Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021

Use a quantifier, not a or an, with a noncount noun to express an approximate amount
Articles (a, an, the)
Multilingual Writers and ESL Topics

Do not use a or an with noncount nouns. Also do not use numbers or words such as several or many; they must be used with plural nouns, and noncount nouns do not have plural forms. (See page 245 for a list of commonly used noncount nouns.)

You can use quantifiers such as enough, less, and some to suggest approximate amounts or nonspecific quantities of noncount nouns: a little salt, any homework, enough wood, less information.

COMMONLY USED NONCOUNT NOUNS

Food and drink

beef, bread, butter, candy, cereal, cheese, cream, meat, milk, pasta, rice, salt, sugar, water, wine

Nonfood substances

air, cement, coal, dirt, gasoline, gold, paper, petroleum, plastic, rain, silver, snow, soap, steel, wood, wool

Abstract nouns

advice, anger, beauty, confidence, courage, employment, fun, happiness, health, honesty, information, intelligence, knowledge, love, poverty, satisfaction, wealth

Use no article

biology (and other areas of study), clothing, equipment, furniture, homework, jewelry, luggage, machinery, mail, money, news, poetry, pollution, research, scenery, traffic, transportation, violence, weather, work

NOTE: A few noncount nouns (such as love) can also be used as count nouns: He had two loves: music and archery.