Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns denote objects that cannot be counted. The uncountablenouns are subdivided into the so-called singularia tantum and pluralia tantum.

1. S ingularia tantum are nouns used only in singular in English. They agree with a predicate in singular. Here belong the following:

a) material nouns such as air, water, paper, cotton, leather:

Sugar is sweet.

b) abstract nouns such as love, courage, weather, traffic.

The traffic is very heavy here.

Some abstract nouns are used only singular in English, but have both forms in Ukrainian: advice (порада – поради), information (інформація – відомості), knowledge (знання), progress (успіх – успіхи).

Your advice is the best. – Твої поради найкращі.

c) some collective nouns such as linen, equipment, luggage, furniture, currency, money, machinery.

There is a lot of equipment in this chemistry-lab.

The nouns money (гроші) and furniture (меблі) are singular in English, but plural in Ukrainian.

I don’t need this money. – Мені не потрібні ці гроші.

This furniture is broken. – Ці меблі зламані.

Note that these uncountable nouns can be made countable by means of partitives:

a piece of cake/information/advice/furniture; a glass/bottle of water; a jar of jam; a rasher of bacon; a box of chocolates; a packet of biscuits/tea; a slice/loaf of bread; a pot of yoghurt; a pot/cup of tea; a kilo/pound of meat; a bottle of vinegar, a tube of toothpaste; a bar of chocolate/soap; a bit/piece of chalk; an ice cube; a lump of sugar; a sheet of paper; a bag of flour; a pair of trousers; a game of soccer; a(n) item/piece of news; a drop/can of oil; a can of Coke; a carton of milk; a block of wood.

NB: Some of the above mentioned nouns can be used in singular and plural, but they have different meanings. Compare:

This glass is transparent. (скло) I have no time. (час) Her hair is wonderful. (волосся) I have no paper. (папір)

I’d like 3 glasses of juice. (склянка) I met him two times. (раз) I see a hair in my plate. (волосина) I need a paper. (газета)

d) Some nouns have plural forms but mean singular. Their final –s loses the meaning of the plural inflexion and the nouns are treated as singular. Here belong names of some subjects, games and activities: athletics (атлетика, гімнастика), economics (економіка), linguistics (мовознавство, лінгвістика), mathematics (математика), news (новина, новини, звістка, вісті), phonetics (фонетика), physics (фізика), classics (класична література), politics (політика), statistics (статистика), aerobics (аеробіка), billiards (більярд), dominoes (доміно), draughts (шашки), darts (дартс,дротики), bowls (гра в кулі), cards (карти), skittles (кеглі).

But when those nouns don’t refer to subjects of study and activities, they may be used in plural:

The statistics are not accurate. – Статистичні данні (цифри) не є вірними.

His politics are rude. – Його політичні дії дуже грубі.

2. Pluralia tantum are used only in plural in English. They agree with a predicate in plural. Here belong the following:

a) Names of things consisting of two similar halves. Here belong nouns which refer to clothes, tools and other things that people wear or use: scales (ваги), scissors (ножиці), spectacles, glasses(окуляри), binoculars (бінокль), tweezers (пінцет), handcuffs (наручники), pyjamas (піжама), trousers (штани), jeans (джинси)

Her jeans are black. – Її джинси – чорні.

If we want to refer to a single piece of clothing or a single tool, we can use “ some ” or “ a pair of ” in front of the noun:

She has a new pair of jeans. – В неї є нова пара джинс.

She bought three pairs of tights. – Вона купила три пари колгот.

b) some collective nouns such as: clothes (одяг, убрання, речі), contents (зміст), goods (товар, товари), proceeds (виторг, прибуток), riches (багатство, скарби), wages(заробітна плата), expenses (затрати, витрати), looks (зовнішній вигляд), greens (зелень, овочі), troops (війська), remains (залишок, рештки), premises (будинок з прилеглими будівлями, stairs (сходи, трап).

These nouns may have both forms in Ukrainian.

These traffic-lights are not working. – Цей світлофор не працює. / Ці світлофори не працюють.

c) Nouns of multitude people (люди), police (міліція, поліція), cattle (велика рогата худоба), poultry (домашня птиця). These nouns are singular in form but plural in meaning.

Do the police know about him? – Чи знає поліція про нього?

d) The nouns fruit (фрукт) and fish (риба) are singular in English, but have both forms in Ukrainian. They agree with a predicate in singular.

Fruit is cheap in summer.

Note that the plural is used to speak about different kinds:

There are apples, plums and other fruit s on the table.

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