Jon Pretty

Every native English speaker knows this adjective order but likely never realised it. quantity opinion size age shape colour origin purpose

I think the count vs. mass noun distinction is even more striking because it's so simple yet native speakers don't realize it exists.

Can you give me an example? Isn't it always obvious that something is a mass noun because it always uses the partitive article?

"Guacamole? Yuck, I hate that thing."

...e.g. US: "My family is visiting" vs UK: "My family are visiting" (AIUI). US seems more logical here.

English in America was heavily influenced by ESL immigrants since the beginning though. The language adapted in diff ways than England.