Countability markers of non-count referents
The ‘counters’ a piece of, a bit of are the most common, applicable to a variety of substances:
a piece of paper, cheese, toast, information, advice, news
a bit of paper, ham, information, advice, news
Others are more specific:
A drop of whisk(e)y, milk, water, blood
A clove of garlic (vs a head of garlic)
A loaf of bread
A pinch of salt
A ray of sunshine, light, hope
A slice of bread, ham, cheese, beef, turkey
A scrap of paper, cloth, evidence
A speck, a scrap and a shred are used negatively, to stress the absence of the referent:
Not a shred/scrap of evidence
Not a speck of dust/dirt
As well as these, various types of container are used to quantify both mass and count referents:
A bottle of wine, beer, whisk(e)y
A pack of cards, yoghurts, tennis balls
A carton of milk, fruit juice
A tin of tomatoes, soup, sardines, biscuits
