A2 · 初中級 チャプター 1

Nouns and Quantities

5 トータルルール
60 例文
5 分
このチャプターのルール クイック練習

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of counting and measuring to speak English with precision and confidence.

  • Distinguish between countable items and uncountable substances.
  • Apply correct quantifiers to describe amounts.
  • Understand how to address groups and pairs effectively.
Measure, count, and master your English world.

学べること

Ready to make sense of quantities? This chapter will help you confidently use words like much and many, so you can easily talk about *how much* or *how many* of anything. You'll soon know the difference between counting things and talking about substances!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: correctly identify whether a noun is countable or uncountable in a sentence.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: write a short paragraph describing a shopping list using appropriate quantifiers.

チャプターガイド

Overview

Understanding English nouns and quantities is a vital step for any A2 English grammar learner. It helps you move beyond basic phrases to truly express yourself clearly in everyday situations. Think about it: whether you're ordering food, asking for directions, or simply talking about your day, you constantly need to specify *how much* or *how many* of something there is.
This chapter will equip you with the tools to do just that, building your confidence in spoken and written English.
We'll look at the fundamental difference between things you can count, like apples, and substances you measure, like water. This distinction is key to choosing the right words, such as much and many. You'll also learn how to talk about things in general, without needing extra words, and how to discuss groups of people or items using terms like every, each, and all.
Finally, we'll explore words like both, either, and neither, which help you make precise statements when you're dealing with two options. Mastering these concepts means you'll avoid common misunderstandings and sound more natural when communicating in English.

How This Grammar Works

At the heart of discussing quantities is the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. Countable nouns are things you can count individually: one apple, two apples, three chairs. They have both singular and plural forms.
Uncountable nouns refer to substances, concepts, or things that can't be counted as separate items, like water, information, or money. They usually don't have a plural form. This distinction directly impacts how we use quantity words.
For countable nouns, we use many to ask or talk about large numbers:
How many books do you have?
For uncountable nouns, we use much:
How much coffee do you drink?
Remember, you can often use a lot of or lots of for both types in informal, affirmative sentences:
I have a lot of friends.
/
I drink a lot of water.
Sometimes, when we talk about plural countable nouns or uncountable nouns in a general sense, we don't use any article. This is called the zero article:
Birds fly.
(talking about birds in general) /
Sugar is sweet.
(talking about sugar in general). We use the only when we're talking about specific birds or sugar.
When talking about groups, all refers to the entire group and takes a plural noun:
All the students passed the exam.
Every and each, however, focus on individuals within a group and always take a singular noun:
Every student passed.
/
Each student received a certificate.
Finally, for situations involving exactly two items, both, either, and neither are invaluable. Both means the two together:
Both of my sisters are tall.
Either means
one or the other
:
You can have either tea or coffee.
Neither means
not one and not the other
:
Neither of them wants to go.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ I need much pens for school.
✓ I need many pens for school.
*Explanation: Pens are countable, so use many.*
  1. 1✗ I like the music. (when talking generally about music)
✓ I like music.
*Explanation: When talking about a general concept like music, use the zero article.*
  1. 1✗ Every children enjoy playing.
✓ Every child enjoys playing.
*Explanation: Every always takes a singular noun, even when referring to a group.*

Real Conversations

A

A

How many apples do we have left?
B

B

Not many. Maybe three or four. How much milk do you need for your coffee?
A

A

Just a little, thanks. We should buy some more fruit tomorrow.
A

A

Did all the students finish the homework?
B

B

Yes, every student turned it in. Both David and Maria worked really hard on it.
A

A

That's great! I hope neither of them had too many problems.

Quick FAQ

Q

When do I use a little and a few?

Use a few for countable nouns (e.g., a few friends, a few cookies) and a little for uncountable nouns (e.g., a little sugar, a little time). They both mean 'some', but not a large quantity.

Q

Can some be used with both countable and uncountable nouns?

Yes! Some is a very flexible word. You can use it with countable nouns (e.g., some books) and uncountable nouns (e.g., some water) to talk about an unspecified quantity.

Q

What's the difference between each and every?

They are quite similar but with a slight nuance. Each often emphasizes the individual items one by one, while every refers to all members of a group collectively. For example,

Each student got a different prize
(individual focus) vs.
Every student attended the assembly
(group focus).

Q

Is information countable?

No, information is an uncountable noun in English. We don't say informations. Instead, we say

a piece of information
or much information.

Cultural Context

In everyday, informal English, native speakers often prefer a lot of or lots of over much and many in affirmative statements. For example,
I have a lot of friends
sounds more natural than
I have many friends
(though both are correct). Much and many are more common in questions and negative statements, or in more formal contexts.
You might also hear
Do you have any waters?
in a casual setting, referring to bottles of water, even though water itself is uncountable. However, sticking to the standard grammar rules for countable and uncountable nouns is always the safest and clearest approach for A2 learners.

重要な例文 (8)

1

I need **a new phone** for my work.

仕事用に新しい電話が必要です。

数えられる名詞 vs. 数えられない名詞（物と物質）
2

Can I have **some water**, please?

お水をもらえますか？

数えられる名詞 vs. 数えられない名詞（物と物質）
3

How much sugar do you want in your coffee?

コーヒーに砂糖はどれくらい入れますか？

Much と Many の使い方 (基本的な名詞のルール)
4

I don't have many friends in this new city yet.

この新しい街にはまだ友達があまりいません。

Much と Many の使い方 (基本的な名詞のルール)
5

I love `chocolate`.

チョコレートが大好きです。

無冠詞：一般的に話す場合（ゼロ冠詞）
6

`Birds` can fly.

鳥は飛べます。

無冠詞：一般的に話す場合（ゼロ冠詞）
7

`Each` person in the room received a gift.

部屋の「一人ひとり」がプレゼントを受け取った。

Every, Each, All: グループについて話す
8

`Every` day, I drink coffee.

私は「毎日」コーヒーを飲む。

Every, Each, All: グループについて話す

ヒントとコツ (4)

💡

'a lot of' を何にでも使おう！

A lot of や lots of は、数えられる名詞にも数えられない名詞にもバッチリ使えます。もし迷ったら、これらを使うのが一番安全な方法ですよ！"A lot of or lots of` works perfectly with both countable and uncountable nouns. If you're ever in doubt and want to play it safe, these are your go-to quantifiers!"
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 数えられる名詞 vs. 数えられない名詞（物と物質）
💡

数えられる名詞 vs. 数えられない名詞

一番大事なルールだよ！もし「一つ、二つ」と数えられるなら（
one book, two books
）、それは数えられる名詞です。数えられないものなら（water, information）、それは数えられない名詞。この違いが much と many をマスターするカギになります！
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Much と Many の使い方 (基本的な名詞のルール)
💡

「"一般的に"か"具体的に"か考えてみよう

冠詞を使うか迷ったら、「«これは一般的な話？それとも具体的な話？»」と自分に聞いてみてください。一般的な話なら、「«ゼロ冠詞»」があなたの味方です！「I like music.」
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 無冠詞：一般的に話す場合（ゼロ冠詞）
💡

「Each」と「Every」は単数形とセットだよ

レストランで「一人ひとりに水が出された」って言う時、「
Each person was given water.
」のように「Each」や「Every」の後には、必ず単数の名詞と単数の動詞が来るんだ。たとえ多くの人について話していても、「一つずつ」「一人ずつ」に注目しているイメージでね。
Each and every are followed by a singular noun and a singular verb.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Every, Each, All: グループについて話す

重要な語彙 (5)

Countable things you can number Uncountable substances or abstract ideas Quantity an amount or number General not specific Pair a set of two

Real-World Preview

shopping-cart

Grocery Shopping

Review Summary

  • Countable = Plural; Uncountable = Singular
  • Many + Countable; Much + Uncountable
  • Noun (General) = No article
  • Every/Each + Singular Noun
  • Both/Either/Neither + Pair

よくある間違い

Information is an uncountable noun in English. It never takes an 's'.

Wrong: I have many informations.
正解: I have much information.

People is a general plural noun. Use 'are' instead of 'is'.

Wrong: The people is nice.
正解: People are nice.

'Both' is exclusively for two items. For three or more, use 'all'.

Wrong: Both of the three are good.
正解: All of the three are good.

Next Steps

You've laid a solid foundation. Keep practicing these patterns in your daily life, and you will see rapid improvement!

Write a grocery list and describe the items.

Continue to: Describing and Identifying Things

クイック練習 (10)

正しい文章を選んでください

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She doesn't have many friends.
friendsは数えられる名詞なので、否定文ではmanyを使うのが正しいです。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Much と Many の使い方 (基本的な名詞のルール)

文の間違いを見つけて修正しましょう。

Find and fix the mistake:

All the informations was very helpful.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: All the information was very helpful.
「Information」は英語では数えられない名詞なので、複数形（「informations」）にすべきではありません。また、数えられない名詞は単数動詞（「was」）を取り、複数形（「were」）は使いません。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Every, Each, All: グループについて話す

文を完成させる正しい言葉を選びましょう。

___ student in the class has to present their project.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Every
ここでは、生徒全体を一般的な単位として指し、単数の名詞と動詞を取るため、「Every」を使います。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Every, Each, All: グループについて話す

正しい量詞を選んでください

How ___ money do you usually spend on coffee per week?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: much
moneyは数えられない名詞なので、muchを使います。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Much と Many の使い方 (基本的な名詞のルール)

「each」「every」「all」が正しく使われている文を選びましょう。

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Each of the employees was given a bonus.
「Each of the」は単数動詞（「was」）を必要とします。なぜなら、個々のメンバーを強調するからです。最初の選択肢は複数動詞（「were」）を使っているため間違いで、2番目の選択肢は「every」と複数名詞（「employees」）を使っているため間違いです。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Every, Each, All: グループについて話す

文法的に正しい文を選びましょう。

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I need some advice.
Advice は英語では数えられない名詞なので、an は使わず、advices のように複数形にもなりません。Some advice が正しい表現です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 数えられる名詞 vs. 数えられない名詞（物と物質）

間違いを見つけて修正してください

Find and fix the mistake:

There was too many traffic on the highway this morning.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There was too much traffic on the highway this morning.
trafficは数えられない名詞なので、manyではなくmuchを使うべきです。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Much と Many の使い方 (基本的な名詞のルール)

間違いを見つけて直しましょう

Find and fix the mistake:

I like the classical music.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I like classical music.
音楽のジャンルについて一般的に話すときは、ゼロ冠詞を使います。「The」をつけると、特定のクラシック音楽の曲やコレクションを意味してしまいます。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 無冠詞：一般的に話す場合（ゼロ冠詞）

文中の間違いを見つけて直しましょう。

Find and fix the mistake:

There were too much people at the concert.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There were too many people at the concert.
People は複数形の数えられる名詞（person の複数形）なので、much の代わりに many を使わなければなりません。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 数えられる名詞 vs. 数えられない名詞（物と物質）

文を完成させる正しい言葉を選びましょう。

My parents are ___ very supportive of my career.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: both
「My parents」（二人）の「それぞれが」協力的であることを示すので、「both」が使われます。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Both, Either, and Neither: 2つの法則

Score: /10

よくある質問 (6)

数えられる名詞は、一つずつ数えられる個別のもの（例: one book, two books）を指します。数えられない名詞は、個別には数えられない物質、概念、またはカテゴリー全体（例: water, information）を指します。
基本的にはありません。数えられない名詞は英語では常に単数として扱われます（例: information is で、informations are ではありません）。ただし、種類や量を指す場合には複数形になることもあります（例: two coffees は「コーヒー2杯」という意味です）。
主な違いは、それらが修飾する名詞が「数えられるか（可算名詞）」、「数えられないか（不可算名詞）」です。数えられる名詞（例：many books）には many を、数えられない名詞（例：much water）には much を使います。
「質問する時」（例：How much money?, How many people?）や「否定文で使う時」（例："I don't have much time«, »There aren't many cars"）には、much または many を確実に使うべきです。
「«ゼロ冠詞»」とは、名詞の前に冠詞（「a」、「an」、「the」）を使わない状況を指します。これは間違いではなく、意図的な文法的な選択で、文の意味を変えますよ。「Life is short.」
複数形の数えられる名詞を、種類やカテゴリーとして一般的な意味で話すときにゼロ冠詞を使います。例えば、「Dogs are loyal」（すべての犬）と、「
The dogs next door are barking
」（特定の犬）を比べてみてくださいね。
次のチャプター
Describing and Identifying Things
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