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