Writers Write is a comprehensive writing resource. In this post, we talk about when you should say ‘number’ and when you should say ‘amount’.
Number or Amount – Which one should I use?
When do you say ‘the number of’ and when do you say ‘the amount of’?
Is the noun countable or uncountable?
- Countable nouns have plurals. Examples: cars, desks, laptops, dogs, countries.
- Uncountable nouns do not have plurals. Examples: air, information, equipment, freedom.
Number or Amount – Which one should I use?
Once you understand countable and uncountable nouns you will know when to use ‘amount’ and when to use ‘number’.
- We use the word ‘number’ with countable nouns. We talk about the number of cars or desks or laptops.
- We use the word ‘amount’ with uncountable nouns. We talk about the amount of air or information or equipment.
Exercises
- The MD’s response addressed an/a (amount, number) of our concerns.
- Alice had a small (amount, number) of money in her purse, but she gave a (amount, number) of coins to the beggar.
- A significant (amount, number) of secretaries enrolled for the course.
- The (amount, number) of water we had for the delegates was insufficient.
Answers: 1) number, 2) amount/number, 3) number, 4) amount
[Top Tip: If you need practical help with your grammar, buy The Complete Grammar Workbook.]
If you enjoyed this article, read these posts:
- How to Structure a Sentence
- Punctuation For Beginners: What Is Punctuation?
- Grammar For Beginners: All About Parts Of Speech
[Top Tip: If you need practical help with your grammar, buy The Complete Grammar Workbook.]