - salt, sugar - sugar, pepper - pepper, sand - sand, etc.
7. Diseases:Сancer - cancer, Flu - flu, Measles - measles, Mumps - mumps, Smallpox - chickenpox, Pneumonia - pneumonia, etc.
8. Abstract concepts: space - space, energy - energy, advice - advice, beauty - beauty, time - time, education - education, wealth - wealth, happiness - happiness, honesty - honesty, health - health, help - help, laughter - laughter, intelligence - intelligence, knowledge - knowledge, justice - justice, truth - truth, information - information, news - news, homework - homework, work - work, grammar - grammar, vocabulary - vocabulary, etc.
9. Names of disciplines: chemistry - chemistry, mathematics - mathematics, history - history, psychology - psychology, literature - literature, etc.
10. Natural resources, building materials, metals: gold - gold, silver - silver, wood - wood, glass - glass, oil - oil, clay - clay, concrete - concrete, paper - paper, etc.
11. Games: baseball - baseball, poker - poker, billiards - billiards, chess - chess, golf - golf, rugby - rugby, football - football, soccer - football, tennis - tennis, etc.
12. Actions (gerund): driving - driving, walking - walking, studying - studying, drawing - drawing, rock climbing - rock climbing, swimming - swimming, etc.

Notation for the number of uncountable nouns

If you need to indicate the quantity denoted by an uncountable noun, use the following nouns:

• a piece - a piece (a piece of paper - a sheet of paper, a piece of news - news, a piece of advice - advice, a piece of information - information, a piece of furniture - a piece of furniture)
• a glass - glass (a glass of wine - glass of wine)
• a bottle - a bottle (a bottle of cognac - a bottle of cognac)
• a jar - jar (a jar of honey - jar of honey)
• a rasher - slice (a rasher of bacon - thin slice of bacon)
• a packet - packet (a packet of rice - packet of rice)
• a loaf - loaf (a loaf of bread - loaf of bread)
• and slice is a piece (and slice of bread is a piece of bread)
• a pot - a pot, a jar (a pot of yoghurt - a jar of yogurt, a pot of tea - a teapot)
• a cup - a cup (and cup of tea - a cup of tea)
• a kilo - kilogram (a kilo of meat - kilogram of meat)
• a tube - tube (a tube of tooth paste - tube of toothpaste)
• a bar - piece, tile (a bar of chocolate - chocolate bar, a bar of soap - piece of soap)
• a can - a tin can (a can of lemonade - a jar of lemonade)
• a carton - packaging (a carton of milk - packaging of milk)
• a bowl - bowl (a bowl of soup - bowl/bowl of soup)

Also, to indicate a large or small quantity denoted by an uncountable noun, use the following pronouns:

• much - a lot (much time - a lot of time)
• a lot of - a lot (a lot of chees - a lot of cheese)
• little - little, a little (little oil - little oil)
• some − a certain amount (to buy some tea - buy tea)
• any - any, any (to eat any spaghetti - there is some spaghetti)

Transition of nouns from uncountable to countable

1. In English, if a material noun is used to designate an object from a given material, the uncountable noun becomes countable and is used with articles a And an. (If the whole and its elements are denoted the same way.)

• hair hair − a hair hair
• wood tree, wood − a wood forest
• paper paper − a paper newspaper, document
• coal − a coal coal
• iron iron − an iron iron

2. In English, if a material noun is used to denote varieties, types or portions of something, the uncountable noun becomes countable and is used with articles a And an.

• He bought some tea. He bought tea. — He bought an Indian tea. He bought one of the Indian teas.
• I like coffee. I love coffee. − He bought a coffee. He bought (a cup of) coffee.

3. In English, if an abstract noun is used to designate a specific object or person, i.e. for concretization, the uncountable noun becomes countable and is used with articles a And an.

• beauty beauty − a beauty beauty
• light light − a light light, lamp
• life life − a life life path
• time time − a time times
• play game − a play play

4. In English, if the ending is added to an uncountable noun -s, -es, it becomes countable and is used with articles a And an.

Section 1. Definition of countable and uncountable nouns

The main difference between countable and uncountable nouns is whether the things they represent can or cannot be counted one by one.

Countable nouns (count nouns) denote objects that exist as separate, individual units. Typically, each such object is perceived by our senses as separate.

Examples:

• table (table)
• finger (finger)
• bottle (bottle)
• chair (chair)
• remark (remark)
• award
• word
• girl (girl)
• candidate

Example sentences:

I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you step in? Just one.)
I stepped in a puddle. (How many puddles did you step in? Only one.)

I drank a glass of milk. (Glasses of milk can be counted.)
I drank a glass of milk. (You can count the glasses of milk.)

I saw an apple tree. (Apple trees can be counted.)
I saw an apple tree. (The apple trees can be counted.)

Uncountable nouns (noncount nouns) denote things that are thought of as a whole, in which the individual elements (parts) cannot be counted. Often we are talking about abstractions, abstract concepts or a “collective whole” (for example, furniture).

Examples:

• anger
• courage
• progress
• furniture (furniture)
• education
• weather
• warmth
• leisure (leisure)
• precision

Example sentences:

I dove into the water. (How many waters did you dive into? The question doesn't make any sense; therefore water is noncountable.)
I dived into the water (How many “waters” did you dive into? The question is meaningless, therefore water is an uncountable noun.)

I saw the milk spill. (How many milks? Milk cannot be counted.)
I saw spilled milk (How many different “milks” are there? Milk cannot be “counted.”)

I admired the foliage. (How many foliages? Foliage cannot be counted.)
I admired the beauty of the foliage. (How many “foliage”? You can’t count the foliage.)

Imagine pie dough. Before it's been in the oven, it doesn't separate into non-draining pieces because it's liquid (though quite dense). After baking, the pie from this dough can be cut into pieces. Uncountable nouns are like dough (or liquid), and countable nouns are like pieces of (finished) cake.

Note: Since this issue is complex and we know that there are practically no absolute rules, exceptions are possible. The above gives us only a general idea of ​​the concept of countability/non-countability. Don't forget that nouns that are countable in English may be uncountable in another language, and vice versa.

Section 2. Use of countable and uncountable nouns

Pluralizing

Rule

Perhaps from the above definitions of countable and uncountable nouns you have already guessed how their plural is formed:

• for most countable nouns are pluralized adding an ending -s ;
• uncountable nouns in general have no plural.

This rule works for all nouns from the examples in section 1.

Exception to the rule

This rule changes slightly for some English nouns that belong to both classes at once, that is, they have both countable, so uncountable meaning. As a rule, an uncountable value is abstract and general, while a countable value is concrete (real). Compare:

Count Nouns

• I"ve had some difficulties finding a job. (refers to a number of specific problems)
  I had some difficulties in finding a job (that is, several specific problems).
• The talks will take place in the Krannert building. (refers to a number of specific lectures)
  Lectures (talks) will take place in the Krannert building (that is, several specific lectures).
• The city was filled with bright lights and harsh sounds. (refers to a number of specific lights and noises)
  Lights were burning everywhere in the city and sharp sounds were heard (that is, specific lights and sounds).

Noncount Nouns

• She succeeded in school with little difficulty. (references to the general idea of ​​school being difficult)
  At school she studied successfully, without difficulties (that is, difficulty as an abstract idea associated with learning).
• I dislike idle talk. (references to talking in general)
  I don't like empty talk (that is, abstract "talking").
• Light travels faster than sound. (refers to the way light and sound behave in general)
  Light travels faster than sound (that is, light as an uncountable noun).

Comment: Sometimes uncountable nouns can also act as countable nouns. This occurs when a noun, which is usually uncountable, is understood as a separate unit (portion) distinct from other units of the same class. This often happens with the names of dishes (food) and drinks, wine, bread, fruit, etc. Examples:

• There are several French wines to choose from (= kinds of wine).
  There are several French wines (= varieties of wine) to choose from.
• I prefer Sumatran coffees to Colombian (= kinds of coffee).
  I prefer Sumatra coffees to Colombian coffees (= different types of coffee).
• We use a variety of different batters in our bakery (= kinds of batter).
  In our bakery we use different types of dough (= varieties of dough).

Recently, “homework” has entered the category of such nouns. Some students use it in the plural as a countable word. For example: "You"re missing three of the homeworks from the first part of the course. “You haven’t done (miss) three homework assignments from the first part of the course.” But such word usage has not yet become generally accepted and is used, as a rule, in informal communication.

This combination of the role of countability/uncountability by some nouns naturally affects the rule for the formation of the plural: in the countable role they form the plural like ordinary countable nouns, but in the uncountable role they do not have a plural, like other uncountable nouns.

Articles

Nouns and Articles

Choosing an article for a noun (if one is needed at all) is a difficult task, since it depends on 1) whether it is countable/uncountable and 2) whether it is singular or plural. Both uncountable and countable nouns (the latter in both singular and plural) can be used with the article.

Combinations of Nouns and Articles

The following table shows the compatibility of articles with nouns. Please note that among the articles we have placed demonstrative pronouns. They, like the definite article, indicate 1) a unique person/object or 2) a person/object/event that was already previously known or mentioned (in writing) - so that both the reader and the writer already know it.

Examples:

I ate an apple.
I ate an apple.

I rode the bus.
I traveled by bus.

Does she live in this house? No, she lives in that house over there.
She lives in this house? No, she lives in that house over there.

I like to feed the birds.
I like to feed the birds.

Do you want these books? No, I want those books up there.
Do you need these books? No, I want the ones at the top.

Cats are interesting pets.
Cats are interesting pets.

The water is cold.
The water is cold.

This milk is going sour.
The milk will turn sour.

Music helps me relax.
Music helps me relax.

Quantity Terms

The following table shows the combinability of nouns with words denoting quantity. Please note that several words denoting quantity can appear in a row: many more (= a lot more), many fewer (= much less), much more (= a lot more for uncountable) and much less (= much less for uncountables). Negative particles can also be used with these phrases " not" And " no".

Examples:

Countable nouns in the singular (Count Singular):

I practice every day.
I work out (train) every day.

I"d like one donut, please.
Give me one donut, please.

Countable nouns in the plural (Count Plural):

Can I have some chips?
Can I (have) some chips?

She has a lot of books, and many are autographed.
She has many books, many of them autographed.

I have fewer pencils than you.
I have fewer pencils than you.

Uncountable nouns (Noncount):

Can I have some water?
Can I (drink) some water?

She has a lot of strength, and much is due to her upbringing.
She is very strong, largely thanks to her upbringing.

I have less courage than you.
I have less courage (courage) than you.

In English there are countable and uncountable. To put it briefly, countable things can be counted with a finger, but uncountable ones cannot. In this article, we'll look at the difference between countable and uncountable nouns, and when a noun can fall into both categories.

What are countable nouns

Countable nouns(countable nouns) denote objects, phenomena, concepts that can be counted in the speaker’s mind. For example: egg (egg), house (house), suggestion (offer), minute (minute). Countable nouns in English can be used in both singular and:

I have a puppy. - I have puppy.

My sister has puppies. - My sister has puppies.

Other examples of countable nouns:

I have a few questions. - I have some questions.

There is an old tree in the valley. - There is something old in the valley tree.

May I have a donut?- Can I donut?

Take any umbrella you want. - Take any umbrella, whichever one you want.

This is my sister's photo.- This photo my sister's.

As you can see, countable nouns are combined with words that in their meaning are suitable specifically for “piecemeal” rather than abstract objects, for example, with an article: we can say “a donut”, which is literally perceived as “one donut”, the article itself is “a” \an” already implies “piecemeality”, “separateness” of the object. We can say “a few questions” - “a few questions”, because questions are, although not solid, tangible objects, but still something that can be counted.

Uncountable nouns cannot be combined with such words.

What are uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns(uncountable nouns) denote objects, substances, concepts that cannot be counted. These include the names of abstract concepts, substances, various masses, bulk materials and products, liquids: art- art, oil– oil, petroleum, salt- salt, tea- tea. Uncountable nouns are used only in the singular:

We ran out of sugar. - We've run out sugar.

Art is immortal. – Art immortal.

Oil is flammable. – Oil highly flammable.

Other examples of uncountable nouns:

• Abstract concepts:

Kids have a lot of energy.- Children have a lot energy.

You can't stop progress.- Can't be stopped progress.

• Liquids, solids, food:

I mean food products, when we are not talking about one, say, stick of sausage, but about sausage in general as a product.

I spill milk.- I spilled milk.

This jar holds two pounds of sugar.– This jar holds two pounds. Sahara.

My girlfriend doesn't eat meat.– My girlfriend doesn’t eat meat.

• Languages, games, academic disciplines

Sorry, amigo, I don’t speak Spanish.- Sorry, amigo, I don't say in Spanish.

I can't play volleyball- I don't know how to play volleyball.

We have chemistry now, and then math.- We have now chemistry, and then mathematics.

• Metals, natural resources, gaseous substances

This pendant is made of iron and gold.– This pendant is made from gland And gold.

We don't have that much wood.– We don’t have that much wood.

I couldn't see anything in the bathroom because of steam.– Nothing was visible in the bathroom because pair.

The list can be continued, adding, for example, natural phenomena (thunder), but I think that the general meaning is clear: uncountable nouns appear to us as something NOT “piecemeal”, as something that cannot be counted with a finger, as something generalized .

Uncountable nouns cannot be in the plural, they are not combined with, implying that we are talking about something separate, countable, and such pronouns as “a few” - several. Although in a certain context a word that is usually uncountable can become countable.

When an uncountable noun becomes countable

Sometimes a noun is used as a countable noun in one context and as an uncountable noun in another. For example, if we talk about coffee in general, as a drink in general, then coffee is an uncountable noun:

Do you like coffee?- Do you like coffee?

If we talk about coffee as a portion of a drink, meaning one cup or glass, then coffee is already a countable noun.

May I have a coffee, please? – Can I have some coffee, please? (Cup of coffee)

Note: in English it so happens that not every drink can be said “a + drink”, meaning a glass of drink. You can say “a coffee”, “a tea”, “a whiskey”, but about water they usually say “a glass of water” - a glass of water.

“A Piece of Advise” and other ways to make the uncountable countable

When we are talking about a separate part, portion, element of something uncountable, established combinations are used. There is something similar in the Russian language. For example, when talking about a “portion”, one unit of chocolate, we usually say “chocolate bar”, because chocolate is usually sold in the form of bars, the very phrase “chocolate bar” for us is something familiar, established, like “a cup of tea” or “piece of furniture.” Here are the “portioned” combinations in English:

• a bar of chocolate- chocolate bar
• a bar of soap- a piece of soap
• a loaf of bread– roll/loaf of bread
• a slice of pizza– a slice of pizza (slice – a piece cut with a knife)
• a bottle of whiskey– a bottle of whiskey
• a cup of tea- Cup of tea
• a piece of furniture- piece of furniture
• a tube of tooth paste– a tube of toothpaste

I will highlight separately:

• a piece of advice- advice

In English, the word “advice” is uncountable, so you can’t say “an advice”.

Why is it necessary to divide nouns into countable and uncountable?

What is the practical benefit of knowing that “milk” is an uncountable noun and “table” is a countable noun? The benefit is that sometimes the choice of word to go with a noun depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.

1. Articles.

If any is possible before a countable noun, then “a\an” cannot be placed before an uncountable noun, since it implies piecework.

There is a table in the room. - There is a table in the room.

It takes courage to follow your heart. “It takes courage to follow your heart.”

2. Pronouns denoting quantity.

About countable objects we can say many, but you can't say much. And vice versa. This is a bit strange for us, because both many and much in Russian mean “many,” and in Russian “many” is combined with both countable and uncountable nouns. In English, many is “a lot of countable things,” and much is “a lot of uncountable things.”

We don't have much time! - We don't have much time!

I've never seen so many people. – I have never seen so many people.

She has many friends who have much power. – She has many friends who have a lot of power.

Countable nouns (“countable”) are words that denote the names of concrete objects and abstract concepts that can be counted. And since they can be counted, they are used both in the singular and in the plural. Here examples of countable nouns: table, picture, hour, holiday, offer, boy, decision, way-out, etc.

Using words like this singular, you can put the indefinite article a / an in front of them: a table, a picture, an hour, an offer, a boy, a decision, a way-out. Moreover, a countable singular noun must always be accompanied by some kind of determiner. If there is no indefinite article, you need either a definite article (the), or a possessive pronoun (my, his, our, etc.), or a demonstrative pronoun (that, this). Let me remind you that a determiner is a linguistic indicator with a noun that expresses the meaning of certainty. For example:
I saw a boy.
This picture is a masterpiece.
I approve of the decision you've made.
I broke my leg.

With countable nouns in plural we can use indefinite pronouns some (any, many, few, many):
Some friends of mine will come to this party. - Several of my friends will come to the party. (Some of my friends will come to the party).

In contrast to the previous ones, uncountable nouns(“non-countable”) are names of substances, abstract concepts that cannot be counted. And, therefore, they are used only in the singular.

Examples: knowledge, silver, music, milk, water, happiness, furniture, advice, etc. These nouns cannot be used with the indefinite articles a / an, but they can be combined with the other determiners mentioned above (definite article, possessive, demonstrative pronoun).

They are also used with some indefinite pronouns: some, any, much, little. For example:
These ear-rings are made of silver.
I have some news for you.
I don’t like the music you are listening to now.
Her beauty attracts me.

However, there are cases in which it is permissible to use an uncountable noun with the indefinite article a/an, as well as with numerals (one/two, etc.). This can be done when ordering food in a restaurant or cafe:
We'll have four coffees, please. - We need four coffees.

Uncountable nouns include
- various edible products (meat, flour, milk, salt, etc.),
- liquids (petrol, coffee, etc.),
- substances and materials (gold, wood, glass, etc.),
- abstract concepts (help, education, etc.)
- and many other words (advice, weather, hair, etc.).

What if we need to use such a word in speech? How transfer any quantity? Certain words serve this purpose: a piece of advice, a bowl of fruit, a carton of milk, a bar of chocolate, a glass of wine ), a can of Coke, a tube of paint, a kilo of meat, a cup of tea, a loaf of bread, a rasher of bacon (thin slice of bacon).

If we are talking about material nouns, then we remember that there are nouns that denote not the substance itself, but the object consisting of this substance. Such a noun will already be countable. For example:
Their house is built of local stone. – Their house is built from local stone. (uncountable noun)
I have a stone in my shoe. - I have a pebble in my shoe. (countable noun)

In yet another case, material nouns can become countable: when they convey different varieties or types of a substance.
There is a live coal in the fire-place. - There is a burning coal in the fireplace.
You can read about four tips in choosing and using various body oils. – You can read four tips on how to choose and use different body oils.

What is the difficulty in understanding the principle of “countability-non-countability”? But the fact is that some nouns in English are uncountable, but in Russian or other languages, on the contrary, they are countable. Among them are the following words: baggage, bread, information, furniture, traffic, work, progress, accommodation, cash, clothing, cutlery, equipment, health, luck, money, photography, research, safety, sunshine, underwear, violence, etc.

Ports are open to internal passenger traffic. – The ports are open for international passenger traffic.
A change of underwear must be done at least once a day. – You need to change your underwear at least once a day.
The hotel checked our baggage. – The hotel accepted our luggage for storage.

And there are nouns that can be used both as countable and uncountable. But in this case we will observe a difference in meaning. For example:
I'm three apples. - I ate three apples. (countable)
Is there apple in this salad? – Is there an apple in this salad? (uncountable)
Would you like a glass of lemonade? - How about a glass of lemonade? (countable)
This sculpture was made of glass. – This sculpture is made of glass. (uncountable)
I'm pressed for time. – I don’t have any time.
How many times did you read this article? – How many times have you read this article?