Ms. Particular Presents: Mass, Count, And Nouns

31 January 2020istockphoto: RapidEyeMs. Particular Presents:Mass, Count, and Collective NounsMs. Particular Presents:Mass, Count, andCollective NounsCelia M. Elliott 2020 Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisAll rights reserved.Department of PhysicsUniversity of Illinois1Count nouns are those that name thingsthat are discrete, individual unitsExamples: problem, particle, occurrence, sample,capacitor, collision, calculation, analysisCount nouns can be modified by a number (one atom,50 000 collisions per ms, 24 sensors, a dozen apples)Count nouns may be singular or pluralSingular count nouns can take an indefinite article(a or an)Count nouns may be modified by a quantifier(e.g., every, each, several, many, few)2 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisAll rights reserved1

Ms. Particular Presents:Mass, Count, and Collective Nouns31 January 2020Dividing a mass noun into its constituentparts requires adding another word orusing a completely different word*clothing article of clothing; shirt, dressequipment piece of equipment; microscope, drill presspollution pollutant, heavy metalliterature article, monograph, book, poemtext letters, words, phrase, sentence, page, chapterresearch experiment, project, study, investigation,calculation, analysis*note that the words for the parts are count nouns5Common mistake—making mass nounsplural (which changes the meaning)damage (mass) physical harm that impairs an object’svalue, usefulness, or normal functiondamages (mass) a sum of money claimed or awardedby a court to compensate a victim for a loss or injurytext (mass) the collection of words on a page or screentexts (count) individual books or manuscripts(think textbooks)work (mass) activity involving mental or physical effortworks (count) individual products of human (usuallyartistic) endeavor—think works of art—OR anindustrial complex or engineering structure (steelworks)OR (mass) an internal mechanism (the works of a watch)6 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisAll rights reserved3

Ms. Particular Presents:Mass, Count, and Collective Nouns31 January 2020Common mistake—using the wrong modifier“Suppressing epidemics with a limited amount ofimmunization units”units are counted; should be number“Quantum, classical, and total amount of correlationsin a quantum state”correlations are counted; should be number“Nonlinear optics with less than one photon”photons are counted; should be fewer than(how can you have less than one photon?)(all titles from PRL articles, sigh )7Use the correct modifier!Mass NounsCount Nounsno indefinite articles (a or an)can take any articlemore thanmore thanless than (weighed or measured)fewer than (counted)amount of (weighed or measured)number of (counted)as much as (weighed or measured)as many as (counted)Writing “The Raman studies showed the effects ofvarying excitation energies on the type and amount ofdefects in graphene” is not strictly wrong, and peoplewill understand what you mean, but it sounds witless.Defects are counted, not weighed or measured.8 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisAll rights reserved4

Ms. Particular Presents:Mass, Count, and Collective Nouns31 January 2020A collective noun refers to a collection ofthings taken as a wholeExamples: audience, committee, faculty,ensemble, class, team, array, group, bunchMost collective nouns are treated as singular in USEnglish and take singular verbs and singular pronounsThe committee nominates the club’s officers.The committee tabled its discussion of the budget.If the members of a group are not acting in unison,plural verbs and pronouns might be usedThe committee are fighting among themselves.The committee adjourned to stretch their legs.Collective nouns can be mass (audience) or count (team)9Some words may be used as both massand count nouns, but their meanings aredifferentchicken (count noun—animal)chicken (mass noun—foodstuff)10 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisAll rights reserved5

Ms. Particular Presents:Mass, Count, and Collective Nouns31 January 2020Some words may be used as both massand collective nouns, but their meaningsare differentfaculty (mass noun—professors)faculties (collective noun—person’ssenses or intellect)11To recap:Most mass nouns are treated as singular in English andtake a singular verbMaking a mass noun plural may completely change themeaning of the word (e. g., damage, damages)Add another word or use a completely different wordto name parts of a mass nounCollective nouns are usually treated as singular inUS English usage (they’re plural in British English)Use the right ois.edu/people/Celia/12 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisAll rights reserved6

Count nouns can be modified by a number (one atom, 50 000 collisions per ms, 24 sensors, a dozen apples) Count nouns may be singular or plural Singular count nouns can take an indefinite article (a or an) Count nouns may be modified