Question 1

Why is advice uncountable in English?

Accepted Answer

In standard learner English, "advice" names the general idea of guidance, not separate countable suggestions. That is why we say "some advice", "a piece of advice", or "two pieces of advice". Do not say "an advice" or "two advices". This can feel strange if your first language counts the same idea differently, but English treats advice like information, news, homework, and evidence. When you need a number, keep "advice" singular and put the number on the partitive: "three useful pieces of advice".

Question 2

Can I say informations, furnitures, or luggages?

Accepted Answer

No, not in standard learner English. "Information", "furniture", and "luggage" are normally uncountable, so they do not take plural -s. Say "some information", "a piece of information", or "several pieces of information". For furniture, say "a piece of furniture" or "an item of furniture". For luggage, say "one piece of luggage" or "two pieces of luggage". In everyday travel English, people may also say "bags" or "suitcases" when they mean individual items, because those nouns are countable and more specific.

Question 3

What is the difference between a piece of and an item of?

Accepted Answer

"A piece of" is the most flexible partitive for many uncountable nouns. It works naturally with advice, information, news, evidence, homework, feedback, equipment, and furniture. "An item of" is a little more formal and is especially common when you are talking about one object from a set, such as an item of clothing, an item of furniture, or an item of news. In many contexts, "a piece of furniture" and "an item of furniture" both work. For exams, "a piece of" is usually the safest general choice.

Partitives for Uncountable Nouns

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