A2 · Elementar Capítulo 1

Nouns and Quantities

5 Regras totais
60 exemplos
5 min
Regras neste capítulo Prática rápida

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.

O que você vai aprender

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.

Guia do capítulo

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.

Exemplos-chave (8)

1

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

Preciso de um telefone novo para o meu trabalho.

Substantivos Contáveis vs. Incontáveis: Coisas e Substâncias
2

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

Posso pegar um pouco de água, por favor?

Substantivos Contáveis vs. Incontáveis: Coisas e Substâncias
3

How much sugar do you want in your coffee?

Quanto açúcar você quer no seu café?

Como usar Much e Many (Regras Básicas de Substantivos)
4

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

Eu ainda não tenho muitos amigos nesta cidade nova.

Como usar Much e Many (Regras Básicas de Substantivos)
5

I love `chocolate`.

Eu amo chocolate.

Artigo Zero: Falar em Geral (Sem Artigo)
6

`Birds` can fly.

Pássaros podem voar.

Artigo Zero: Falar em Geral (Sem Artigo)
7

`Each` person in the room received a gift.

Cada pessoa na sala recebeu um presente.

Every, Each, All: Falando sobre grupos
8

`Every` day, I drink coffee.

Todos os dias, eu bebo café.

Every, Each, All: Falando sobre grupos

Dicas e truques (4)

💡

Use 'a lot of' para tudo!

Se você estiver na dúvida, 'a lot of' ou 'lots of' são seus melhores amigos! Funcionam tanto para substantivos contáveis quanto para incontáveis. Por exemplo:
I have a lot of books
ou
I have a lot of water
.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Substantivos Contáveis vs. Incontáveis: Coisas e Substâncias
💡

Substantivos Contáveis vs. Incontáveis

A regra de ouro: se você pode contar (one book, two books), é contável. Se não pode (water, information), é incontável. Entender essa diferença é o segredo para dominar o uso de much e many.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Como usar Much e Many (Regras Básicas de Substantivos)
💡

Pense 'Geral' ou 'Específico'

Para decidir se usa um artigo, se pergunte: estou falando de algo em geral ou específico? Se for geral, o artigo zero é seu amigo! Por exemplo, I like music (música em geral).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Artigo Zero: Falar em Geral (Sem Artigo)
💡

Sempre no Singular com 'Each' e 'Every'!

Lembra sempre que 'each' e 'every' vêm com um substantivo e um verbo no singular. Pense neles focando em 'um de cada vez', mesmo que se aplique a muitos.
Every student needs a pen.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Every, Each, All: Falando sobre grupos

Vocabulário-chave (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

Erros comuns

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

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

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

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

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

Wrong: Both of the three are good.
Correto: 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

Prática rápida (10)

Encontre e corrija o erro na frase.

Find and fix the mistake:

Neither of the two books are interesting.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Neither of the two books is interesting.
'Neither' (como pronome) leva um verbo singular. Então, 'is' está correto.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Both, Either e Neither: A Regra dos Dois

Qual frase usa 'either...or' corretamente?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: You can either have coffee or tea.
'Either' se emparelha corretamente com 'or' para apresentar duas escolhas.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Both, Either e Neither: A Regra dos Dois

Encontre e corrija o erro na frase.

Find and fix the mistake:

All the informations was very helpful.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: All the information was very helpful.
'Information' é um substantivo incontável em inglês, então não deve ser pluralizado ('informations'). Além disso, substantivos incontáveis usam um verbo no singular ('was'), não no plural ('were').

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Every, Each, All: Falando sobre grupos

Qual frase está correta?

Escolha a frase correta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Children need good education.
Usamos o artigo zero para 'children' e 'education' quando falamos desses conceitos de forma geral. Você já sabe que para falar de coisas em geral, o artigo zero é o caminho!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Artigo Zero: Falar em Geral (Sem Artigo)

Escolha a palavra correta para completar a frase.

___ student in the class has to present their project.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Every
'Every' é usado aqui porque se refere a todos os estudantes em geral, como uma unidade coletiva, e usa um substantivo e um verbo no singular.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Every, Each, All: Falando sobre grupos

Escolha o quantificador correto

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: much
Money é um substantivo incontável, então usamos much.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Como usar Much e Many (Regras Básicas de Substantivos)

Escolha a forma correta.

`___ water` is essential for `___ life`.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ø / Ø
Usamos o artigo zero (Ø) ao falar sobre 'water' e 'life' em geral, como conceitos abstratos ou substâncias. Você já sabe que para ideias gerais, muitas vezes não precisamos de artigo!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Artigo Zero: Falar em Geral (Sem Artigo)

Escolha o quantificador correto.

How ___ money do you have?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: much
'Money' é um substantivo incontável, então usamos 'much' para perguntar sobre sua quantidade.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Substantivos Contáveis vs. Incontáveis: Coisas e Substâncias

Escolha a palavra correta para completar a frase.

My parents are ___ very supportive of my career.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: both
'Both' é usado porque a frase implica que 'meus pais' (duas pessoas) são *ambos* solidários.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Both, Either e Neither: A Regra dos Dois

Encontre e corrija o erro na frase.

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' é um substantivo contável plural (o plural de 'person'), então devemos usar 'many' em vez de 'much'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Substantivos Contáveis vs. Incontáveis: Coisas e Substâncias

Score: /10

Perguntas comuns (6)

Substantivos contáveis se referem a itens individuais que podem ser contados (ex: one book, two books). Incontáveis se referem a substâncias, conceitos ou categorias que não podem ser contados individualmente (ex: água, informação).
Geralmente não. Incontáveis são sempre tratados como singular em inglês (ex: information is, não informations are). Contudo, alguns podem ser pluralizados ao se referir a tipos ou porções (ex: two coffees significando 'duas xícaras de café').
A principal diferença é se o substantivo que eles modificam é contável ou incontável. Use many para substantivos contáveis (tipo: many books) e much para substantivos incontáveis (tipo: much water).
Você deve usar much ou many com certeza ao fazer perguntas (tipo: How much money?, How many people?) e em frases negativas (tipo: "I don't have much time«, »There aren't many cars").
O 'artigo zero' se refere a situações em que nenhum artigo ('a', 'an' ou 'the') é usado antes de um substantivo. É uma escolha gramatical intencional, não um erro, e muda o significado da sua frase. Por exemplo, Water is essential fala da água em geral.
Você usa o artigo zero com substantivos contáveis no plural quando fala deles de forma geral, como uma categoria ou tipo. Por exemplo, Dogs are loyal (todos os cães) versus
The dogs next door are barking
(cães específicos).
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Describing and Identifying Things
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