A black and white photo of the Brooklyn bridge, a stone bridge

Study Resource: English mass nouns that can be used as count nouns

By: Isabel McKay

These are some examples of mass nouns that can be used as count nouns when we are talking about a particular type of that mass noun. Remember that concrete mass nouns can always be made into count nouns

Category
Noun
Mass noun
Count noun
Meaning
Example
Meaning
Example

Abstract

science

the general idea of scientific study

I love science.

a type of scientific study

Chemistry is a science.

art

the general idea of art

Artists make art for a living.

a type of artistic work

Telling jokes is an art.

law

the general idea of laws

I studied law in school.

a specific instance of law, a rule

It is important to follow all traffic laws.

literature

the general idea of artistic writing

He reads a lot of literature from Spain.

a specific tradition of literature

The literatures of Spain, China, and Nigeria are very different.

language

a general way of using words

Shakespeare used beautiful language.

a specific way of speaking

He speaks six languages.

revolution

the general idea of an uprising

The only way to make change is through revolution.

a specific uprising

There were many revolutions in the 19th century.

education

the general idea of formal learning

Education is important for everyone.

a particular experience of formal learning

I got an education for free.

Concrete

wine

the general substance of wine

I didn’t have any wine in the cellar.

a specific type* of wine

I brought two wines to the party.

cheese

the general substance of cheese

Mice like to eat cheese.

a specific type* of cheese

The store sells many different cheeses.

bread

the general substance of bread

I made a sandwich with two pieces of bread.

a specific variety* of bread

There were seven different breads on the bakery menu.

wood

the general substance of wood

I made the table out of wood.

a specific type* of wood

One wood that I love is mahogany.

concrete

the general substance of concrete

The wall was made of concrete.

a specific type* of concrete

Our construction company uses different concretes for different kinds of buildings

sauce

the general substance of sauce

She put sauce on her pasta.

a specific type* of sauce

The chef served a new sauce on Friday.

sunscreen

the general substance of sunscreen

Always put on sunscreen at the beach!

a specific brand* of sunscreen

We had to choose between twelve different sunscreens.

glue

the general substance of glue

He poured glue on the floor.

a specific type* of glue

We use different glues to bind metal and paper.

*We use these as count nouns only if we do not mention the specific type before the noun. So even though mozzarella cheeseis a specific type of cheese, mozzarella cheeseis still a mass noun (e.g. She put mozzarella cheese on her pizza). When you use mozzarella cheese as a count noun (e.g. I chose two mozzarella cheeses), we assume you are discussing specific types of mozzarella cheese!

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