与汉语不同，英语中名词要区分可数与不可数。
笼统地讲，物质名词，如：water, iron, wood等, 和抽象名词，如：democracy, freedom, happiness等为不可数。
不可数名词前不能加a ，后面不能加s ，这是考试中对此类题目判断的重要依据。
2、以下名词为不可数名词：
news information
furniture equipment
advice weather
work clothing
baggage医学全在.线.提供.
work作 工作 解释时为不可数名词，找工作不能说to find a work, 应为to find a job; work作著作、作品解时是可数名词，如：Deng Xiaopins works / a work about Deng Xiaopin ;作 工厂 解释时，单复数同形：a steel works / two chemical works
实例：
We have a large staff but there ______ in the office.
A. havent many furnitures
B. arent many furnitures
C. hasnt much furniture
D. isnt enough furniture
解题思路：根据名词数的概念A、B肯定错，不必考虑;C、D的主要差异是hasnt与 isnt, 句子中有there，说明该句是there be句型，故正确答案为D.题中staff, office 等词与解题无关。
注意辨别句子中斜体词的数及其意义：
There is still much room for improvement.
He has published two important papers on this subject.
3、以下名词单复数同形：
means headquarters
works species
aircraft Chinese
sheep fish
中国的计量单位：li, yuan, mu等
实例：
Every means has been tried out, but without satisfactory results.
4、形式上是复数的学科名称，如physics , statistics, dynamics 作单数看待;时间、距离、钞票、重量等复数，可以看作一个整体作单数处理，如：Two days is not enough for me to finish the task.
5、名词做另一名词的修饰语：
一般用单数形式，如：a college student中的college 为单数形式。
注意：
以下名词做另一名词修饰语时要用复数形式：sport a sportsman / sale a sales department / savings a savings account / communication a communications satellite / greeting a greetings cable
不规则名词修饰另一名词时数的变化：a woman doctor two women doctors / the Chinese womens volleyball team / a children hospital
6、family, group, police，committee, team, box, audience等词，可以是单数，也可以是复数，关键要看题目所给的提示，例如：
The whole box of matches _____ wet; I couldnt light a simple one
A. was
B. is
C. were
D. are
解题思路：这道题如果没有后半句I couldnt light a simple one，是没办法解答的。这句话提示了两点：
时态为过去时，故B、D已不可能了;
a simple one说明是指盒子内的一根根火柴，故答案为C.试想，如果我们把后半句改为 I had to throw it away, 那么正确答案应是A.
所以，看清题目的提示对于解题是非常重要的。
7、注意以下表达方式中名词的复数形式
to be / make friends with
to change places with
to make preparations for
to give regards to
to make matters worse
to hurt feelings
to be all smiles
to take sides
to have words with
to burst into tears