Common mistake Grammar
Uncountable nouns (information, advice)
Uncountable nouns: informations, advices and other mistakes
An uncountable noun used as if it could be counted (for example "informations", "advices", "an equipment", "many research"). In short: Words like information and advice never take a, an or -s.
This guide is for writers moving from B1 to B2 or from B2 to C1.
The rule for uncountable nouns
Words like information and advice never take a, an or -s. Use much, some or a lot of. To count them, say a piece of advice.
Pattern: No a/an and no -s. Use much, a lot of, some, little or a great deal of. To count them: a piece of advice, an item of equipment.
Used correctly: an uncountable noun used correctly (for example "much information", "a piece of advice", "some equipment", "a great deal of research").
Use this with nouns that English treats as a mass, not as separate things: information, advice, research, equipment, furniture, evidence, knowledge, progress.
Uncountable nouns: wrong and right examples
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Wrong We bought new
furnituresfor the office.Right We bought new furniture for the office.
-
Wrong
Many researches showthat sleep matters.Right A lot of research shows that sleep matters.
More right sentences
- She gave me some useful advice.
- There is little evidence for this claim.
- The study collected a great deal of information.
Traps to avoid with uncountable nouns
- The verb is singular: "The information is wrong", not "are".
- Not "many researches": say "a lot of research" or "many studies".