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My name is Shaina and I'm the teacher at Espresso English.
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Let's get started with today's lesson.
Never say informations or advices.
These are not correct in English.
Today, we're going to learn 10 words to which you should never add an S, because they are considered uncountable nouns.
It will help you avoid this common mistake so you won't sound weird in English.
To learn more on this topic, you can download my complete guide to countable and uncountable nouns.
It has lots more examples, plus a quiz to help you practice.
Click on the link in the video description and enter your email address to receive that free PDF guide.
So what are uncountable nouns?
They are things we can't easily count individually.
We never add S to these words and we never use the articles uh or an.
So don't say, I need an information about the course.
Instead say, I need information or I need some information about the course.
Don't say she gave me two advices.
Instead, say she gave me two pieces of advice.
Now, in your native language it might be possible to make these words plural, but in English it is not.
So here are the top 10 uncountable nouns that I often see students making mistakes with.
I already mentioned information and advice, but we also have knowledge.
Don't say, I'm impressed by all your knowledges.
It should be, I'm impressed by all your knowledge.
Music is also uncountable.
Don't say, I love all these musics.
And don't say, I heard a new music by Taylor Swift.
Instead say, I love all this music or I love all these songs.
Song is countable.
So you can say, I heard a new song by Taylor Swift.
The word furniture might seem like it's countable, but it's actually not.
Furniture is a category that contains different things like tables and chairs and couches.
So don't say we bought new furnitures for the office.
You have to say we bought new furniture for the office.
And if you want to specify how many, you can say I need three pieces of furniture for the bedroom, three pieces of furniture, not three furnitures.
Equipment is similar.
It's considered a category word, so it's not countable in English.
So don't say the gym has excellent equipments.
The correct way is the gym has excellent equipment.
Another one that really seems like it should be countable, but it's not is the word luggage or baggage.
Don't say you can take two luggages on the plane.
Instead we say you can take two pieces of luggage on the plane.
Or you could say two suitcases or two bags.
Suitcases and bags are countable, but luggage and baggage are not a really common one.
Where i see students make mistakes involves the word homework.
Don't say i have a lot of homeworks today.
Instead say i have a lot of homework today.
Or if you want to talk about a specific number, you could say I have five homework assignments today.
The word jewelry is another category word.
It contains things like necklaces bracelets, rings and earrings, but jewelry itself is uncountable.
So don't say the thief stole so many jewelries.
Instead, say the thief stole so much jewelry.
Note that we use many only with countable nouns.
With uncountable nouns, we have to use much.
The word money is uncountable in English.
What?
We can count money, right?
Yes, you can count how many dollars and cents you have, but you can't count the word money.
So don't say I don't have enough monies to buy that.
Money is always singular.
I don't have enough money to buy that.
The word research is uncountable in English.
Don't say the scientists published their researches.
Instead, we say the scientists published their research.
Or don't say I was reading about a new research in medicine.
We can't use the word a with uncountable nouns.
Instead, say I was reading about some new research in medicine.
Or we could also say A new research project in medicine.
In this case, project is the noun and it's countable.
And research describes project.
Finally, we have the word news.
News already ends in S, but it's uncountable.
So we can't use the word a and we can't use numbers.
Don't say I heard a good news.
You have to say I heard some good news.
Don't say they told us two interesting news.
Instead, say they told us two interesting pieces of news.
We can also talk about news stories or news reports.
Those are ways to make it countable.
Now there are more rules about uncountable nouns, like we always use much instead of many and little instead of a few.
These and more are covered inside my free guide to countable and uncountable nouns, which you can download by clicking on the link in the video description and entering your email address.
Can you create your own sentences using these top 10 uncountable nouns correctly?
Go ahead and give it a try.
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