Things We Don’t Count
No -s (non-count) Count (-s okay)
| We don’t count . . . | But we do count . . . | |
| furniture | tables, chairs, beds, sofas | |
| jewelry | bracelets, necklaces, rings | |
| money | dollars, cents, bills | |
| time* | hours, minutes, days, years | |
| luggage, baggage | suitcases, bags, briefcases | |
| vocabulary | words, phrases, expressions | |
| slang | idioms, sayings, terms | |
| equipment | machines, tools | |
| clothing (clothes**) | shirts, dresses, shoes, socks | |
| information | facts, details, examples | |
| news | stories, items, articles | |
| letters, packages, post cards | ||
| advice | tips, ideas, suggestions | |
| silverware | forks, knives, spoons | |
| software | programs, CDs, disks | |
| music | songs, concerts, operas | |
| literature | novels, poems, books | |
| homework | assignments, projects | |
| research | articles, studies, (research) papers | |
| fruit*** | apples, bananas, cherries |
NOTES:
*You can count time when referring to events or instances.
For example,
How many times have you played racquetball?
I have played three times.
**Clothes is plural, but we never use it in the singular.
Don’t say: One clothe X
***Fruit as a category is usually non-count.
For example,
Vegetables are good for you. Fruit is good for you.
