第 19 课 · 第 2 阶段: 常用词：代词、冠词、介词
可数名词与不可数名词
初级Countable and uncountable nouns
构成与用法
a car, two cars vs water, advice, information——哪些名词能加 a/an 和复数 -s
1.两类名词
可数名词是可以一个一个数的东西：one book, two books。不可数名词通常是液体、材料、抽象概念，或者被看作一个整体的一类东西——不能直接数：water, rice, money, music, advice。
| 可数 | 不可数 | |
|---|---|---|
| 例子 | a book, an egg, a chair, a job | water, rice, money, music, advice |
| a / an | 可以：a book | 不可以（不说 a water） |
| 复数 -s | 可以：two books | 不可以（不说 rices） |
| 和数字连用 | three eggs | 要用单位词：three bottles of water |
| some / any | some eggs, any eggs | some rice, any rice |
| 问多少 | How many …? | How much …? |
| 动词 | The eggs are fresh. | The rice is ready. |
How many eggs do we need?
我们需要几个鸡蛋？
How much money do you have?
你有多少钱？
中文数什么都要用量词（一本书、一张桌子）。英语只有不可数名词才需要单位词（a bowl of rice, a piece of advice）；可数名词直接放在 a/an 或数字后面：a table, two chairs。
2.常见的不可数名词
- 食物、饮料和材料：water, milk, coffee, rice, bread, meat, sugar, cheese, paper
- 被看作一个整体的一类东西：money, furniture, luggage / baggage, traffic, homework, housework
- 抽象概念：advice, information, news, help, music, weather, fun, work, progress
Can you give me some advice?
你能给我一些建议吗？
The news is really good.
这个消息真是太好了。（news 以 -s 结尾，但是单数）
I need some information about the course.
我需要一些关于这门课程的信息。
There's a lot of traffic today.
今天路上车很多。
要说其中的一件 / 一个，就用意思相近的可数名词：
| 不可数 | 可数 |
|---|---|
| advice | a tip, a suggestion |
| luggage | a bag, a suitcase |
| furniture | a chair, a table, a sofa |
| work | a job, a task |
| travel | a trip, a journey |
注意那些在中文里能用量词来数、在英语里却不可数的名词：advice, information, news, furniture, luggage, homework, equipment。中文可以说“两条建议”“三件家具”，英语却不能说 two advices 或 three furnitures。
3.怎样数不可数名词
用单位词 + of：a piece of, a glass of, a cup of, a bottle of, a bowl of, a slice of, a loaf of, a kilo of, a bar of。不止一个时，在单位词上加 -s：two cups of tea。
Let me give you a piece of advice.
我给你一条建议吧。
I'd like two cups of tea, please.
请给我两杯茶。
She eats a bowl of rice for lunch.
她午饭吃一碗米饭。
Can you buy a loaf of bread on your way home?
你回家路上能买一条面包吗？
4.两种意思都有的名词
有些名词既可以是可数的，也可以是不可数的，意思不一样：
| 不可数 | 可数 |
|---|---|
| chicken — 鸡肉 | a chicken — 一只鸡 |
| paper — 纸 | a paper — 一份报纸 |
| coffee — 泛指咖啡这种饮料 | a coffee — 一杯咖啡（点单时） |
| time — 时间（分钟、小时） | a time — 一次 |
| hair — 头上所有的头发 | a hair — 一根头发 |
| room — 空间 | a room — 一个房间 |
Sorry, I don't have time today.
抱歉，我今天没时间。
I've been to Hue three times.
我去过顺化三次。
Two coffees, please.
请来两杯咖啡。
There's a hair in my soup!
我的汤里有一根头发！
5.常见错误
Thanks for the informations.Thanks for the information.
information 是不可数名词——不加 -s。
I have many homeworks.I have a lot of homework.
homework 是不可数名词。
Can you give me an advice?Can you give me some advice / a piece of advice?
advice 前面不能用 a/an。
The news are bad.The news is bad.
news 是不可数名词，所以动词用单数。
How many money do you have?How much money do you have?
不可数 → 用 How much。
We bought a new furniture.We bought some new furniture.
furniture 前面不能用 a/an。
例句
- Can you give me some advice about my CV?
- We need to buy some bread for breakfast.
- I have a lot of homework tonight.
- How much luggage have you got?
