Why is broccoli a non-count noun?

Question

And how would you explain it?

Answer 1

You are correct in your description of broccoli as a non-count noun. So it is neither plural nor singular, regardless of what others have said. As a non-count noun it takes a singular verb as in the sentence "Broccoli is healthy."

The issue of countable vs. noncountable nouns is complex and only some nouns lend themselves to the rules concerning this issue. We may intuitively understand that "air" cannot be countable but why is "corn" uncountable but "bean" is countable? The best we can do is to make some generalizations, and be aware of the many exceptions.

Much of the time, vegetables that are larger and not likely to be consumed by one person in one sitting are uncountable. Some examples of these include lettuce, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. Broccoli would fit here.

On the other hand, vegetables that naturally grow in portion sizes are more likely to be countable. Examples of these are peppers, carrots, peas, and mushrooms.

Again, these are generalizations. Unfortunately, this may be one of the many instances in the English language where we have to accept the categorization without a profound knowledge as to how we got there.

Answer 2

Would this also work for the word sunglasses? Because you can't have just sunglass and still mean the same thing. Right? I was just wondering about that last night.

Answer 3

Or like sheep or moose. I t can refer to one, it can refer to hundreds

Answer 4

... because it is a plural in itself. Just like pants: you can't have a pant.

Answer 5

maybe it's because of its etymology?