A2 Grammar Nouns

Partitives

Partitives are phrases like a piece of, a slice of and a glass of that let you count and measure uncountable nouns: two slices of bread, a glass of water.

English divides nouns into countable (a cup, two cups) and uncountable (water, bread, advice). You cannot say two breads or three advices, because uncountable nouns have no plural and take no number directly. To count or measure them, English uses a partitive — a small phrase ending in of that picks out a unit or portion: a loaf of bread, a piece of advice, a glass of water.

Partitives are essential for shopping, cooking, ordering food and everyday conversation. They turn something uncountable into a countable unit, so you can then use numbers and plurals on the partitive itself: two glasses of water, three pieces of cake.

How Partitives Work

The pattern is number/article + partitive + of + uncountable noun. The number and plural go on the partitive word, never on the uncountable noun.

Phrase Partitive Uncountable noun
a piece of advicepieceadvice
two slices of breadslicesbread
a glass of waterglasswater
three bars of chocolatebarschocolate

Common Partitives by Type

Different uncountable nouns take different partitives. Choosing the right one is partly fixed collocation and partly logic about shape and container.

Partitive Typical nouns
a piece ofadvice, information, news, furniture, music, cake
a slice ofbread, cheese, pizza, cake, ham
a bit ofluck, fun, paper, sugar (informal, general)
a glass / cup ofwater, milk, juice / tea, coffee
a loaf ofbread
a bar ofchocolate, soap, gold
a drop ofwater, oil, rain, blood
a grain ofrice, sand, salt, truth

The plural rule: make the partitive plural, not the uncountable noun. Say two pieces of advice, never two advices. The word advice, information and news never take a plural -s.

The Versatile a piece of

A piece of is the most flexible partitive and rescues many abstract uncountable nouns that have no special container word:

Common Mistakes

Practice Exercises

Grammar Quiz

Choose the right partitive for each uncountable noun.

Cloze Dropdown

Pick piece, slice or glass to complete each line.

Complete the Sentence

Add a partitive to measure each uncountable noun.

Matching Pairs

Match partitives with the nouns they go with.

Unjumble

Reorder words into a correct partitive phrase.

Flash Cards

Drill partitive collocations and plurals.

Master English Nouns

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Explore related grammar topics:

All Grammar Topics Countable & Uncountable Quantifiers Determiners Collocations

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a partitive?
A partitive is a phrase ending in of that lets you count or measure an uncountable noun, such as a piece of advice, a slice of bread or a glass of water. It turns something uncountable into a countable unit.
Why do we need partitives?
Uncountable nouns like water, bread and advice have no plural and cannot take a number directly, so you cannot say two breads. A partitive provides a countable unit: two slices of bread. The number and plural attach to the partitive, not the noun.
How do you make a partitive plural?
Make the partitive word plural and leave the uncountable noun unchanged: two pieces of advice, three glasses of water, four slices of cake. Never add -s to the uncountable noun, so two advices is wrong.
What is the most useful partitive?
A piece of is the most flexible partitive. It works with many abstract uncountable nouns that have no special unit word: a piece of advice, a piece of information, a piece of news, a piece of furniture and a piece of music.
What is the difference between a slice and a piece?
A slice is a thin, flat portion cut from something, like a slice of bread or a slice of pizza. A piece is a more general portion of any shape, like a piece of cake. For abstract nouns such as advice, only piece works.
Can I say a furniture or an information?
No. Furniture and information are uncountable, so they take no a or plural. Use a partitive: a piece of furniture, a piece of information. Other words like news, advice and luggage behave the same way.
What partitives do drinks take?
Drinks use container partitives: a glass of water, a cup of tea, a mug of coffee, a bottle of juice and a can of cola. The choice depends on the usual container, so we say a cup of tea but a glass of milk.
Is a bit of formal or informal?
A bit of is informal and very common in speech: a bit of luck, a bit of fun, a bit of sugar. In formal writing, prefer a more specific partitive or quantifier, such as a little or a small amount of.
Do partitives always use of?
Yes. The structure is partitive + of + noun, so the of is required: a cup of coffee, not a cup coffee. Leaving out of is a frequent error, especially with food and drink phrases.
Can partitives be used figuratively?
Yes. Some partitives appear in fixed expressions: a grain of truth, a flash of inspiration, a stroke of luck and a ray of hope. Here the partitive measures an abstract idea rather than a physical substance, but the grammar is the same.