Unit 47: MASS NOUNS
Mass nouns do not have a singular or plural form (Unit 45). We cannot say a water or three waters; we just say water
Important mass nouns
ALL LIQUIDS
coffee, juice, gas, milk, oil, tea, soup, water
SOME FOOD
butter, cheese, flour, food, fruit, rice, honey, meat, parsley, toast, sugar, salt
MATERIALS
cotton, leather, gold, metal, paper, wood
ABSTRACTS
advice, education, information, knowledge, homework, life, love, music, news, time
ALSO
furniture, hair, luggage, money, weather
How to count mass nouns
For many mass nouns (except liquids), we can use bit:
a bit of advice
a little bit of salt
two bits of cheese
For many mass nouns (except liquids and some abstracts), we can use piece:
a piece of bread
two pieces of information
For liquids and some food, we can use containers:
a jar of honey
three cups of coffee
a bottle of water
For liquids, food and material, we can use measuring words:
ten litres of gas
fifty grams of sugar
NOTICE: It is correct to say two coffees, please in a cafe because we understand two cups of coffee.
NOTICE: Unit 56 shows you other words to use with mass nouns.
