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	<title>Comments on: How to Know if a Noun is Countable or Uncountable</title>
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	<link>http://www.eslhelpdesk.com/blog/2010/07/how-to-know-if-a-noun-is-countable-or-uncountable/</link>
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		<title>By: ESL Help! Desk</title>
		<link>http://www.eslhelpdesk.com/blog/2010/07/how-to-know-if-a-noun-is-countable-or-uncountable/comment-page-1/#comment-3213</link>
		<dc:creator>ESL Help! Desk</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:36:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.eslhelpdesk.com/blog/?p=262#comment-3213</guid>
		<description>Jeannie,

There is no one list. Every noun in the English language has its own usage and history.  Only a dictionary will tell you if this noun has meanings that would indicate this word used in this meaning is a count noun, and this word used with a different meaning would be a non-count noun.  Reading good writing will help you to learn these usages, and also using a dictionary will help.

In the examples you give above, these nouns are concept nouns. We understand that concept nouns are not composed of discrete units and therefore cannot be counted (one, two, etc.). That does not, however, mean that they do not have a plural form.  A dictionary can unlock the key to this. Whether you use singular or plural depends on the context.  

The word &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/imagination&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;imagination&lt;/a&gt;&quot; for example, is indicated as being both countable and uncountable, depending on the use.  On that link, one example uses the quantifier &quot;much&quot; which is correct for a noncountable noun.  At the same time, you will also see a plural form &quot;imaginations&quot; when referring to the imaginations of children: Each child has his/her own imagination, so the concept noun &quot;imagination&quot; can be used in the plural form when referring to the imaginations of children.

I think you can do the same thing with the two other concept nouns you provided. So you can see that each word is unique and though that&#039;s the challenge of English, that&#039;s also the beauty of mastering it.

If you see a specific example you&#039;d like to ask about that uses the noun in a sentence, please share that with us and we can discuss that.

Thank you for your question - and hang in there!

Jane</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jeannie,</p>
<p>There is no one list. Every noun in the English language has its own usage and history.  Only a dictionary will tell you if this noun has meanings that would indicate this word used in this meaning is a count noun, and this word used with a different meaning would be a non-count noun.  Reading good writing will help you to learn these usages, and also using a dictionary will help.</p>
<p>In the examples you give above, these nouns are concept nouns. We understand that concept nouns are not composed of discrete units and therefore cannot be counted (one, two, etc.). That does not, however, mean that they do not have a plural form.  A dictionary can unlock the key to this. Whether you use singular or plural depends on the context.  </p>
<p>The word &#8220;<a href="http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/imagination" rel="nofollow">imagination</a>&#8221; for example, is indicated as being both countable and uncountable, depending on the use.  On that link, one example uses the quantifier &#8220;much&#8221; which is correct for a noncountable noun.  At the same time, you will also see a plural form &#8220;imaginations&#8221; when referring to the imaginations of children: Each child has his/her own imagination, so the concept noun &#8220;imagination&#8221; can be used in the plural form when referring to the imaginations of children.</p>
<p>I think you can do the same thing with the two other concept nouns you provided. So you can see that each word is unique and though that&#8217;s the challenge of English, that&#8217;s also the beauty of mastering it.</p>
<p>If you see a specific example you&#8217;d like to ask about that uses the noun in a sentence, please share that with us and we can discuss that.</p>
<p>Thank you for your question &#8211; and hang in there!</p>
<p>Jane</p>
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		<title>By: Jeannie Lucas</title>
		<link>http://www.eslhelpdesk.com/blog/2010/07/how-to-know-if-a-noun-is-countable-or-uncountable/comment-page-1/#comment-3190</link>
		<dc:creator>Jeannie Lucas</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 02 Oct 2011 15:19:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.eslhelpdesk.com/blog/?p=262#comment-3190</guid>
		<description>Yes, but there IS confusion. I head people talk about &#039;futures&#039;, &#039;imaginations&#039;, &#039;pasts&#039;, etc. and many others, all of which I used to have to teach as uncountables. So what is the solution and where is there a reliable list?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yes, but there IS confusion. I head people talk about &#8216;futures&#8217;, &#8216;imaginations&#8217;, &#8216;pasts&#8217;, etc. and many others, all of which I used to have to teach as uncountables. So what is the solution and where is there a reliable list?</p>
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