🧠 Countable vs Uncountable Nouns in TOEIC Grammar

If you’ve ever paused mid-sentence wondering whether to say much information or many information, you’ve met one of TOEIC’s most common grammar traps.

Countable vs. uncountable nouns are a favourite in Part 5 because the wrong choice can be subtle — but costly.

🔍 Countable vs Uncountable Nouns

Countable nouns can be counted individually:

one email, two emails, three reports.
They have singular and plural forms.

Uncountable nouns refer to masses, concepts, or categories that can’t be counted directly:

information, advice, equipment, research.
They are always treated as singular — no plural “s.”

✅ Common TOEIC Examples

Countable: email, report, file, contract, suggestion, meeting.
Uncountable: information, advice, equipment, furniture, luggage, traffic, progress, research.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

  • Using many with an uncountable noun → ❌ many informations → ✅ much information.

  • Adding “s” to uncountable nouns → ❌ equipments, advices.

  • Choosing the wrong quantifier in multiple-choice traps.

📝 Sample TOEIC Question

The department received a large amount of useful ___ about the new software update.

A) informations
B) information ✅
C) informations are
D) informing

Why B? Information is uncountable. The phrase a large amount of is used with uncountable nouns.

🔧 How to Spot the Difference

  • If the noun is a physical item you can count → likely countable.

  • If it’s a general concept or mass → likely uncountable.

  • If “one [noun]” sounds unnatural → likely uncountable.

❌ TOEIC’s Favourite Confusing Pairs

  • much information ✅ — many informations ❌

  • some advice ✅ — several advice ❌

  • a piece of equipment ✅ — a few equipment ❌

  • some research ✅ — two researches ❌

  • heavy traffic ✅ — many traffics ❌

📏 Quantifier Rules

  • Countable: many, few, several → many suggestions, a few ideas.

  • Uncountable: much, little, a large amount of → much information, a little time.

🧠 Why TOEIC Uses This Trap

The test rarely asks “Is this countable or uncountable?” directly.
Instead, it hides the test inside:

  • Sentence completion with tricky quantifiers.

  • Incorrect plural forms as distractors.

  • Subject–verb agreement traps linked to countability.

🗣 Real-World Examples

  • “Please send the information by Monday.”

  • “We received some excellent feedback.”

  • “There is too much traffic on the way to the airport.”

  • “Let’s go over the advice the client gave us.”

These are common in emails, meetings, and presentations — exactly the English TOEIC expects you to process quickly.

Final Word

Countable vs uncountable is an easy win in Part 5 if you’ve trained your eye for it. Memorise the most common uncountable nouns TOEIC uses, match them with the correct quantifiers, and stop adding “s” where it doesn’t belong.

For more strategies and resources to master TOEIC grammar under pressure, visit the English Library Collection and start locking in countable/uncountable accuracy today.

🔒 Hidden FAQ – Countable vs Uncountable Nouns (EN) Q1: Can 'information' be used in the plural form? A: No. “Information” is uncountable. Don’t say “informations.” Use “some information” or “a piece of information.” Q2: What’s the difference between 'many' and 'much'? A: “Many” is for countable nouns (e.g., many emails), while “much” is for uncountable nouns (e.g., much information). Q3: Is 'equipment' countable in English? A: No. It’s uncountable. Say “some equipment” or “a piece of equipment,” never “equipments.” Q4: Why is 'advice' uncountable even though it’s countable in Japanese? A: English treats “advice” as a mass concept. Use “some advice” or “a piece of advice,” not “advices.” Q5: What quantifier should I use with 'research'? A: Use “much research,” “some research,” or “a great deal of research.” Avoid “researches” in TOEIC context. Q6: Can I say 'furnitures'? A: No. “Furniture” is uncountable. Use “some furniture” or “pieces of furniture.” Q7: Is 'traffic' countable or uncountable? A: Uncountable. You can’t say “traffics.” Use “heavy traffic” or “a lot of traffic.” Q8: What’s the best way to remember uncountable nouns? A: Group and memorize common ones: advice, information, research, equipment, furniture, and so on. Q9: Can I use 'a few' with uncountable nouns? A: No. “A few” is for countables. Use “a little” for uncountables (e.g., a little time, a little progress). Q10: How do I choose between 'a number of' and 'an amount of'? A: Use “a number of” with countable nouns and “an amount of” with uncountable nouns. Q11: Is 'news' countable? A: No. It ends in “s” but is uncountable. Use “some news” or “a piece of news.” Q12: Can I say 'an information'? A: No. Say “some information” or “a piece of information.” Q13: What’s wrong with saying 'two feedbacks'? A: “Feedback” is uncountable. Use “some feedback” or “a piece of feedback.” Q14: What quantifier works best with 'luggage'? A: Use “some luggage,” “a lot of luggage,” or “a piece of luggage.” Q15: Is 'data' countable or uncountable on the TOEIC? A: TOEIC treats “data” as uncountable. Use “The data is correct,” not “data are.” Q16: Do uncountable nouns take singular or plural verbs? A: Singular verbs. Say “This equipment is new,” not “are.” Q17: Can 'advice' be made countable? A: Yes — use “a piece of advice” or “two pieces of advice.” Q18: Is 'progress' uncountable? A: Yes. Never say “progresses.” Use “some progress” or “a lot of progress.” Q19: Can I use 'several' with uncountable nouns? A: No. “Several” is only for countable nouns. Q20: Is 'paper' countable or uncountable? A: Both. “Paper” as a material is uncountable. As documents, it’s countable (e.g., two papers = two articles).
Black and white image of a woman taking a test filling in a multiple choice answer sheet