Do you know what a mass noun is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on mass nouns, including the definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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Kevin
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December 23, 2021
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Common Questions
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What is a mass noun?
According to Grammar Party Blog, mass nouns which are also called “uncountable nouns” and “noncount nouns,” are nouns that cannot be divided into separate parts such as substances, objects, and concepts. Unlike a count noun, there is no definite quantity of a mass noun. Just like there are singular count nouns and plural count nouns, abstract nouns like mass nouns can also use a singular verb or plural verb. Ofte, they are singular. Unlike a sheet of paper, a piece of wood, or a tile, mass nouns are unable to be divided or counted These fall into a few different types of mass nouns:
- gases: air, helium, argon, nitrogen
- states of existence: childhood, sleep, sickness, girlhood
- Liquid categories: orange juice, tea, water, medicine, soaps, soda
- feelings: anger, happiness, fear, courage
- foods: cheese, rice, pudding, butter, beer, pasta
- weather: rain, snow, sleet, sunshine
- powder: flour, makeup powder, powdered sugar
- ideas: advice, motivation, existentialism, mathematics
- time: november, tomorrow, the future, october
- punctuation: comma,
- actions/gerunds: smoking, caution
- other: social media, politeness, semantics, pronouns
What are examples of mass nouns?
A mass noun can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are many examples of mass nouns from Thought Co. that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. Try to use the term mass noun today or notice when someone else is using a mass noun. It is hard to create an exhaustive list, but we have tried!
- honesty – A good relationship is based on honesty.
- understanding – I have only a limited understanding of basic physics.
- jewelry – Jennifer left her jewelry on the dressing table.
- humanity – Though Earl had been mistreated, he never lost his faith in humanity.
- weather – Bad weather slowed the delivery of much furniture.
- hardware – Until it’s loaded with software, a computer is just a piece of hardware.
- gratitude – The hiker expressed her gratitude to the boys who had rescued her.
- hospitality – I thanked Marie’s mother for her hospitality.
- furniture – Jane looked around at the bare walls and broken furniture.
- hate – “Hate cannot drive out hate,” Dr. King said. “Only love can do that.”
- garbage – The skunk fell asleep in the garbage bin.
- equipment – We used camels to carry all our equipment and provisions.
- grammar – I studied English grammar in grammar school.
- homework – Jorge decided to finish his homework before going out.
- clothing – The vast majority of donated clothing is exported overseas.
- shame – Imagine the shame of being caught cheating!
- poetry – Peter’s poetry is pretty awful.
- recovery – The insurance agency assisted in the recovery of the stolen jewels.
- violence – Violence never achieves peace
- air – The air in the storeroom was musty and cold.
- anticipation – Anticipation is usually greater than realization.
- public – The young violinist lacked the confidence to perform in public.
- warmth – She felt the warmth of the breeze on her arms.
- luggage – The airline lost my luggage.
- feedback – Negative feedback is better than no feedback at all.
- morale – Poor management leads to low morale and inefficiency.
- jargon – The politician’s jargon confused the voters.
- wheat – Wheat is the most important source of vegetable protein in our food.
- satisfaction – Success is finding satisfaction in giving a little more than you take.
- propaganda – Propaganda helps people to deceive themselves.
- fun – Tom liked being around the Simpsons for the fun they had and their big fancy dinners.
- bravery – It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.
- independence – Texas declared independence in 1836 and joined the U.S. in 1845.
- justice – Justice delayed is justice denied.
- slang – Slang is a sport that belongs essentially to the young.
- nonsense – It’s nonsense to think that you can lose weight just by taking a pill.
- admiration – I have a deep admiration for any writer whose books stay in print.
- diligence – The supervisors’ lack of diligence led to disasters of gigantic proportions.
- sweat – Churchill said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
- blood – Churchill said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
- gold – The crown was made of gold and precious stones.
- participation – Participation in school sports often has a positive effect on children’s grades.
- music – I can’t listen to music while I’m trying to write.
- evidence – The investigators looked for evidence in the debris.
- humility – Gratitude and humility are the true keys to success.
- perseverance – With perseverance and passion you can achieve your goals.
- immortality – The key to immortality is living a life worth remembering.
- timber – Basswood is the best timber for building pulpits.
- rust – Achilles scraped the rust off the head of his spear
- pneumonia – Winston has just recovered from a bout of pneumonia.
- punctuation – Punctuation is the written expression of pauses and gestures.
- vehemence – John was surprised by the vehemence of Joan’s response.
- advice – As usual, my brother gave me some bad advice.
- thunder – Thunder rumbled over the western hills.
- toil – Churchill said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
- steel – In 1943 all pennies in the U.S. were made of steel.
- jealousy – Passion can quickly turn into jealousy.
- work – The fire was the work of a careless burglar.
- hesitation – When the alarms went off, Bruno acted without hesitation.
- rice – Rice is the most important food crop in the developing world.
- gravel – The path to the beach was made of gravel.
- mail – The letter carrier delivered my mail to the wrong address.
- pessimism – Jill couldn’t put up with Will’s unrelenting pessimism.
- awareness – Awareness of problems is no guarantee they will be solved.
- baggage – At the airport I lost my baggage but found a new friend.
- clay – The birds built their nests out of clay.
- lumber – A truckload of lumber was stolen from the sawmill.
Overall, a mass noun in American English is a set of isolable objects that cannot be counted.
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