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one computer - two computers (regular plural) one diagnosis - two diagnoses (irregular plural)
Son usualmente incontables los sustantivos que tienen que ver con fenómenos
naturales:
snow, heat, darkness, wind, rain, weather , sunshine
Source: Internet
EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY. EXPRESIONES DE CANTIDAD.
A veces nos vemos en la necesidad de especificar cantidad y lo debemos hacer usando
una palabra no-contable. ¿Qué hago en este caso? Al principio nos parecerá imposible, a las
palabras no-contables no se les puede anteponer un número, ya que no se las puede contar.
Sin embargo, esto no es un problema. Lo único que debemos hacer es anteponer a la palabra
no-contable una expresión que indique cantidad y convierta mi palabra no-contable en contable.
Usemos la palabra incontable “pasta” como ejemplo. Si generalizo, tengo que usar mi palabra
incontable sola, es decir, sin artículo o número. Por ejemplo:
Sin embargo, si quiero indicarle a alguien que quiero dos platos de pasta, no puedo decir:
two pastas, please. ¿Por qué? Recuerda que las palabras incontables NO TIENEN FORMA
PLURAL, POR LO QUE NO SE LES ANTEPONE UN NUMERO. Entonces en este caso, me
debo ayudar con la expresión de cantidad: “a plate of” o “a serving of”que significa “un plato
de” o “una porción de”; y mi oración quedaría así:
I would like two servings of pasta. (Me encataría dos porciones de pasta.)
En la anterior oración pude indicar cantidad, aunque estuviera usando un sustantivo no-
contable, ya que utilisé una expresión de cantidad. Note además, que la palabra “pasta” no
cambia a forma plural, se mantiene igual. La palabra que cambia a forma plural es la palabra:
“servings”.
Entre las expresiones más usadas para indicar la cantidad de sustantivos no-contables
(http://www.e-teachingonline.com.ar/issue70/Teens%20Quantity.pdf), tenemos:
No todas las expresiones de cantidad son utilizadas para ayudarnos a indicar la cantidad
de sustantivos no-contables. Hay expresiones de cantidad que sólo se usan con sustantivos
contables, y otras expresiones con ambos tipos de sustantivos: contables y no-contables.
Para explicar esta regla de forma más detallada, a continuación encontrará una lista que
se encuentra en la página web http://www.e-teachingonline.com.ar/issue70/Teens
%20Quantity.pdf con las expresiones de cantidad más usadas y con el tipo de sustantivo que
se les está permitido usar. Y, para que haya una mejor comprensión, en esta lista sólo se usaron
sólo dos sustantivos, la palabra contable: “friends” (amigos), y la palabra no-contable: “time”
(tiempo).
One, two, three, etc. (Count Nouns Only): Peter has one friend; Teresa has four friends.
Both (Count Nouns Only): Both of my friends live in San Francisco.
A Couple Of (Count Nouns Only): I have a couple of friends living over there.
A Number Of (Count Nouns Only): She has a number of friends in Los Vegas.
Many (Count Nouns Only): There aren't many friends of you and your wife in this list.
A Few / Few (Count Nouns Only): She has (a) few friends in New York.
Several (Count Nouns Only): There are several friends of mine that eat pork.
Each - (Count Nouns Only): Each friend counts.
Every - (Count Nouns Only): Every friend is important.
Not any (Both Count and Noncount Nouns): She doesn't have any friends in London.; I
don't have any time this week.
No (Both Count and Noncount Nouns): I have no friends in Chicago.; Mary has no time,
she has to hurry up.
Some (Both Count and Noncount Nouns): I have some extra time. She has some friends.
A Lot Of / Lots of (Both Count and Noncount Nouns): Jack has lots of friends in Los
Angeles.She has lots of time to get ready.
Plenty Of (Both Count and Noncount Nouns): I have plenty of friends. There is plenty
of time.
Most - (Both Count and Noncount Nouns): He has the most time of anyone. She calls
most of her friends using my cell phone.
All (Both Count and Noncount Nouns): She keeps all my friends updated with the latest
news. We dance all time.
Exercise 4: Countable and uncountable nouns.
Sustantivos contables y no-contables.
1. Choose the correct answer. If it's “countable” write the plural form
of the noun. Escoje la respuesta correcta. Si la respuesta es “contable”
escribe la forma plural del sustativo.
1. bread : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
2. rice : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
3. egg : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
4. disk drive : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
5. furniture : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
6. table : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
7. wolf: ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
8. tomato : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
9. jam : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
10. toast : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
11. shadow : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
12. weather : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
13. evidence: ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
14. loaf : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
15. news : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
16. travel : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
17. wine : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
18. book : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
19. sheep : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
20. apple : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
21. childhood : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
22. rain : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
23. information : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
24. business : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
25. novel : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
26. news : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
27. cheese : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
28. blood : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
29. series : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
30. meat : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
31. flower : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
32. postcard : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
33. tree : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
34. water : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
35. advice : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
36. steel : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
37. company : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
38. toy : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
39. Germany : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
40. journey : ( countable / uncountable ) _____________________
Answers 4: Countable and uncountable nouns.
Sustantivos contables y no-contables.
1. Choose the correct answer. If it's “countable” write the plural form
of the noun. Escoje la respuesta correcta. Si la respuesta es “contable”
escribe la forma plural del sustativo.
1. bread : ( countable / uncountable ) ____ U _____
2. rice : ( countable / uncountable ) ______U_____
3. egg : ( countable / uncountable ) ________C_______
4. disk drive : ( countable / uncountable ) ____C________
5. furniture : ( countable / uncountable ) ______U_______
6. table : ( countable / uncountable ) _________C_______
7. wolf: ( countable / uncountable ) ________C________
8. tomato : ( countable / uncountable ) ______C________
9. jam : ( countable / uncountable ) _____U_______
10. toast : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U____
11. shadow : ( countable / uncountable ) ___C____
12. weather : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U____
13. evidence: ( countable / uncountable ) _____U____
14. loaf : ( countable / uncountable ) _____C____
15. news : ( countable / uncountable ) _____U______
16. travel : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U_____
17. wine : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U___
18. book : ( countable / uncountable ) ____C___
19. sheep : ( countable / uncountable ) ____C____
20. apple : ( countable / uncountable ) ____C____
21. childhood : ( countable / uncountable ) __U____
22. rain : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U_____
23. information : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U_____
24. business : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U___
25. novel : ( countable / uncountable ) ___C_____
26. goose : ( countable / uncountable ) ____C___
27. cheese : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U____
28. blood : ( countable / uncountable ) _____U_____
29. series : ( countable / uncountable ) ___C________
30. meat : ( countable / uncountable ) _____U______
31. flower : ( countable / uncountable ) _____C_______
32. postcard : ( countable / uncountable ) ____C______
33. tree : ( countable / uncountable ) _____C_______
34. water : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U____
35. advice : ( countable / uncountable ) _____U_____
36. steel : ( countable / uncountable ) _____U_______
37. company : ( countable / uncountable ) ____C__________
38. toy : ( countable / uncountable ) _____C_______
39. Germany : ( countable / uncountable ) ____C________
40. journey : ( countable / uncountable ) ____U_______