| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| MASS NOUNS, COUNT NOUNS |
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| A mass noun denotes something uncountable or abstract, a substance like sugar or iron, or a concept such as integrity or courage; mass nouns usually do not have plurals, and the determiners used with them are typically some and any, never a or an or numbers. A count noun, on the other hand, denotes something countable, such as tree, cat, or ocean. Count nouns do have plurals, and they can have a or an and numbers as determiners. Some nouns can be either mass or count nouns: Grain has become very scarce. Several grains are grown in this region. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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