Every noun can also be distinguished as count or mass. Count Nouns Count nouns are nouns that can be quantified or counted with a number. A few examples: Names of persons, animals, plants, insects, and their parts: a boy, a kitten, a rose, an ear, three boys, seven kittens, twelve roses, two ears Objects with a definite shape: a building, a balloon, a house, an octopus, four buildings, six balloons, four houses, two octopi Units of measurement and words of classification: a gram, a pound, a piece, a lump, an item, a bit, a family, a state, a language, a phrase, a word Some abstract words: a hindrance, a scheme, an idea, a plan, a taboo, a rest Tests for Count Nouns: Count nouns can be quantified by a number. They have singular and plural forms. They can use a, an, or one as a modifier. They can use "many" as a modifier. Mass Nouns Mass nouns are uncountable by a number. Mass nouns are quantified by a word that signifies amount. A few examples: Materials, food, metals, and natural qualities: bread, cotton, wood, lightness, adolescence Names of liquids, gases, and substances made of many small particles: cappuccino, oil, smoke, oxygen, rice, sugar, salt, cement, gravel Names of languages: English, Spanish, French, Latin, Sanskrit, Chinese Most gerunds: looking, listening, swimming, running, anticipating Remember that a number can not be used to quantify a mass noun. Incorrect: four woods, one rice, three courages. To measure or classify mass nouns, use "of" after a measurement: a foot of wood, a pound of rice, an ounce of courage, a bar of chocolate, a piece of music, a bag of money Tests for Mass Nouns: Mass nouns are quantified by an amount rather than a number. They have only one form (singular). They cannot have "a," "an," or "one" before them as modifiers. They can use "much" as a modifier. Navigation: Quick Links HomeSearchContact
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 10:26:46 +0000