Making uncountable words countable
1.You can make many uncountable nouns countable by adding a bit of or a piece of. Similarly you can make such nouns plural with bits of or pieces of (bit is less formal than piece). e.g. She bought an attractive old piece of furniture. I heard a really useful bit of information yesterday. He spends all his money buying new bits of computer equipment. There are also a number of other words which can be used with specific uncountable nouns. Weather: a spell of good weather, a rumble of thunder, a flash of lightning, a clap of thunder, a gust of wind, a shower of rain, a spot of rain, a breath of fresh air. Groceries: a loaf of bread, a tube of toothpaste, two bars of chocolate, two cartons of milk, a lump of sugar, a slice of cake. Slice can also be used with toast, bread, meat and cheese. Nature: a lump of coal, a blade of grass, a cloud of smoke, puffs of smoke,. Other: means of transport, an item of news, an article/item of clothing, a fit of temper, a stroke of luck, a stroke of work (only in the negative sentences). e.g. I have never seen him do a stroke of work. The phrase a state of can serve to make uncountable nouns singular. The nouns used with state are usually abstract and include chaos, emergency, tension, heals, disorder, poverty, confusion, agitation, flux.
|
