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Working with Count and Noncount
(Mass) Nouns


Two types of nouns, count and noncount, often cause problems for
ESL writers. Count nouns name items that can be counted one by
one. Noncount or mass nouns name items that cannot be counted.
There are six types of noncount nouns.


Noncount Nouns
  1. Groups, Substances consisting of similar items: fumiture, equipment, salt
  2. Fluids, Gases: water, oxygen
  3. Games, Sports: checkers, tennis
  4. Substances: wood, silk, plastic
  5. Abstractions: life, death, pleasure, pain, love, hatred, philosophy, religion, truth, falsehood, knowledge, ignorance
  6. Nouns formed from verbs: studying, working


Keep the following rules in mind when you use count and noncount
(mass) nouns.

1. Noncount or mass nouns cannot be made plural.

Not    I ate rices for lunch.

But    I ate rice for lunch. Or
I ate two bowls of rice for lunch.

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