How to translate text using browser tools
1 April 2018 Count Nouns and Mass Nouns: Crops, Produce, and the Plural of Seed
Charles L. Mohler, Linda A. Heyne
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The distinction between count nouns and mass nouns affects thinking and writing about various types of crops and produce. Count nouns are words that indicate discrete, countable objects (e.g., forks, viewpoints), whereas mass nouns are words that indicate some relatively undifferentiated substance (e.g., water, energy). We explain the grammar of these two forms and point out some writing pitfalls to avoid. The word seed is one of the few English nouns that is both a count noun and a mass noun. An argument is presented for using seeds as the plural when several individuals are counted and for using seed as the singular when referring to seeds in the aggregate.

© Weed Science Society of America, 2017.
Charles L. Mohler and Linda A. Heyne "Count Nouns and Mass Nouns: Crops, Produce, and the Plural of Seed," Weed Technology 32(2), 221-223, (1 April 2018). https://doi.org/10.1017/wet.2017.110
Received: 10 August 2017; Accepted: 5 November 2017; Published: 1 April 2018
KEYWORDS
Beans
cabbage
grammar
oats
plural
singular
soybean
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top