Quan Ngoc Huong Tran
When is "food" used as a countable noun? When is "food" used as an uncountable noun? Thank you!
Apr 2, 2018 10:09 PM
Answers · 3
Food is uncountable. If you want it to be countable, then it means that the food are from different cultures (or including things we don't normally eat as foods, such as insects etc; at least in the western culture). Other examples: fish (uncountable) fishes (different species of fish) fruit (uncountable) fruits (different types of fruit) people (uncountable) peoples (different races) e.g. "During the coming Session, My Government intend to bring the peoples of South Arabia to independence." & "My peoples in the remaining dependent territories will continue to be helped to achieve further constitutional advance." - the Queen's Speech 1967.
April 2, 2018
The word "food" is usually uncountable. Like water or air, "food" is generally a mass noun that cannot be counted. For example, "The refugees need food, clothes, and medicine". But, like many mass nouns, "food" can be used as a countable noun to mean "types of...". So just as you can say "We sell many different teas" ( meaning kinds of tea), you can say "foods" to mean "different types of food". For example, an international food fair would sell "foods from around the world".
April 2, 2018
Countable: There are 10 different types of food to choose from at the restaurant. However, in this case it would be preferable to say "there are 10 different types of dishes to choose from at the restaurant." ---- Uncountable: I want to eat food.
April 2, 2018
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!