Yes… many ESL students don’t know this and find it difficult to believe, but some words in English have no plural form.
These words are called “mass nouns,” that is, nouns that don’t have a plural form in English and can’t be used in plural or with plural verbs. Mass nouns are singular in form.
Mass nouns cannot be counted; thus, they are also called uncountable nouns or non-count nouns, which are common nouns that cannot can’t combine with an indefinite article-a or an- and cannot be modified by a numeral without specifying a unit of measurement.
The words “moose,” “sheep” and “shrimp” do not have a plural form, but they can be used in singular or plural form as they are. For example:
– The moose is/are migrating.
– The sheep is/are ready to be fed.
– The shrimp is/are very well cooked.
Because they can be used with a plural verb, these three are not mass nouns.
Here is a list of words that are “mass nouns.” Share it with your ESL class and start a very interesting game to discover more of these words:
Furniture
Information
Knowledge
Jewelry
Homework
Marketing
Livestock
Education
Courage
Bravery
Luck
Cowardice
Greed
Clarity
Honesty
Evidence
Insurance
Butter
Love
News
Curiosity
Satisfaction
Work
Mud
Weather
Racism
Sexism
Patriotism
Chaos
Scenery
Help
Advice
Water
Fun
Wisdom
Silence
Sugar
Coal
Spelling
Money
Try to use these words in the plural form and you will discover it is not possible.
There are many other words that belong to this list… remember in essence, mass nouns DO NOT have a plural form.
Ask your ESL teacher to explain “mass nouns” in detail and you will find an interesting learning challenge!