Material nouns: are you getting it right?

Which sentence treats the noun as a raw material rather than a counted object?

Lots of B1 learners pause over material nouns. This short practice page helps you identify material nouns in everyday contexts and decide whether to use noncount grammar, measurement words, or count forms: one quick question and the slip to watch for.

Try it

Which sentence treats the noun as a raw material rather than a counted object?

  1. She bought a new iron to press her business shirts.
  2. The heavy gate is forged from iron to prevent rust.
  3. He picked up three smooth irons from the tool rack.
Show the answer

B. The heavy gate is forged from iron to prevent rust. — In this sentence, iron refers to the metal substance itself, so it acts as a noncount material noun without an article.

Want more like this? Try the full lesson free.

Common slip

A common slip is choosing “She bought a new iron to press her business shirts”. It sounds close, but the better answer is “The heavy gate is forged from iron to prevent rust”. Read the question again and ask what it is really testing.

Practise it free

Listen, type what you hear and test yourself in the full lesson: Material nouns: rules and simple examples on MicroEnglish.

Originally on microenglish.com · Lesson 1507 · All MicroEnglish channels

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