10 uncountable nouns: types of material

leather shoes

Here are 10 uncountable nouns for elementary and pre-intermediate learners. The theme is types of material.

Nouns are either countable or uncountable:

• if a noun is countable we can count it;
• if a noun is uncountable we can’t count it.

Uncountable nouns can’t have a number before them. We don’t say: 

10 uncountable nouns: types of material

1. wood
2. metal
3. paper
4. stone
5. rubber
6. glass
7. cotton
8. leather
9. wool
10. plastic

Before uncountable nouns we often use some:

• some plastic
• some wood
• some leather.

It is also possible to make these nouns countable by using words like piece or pile:

• a piece of wood
• a pile of wood

We can be more specific and use numbers:

• three blocks of wood
• four sheets of paper
• two balls of wool
• five sheets of glass.

See also: 10 uncountable nouns: types of food >>