Questions tagged [countable-nouns]
Countable nouns can be modified by a quantity.
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Detail (countable) vs detail (uncountable) vs details (plural only)
I feel like I almost grasp the fine differences between detail (countable), detail (uncountable) and details (plural only), but just almost. It's still a little difficult to spontaneously know which ...
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Countable synonyms for "prey"?
Even though the word prey is used as an opposite of predator, the former not as grammatically versatile as the latter, in terms of number:
A predator is ambushing its prey.
A prey (?) is being ...
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Treating the word "grammar" in proper grammar
Driving down the road I saw a state sign that was written poorly. I said, “That’s a bad grammar.’
My wife was offended I said “a” grammar.
I can’t find an answer to see if what I said is acceptable. ...
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What stops demonyms like "British" or "Portuguese" being regular count nouns like "German" or "Armenian"?
In English there is a very notable asymmetry between demonyms ending in -ese and -ish and other demonyms. The latter can be used as a regular count noun, but the former are almost always restricted to ...
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How do we count "gales"
I'm wondering how we can actually count "gales". When do we use the singular form and when do we use the plural form?
Here're two examples I've found:
Hundreds of old trees were blown down ...
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4
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Is "many" grammatically viable in front of plural-only nouns?
There are certain nouns in English that are plural only and have no singular equivalents. Some such as trousers, scissors, pajamas, pantyhose, shears, binoculars, headphones, etc. can be singularized ...
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Using “more” with both countable and uncountable nouns
The rules for using “less” or “ fewer” are clear (although often abused):
I have less money than you. (Uncountable noun)
I have fewer bank notes than you. (Countable noun)
Why then, is there no ...
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"run for presidency" or "run for the presidency"
I have a question about "run for presidency"/"run for the presidency"
(in this case, it's about a presidential election)
He will run for the presidency.
He will run for presidency....
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4
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"Resources" as an uncountable noun?
Which of the following is better:
How many resources (such as data and computation) are necessary to complete the process?
How much resources (such as data and computation) are necessary to complete ...
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Can every noun be both countable and uncountable? [closed]
I think every noun can be uncountable. It's easy to prove with food:
Mother beaver teaches her daughter to cook a salad: Now, add some table to taste.
In this context the countable noun table became ...
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executive secretary [duplicate]
When I look up my dictionaries for 'executive secretary', I found the below 2 examples:
She’s executive secretary to New York University’s president.
He was executive secretary of the NAACP.
I have 3 ...
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Admission or Admissions [closed]
In the context of applying to schools, should we use "admission" or admissions"?
Is it an "admission system," or an "admissions system"?
"Configure School ...
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"Three spoonfuls of sugar" does this require the verb to be plural? [duplicate]
Which of these is correct?
Three spoonfuls of sugar is too much.
or
Three spoonfuls of sugar are too much.
I feel like the second could be correct, because there are more than one spoon. But on second ...
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Is it allowed to use "Olympic Games" like a countable noun? [closed]
I heard 'Olympic Games' is a collective noun, so it is uncountable.
When I'd like to refer to the Olympic Games held in particular year(s), can I treat it like a countable (and/or singular) noun?
...
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Registrations is or registrations are? [closed]
When announcing that people can register for an event, which is correct: "Registrations are open" or "Registration is open"? I opt for the latter every time, but I have come across ...
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Does "chromatography" have plural (chromatographies)?
Chromatography is a chemical method which can be performed in different ways. Some of main types are liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, size exclusion chromatography. Oxford dictionary ...
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Potential vs A Potential [duplicate]
Are (a) and (b) both grammatically correct and if so how can they both be correct at the same time?
(a) She has potential.
(b) She has a potential.
I was always under the impression that (a) was ...
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2
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Uncountable noun becoming countable [closed]
Can a word like violence, which is an uncountable noun, be made countable? For example, there are different types of violence such as physical violence, emotional violence, etc. In this instance, ...
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Is "word" in my examples countable or not?
merriam-webster.com:
(1) Word has it that the neighbors are moving next month.
My variants:
(2) Word on the street has it that the neighbors are moving next month.
(3) The word is that the neighbors ...
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Word choice of "much" vs "many", like "too many hours", but "too much time" [duplicate]
Why is it called:
"Too much time", but "Too many hours"?
When you Google "too much or too many" you get:
Much is always used together with an uncountable noun (like 'oil'...
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2
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When is the word "vaccine" uncountable?
According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary definition for vaccine:
[countable, uncountable]
a substance that is put into the blood and that protects the body from a disease
a measles vaccine
...
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Is the noun "Nash equilibrium" countable? [closed]
I am working in the field of Game theory. I use the word Nash equilibrium intensively, but I always wonder about this word countability.
I think the word Nash equilibrium should be countable. Because ...
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countable nouns and uncoutable nouns: water and an (the) apple(s) [duplicate]
"Bread and butter" can be plural and singular and it denpends on the context but how about some combinations like countable and uncountable words? For example, "(a) water and an (the) ...
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'Torment' - mass or count noun? [duplicate]
Are there any differences in grammar between the 'mass noun' torment and the 'count noun' torment.
For Example :
Waking me up all the time when I am asleep is torment. (mass noun)
Waking me up all ...
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Article usage in two sentences [duplicate]
Two sentences:
She underwent emergency surgery.
I had to undergo a medical examination when I started my new job.
Why in sentence one the article "an" is not required before "...
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In chess lingo, should pieces be preceded with the "the" article? [closed]
I've noticed many native english speakers that are professional chess players saying things like:
In this situation I can capture with pawn.
This just "sounds" very unnatural to me and I ...
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Can "wildlife" be a collective noun?
All dictionaries I have checked list the term wildlife as an uncountable noun. But there are plenty of examples that treat wildlife as a plural. Indeed, Google returns around one million search ...
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"Plaintiff" without an article
Garner's fourth edition reads we accord to plaintiff his due.
Why is this nominal indirect object used without any article at all?
OED: http://oed.com/oed2/00180661
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Is it "some MOUSE" or "Some MICE"? [duplicate]
I would like to ask a grammatical question in the following sentence. "I was happily munching away when some mouse spilled coffee on me." Why it says some mouse? But not some mice?
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History of the use of "none" for countable nouns
The concept of countable nouns seems to be rapidly disappearing from modern English (e.g. I'm seeing "the amount of people" with increasing frequency, even in reputable publications, which ...
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Determiner “(a) little” with singular countable words
Page 308 of Practical English Usage reads
We use the determiner (a) little with singular (usually uncountable)
words.
What use with singular countable words is it implying?
I know it's always ...
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is opportunity countable or non-countable?
I want to use the phrase "plenty of opportunities" in my essay, but I'm not sure whether opportunity is countable or not. Some people say that the phrase "plenty of opportunity" is ...
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a + adjective + "many" + of the + plural noun
(Countable noun) [a + adjective + ~ + of the + plural noun] a large number of persons
or things:
A good many of the beggars were blind.
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/many
Is the plural ...
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Singular / plural form of the noun ‘type’ (meaning printed letters or typeface) – what are the rules?
When is the noun type (meaning typeface or text set in type) used in singular form and when is it used in plural form?
Is it referred to as a singulare tantum?
In which case is it an uncountable noun ...
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"Two additional days" but "an additional two weeks" [closed]
[Google ngrams]
I'd like to know what are the grammatical differences between both structures, as well as one or the other predominates for days and weeks.
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Mass noun Question: "survival"(uncountable) , "struggle(countable)"
generally "survival" is uncountable, however "struggle" is countable. In my guess and definitions in dictionaries "survival" is a state and continuing sense. struggle is ...
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Using “one” with nouns whose countability is ambiguous
An ESL student produced the following sentence:
“The Western diet seems to be more unhealthy than the Japanese one.”
The use of “one” immediately struck me as awkward, but not necessarily incorrect, ...
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Is it correct to say we have five sense organs?
There is a difference in type of something and actual number of that thing as per my understanding.
Saying, we have five senses or five kinds of sense organs is okay, but when I say we have five ...
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Restrictions on ranges indicated by quantifiers in count usages
I've a query regarding common quantifiers used with count usages. I've searched in various resources such as online dictionaries, but I couldn't find out the fruitful solution.
Here is the problem:
...
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You need rest vs You need a rest
Literally as above, I encountered those sentences in my reading.
I wonder about difference between them.
Is 'You need a rest' a more emphatic suggestion than 'You need rest' in spoken English? As I ...
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Does the structure "an example of" take a plural or a singular noun or both?
For instance, are the following sentences grammatical, and do they mean the same thing or have different meanings?
Cheese is an example of protien-rich food.
Cheese is an example of a protein-rich ...
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Do you find "only belongings of somebody" a little bit wierd?
In the sentence below, do you think it is weird to say "only belongings" for "belongings" is a collective noun.
The angry mob destroyed the man's only belongings.
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Countable uncountable noun vs always singular noun
I always refer to LDOCE for definitions of words. There is additional info on the senses there. That's why I love it. But, I am still deeply confused with these noun classifications; countable ...
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Is "foreshadowing" a countable noun or uncountable noun?
In my book review, I want to express that "I find well-plotted foreshadowings, which indicate the inevitable tragedy". Is it correct or not?
By the way, should I use the word "indicate"?
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Is it okay to use the word "freedoms" in the following sentence or should I use the word "freedom"?
The laws in our country that restrict our freedoms are not legislated by evil politicians.
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Why do I need "a" in "a mere 5 percent"?
Examples (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/mere)
Sixty per cent of teachers are women, but a mere 5 percent of women are heads and deputies.
Tickets are a mere £7.50 at the door.
...
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skin as a countable noun example
Could you please write an example where skin would be used as a countable noun?
I have just learned that it can be used both as a countable and an uncountable noun.
Thank you.
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In the following sentence, shouldn't "family" take its plural form?
Here is an excerpt from IELTS OG.:
For example, when my cousins were backpacking around the world, they were able to reassure their family and friends that....
I find the use of family in its ...
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Is it idiomatic to say "there are 5 Japanese tofus on the dish" to mean "there are 5 pieces of Japanese tofu on the dish"?
When you look for an English noun in an English dictionary, sometimes you see the noun being used as an uncountable and a countable noun. And normally, we use it as an uncountable noun when we want to ...
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Couture and canapé are just another Saturday night until you add a mask. [Why the singular 'canapé'?]
In an American TV show called 'Gossip Girl', here's a narration by Gossip Girl herself (YouTube video):
Long ago, when European royals grew bored with palace balls they took a page from the peons, ...
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