Questions tagged [uncountable-nouns]
Questions about uncountable (non-count, mass) nouns
369
questions
-1
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0answers
29 views
truth -the truth- grammar difference
Can you think of any context in which the following sentence is gramatically correct?
Truth is difficult to discover.
0
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1answer
32 views
few/little/some software (in plural) [duplicate]
I would like to say:
Available calculation methods are limited to few software. With "few", I mean 3 programs. However, "software" is an uncountable noun. "Some" and &...
1
vote
1answer
20 views
possessive referring to behavior of multiple actors
In
"Alice and Bob's contrary behavior served to"
vs
"Alice's and Bob's contrary behavior served to"
Usually the choice between the two forms hinges on whether the two actors ...
0
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0answers
23 views
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 ...
-2
votes
0answers
49 views
“Partition” as an uncountable noun being commonly used as if it was countable
The noun "partition" in the meaning of "the dividing of a country" is marked as UNCOUNTABLE by every online English dictionary which gives the countability information. That means, ...
1
vote
3answers
54 views
Word for “many” for mass nouns
I'm looking for a strong size modifier like "numerous", "countless", or "copious" that I can use to modify a mass noun. I know of plenty of options that involve several ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
Lead to (the) confusion where
Don’t listen to multiple perspectives, it will eventually lead to the confusion where it’s hard to focus.
Does using the definite article here make sense? We generally don’t use the definite article ...
0
votes
1answer
88 views
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 ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
Is there any difference between these two constructions?
In the following two constructions, the first is used with an indefinite article, while the other is used without.
The woman speaks a good Arabic.
The woman speaks good Arabic.
I am wondering if ...
0
votes
1answer
94 views
“People” was not to be preceded by a number, as in “Fewer than 30 people showed up”
At one time, some usage guides maintained that people could not be
preceded by a number, as in Fewer than 30 people showed up.
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/people
However, I cannot find ...
0
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0answers
47 views
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 ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Correct possessive: “my genius” or “my ingeniosity”?
I have stumbled across the usage of "genius" as a possessive on two seperate occassions:
A meme featuring Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear saying:
Sometimes my genius is... it's almost ...
0
votes
2answers
58 views
value: singular vs plural [duplicate]
"Wall Street banks had made billions of dollars on complex investments backed by mortgages whose value now plunged."
In this sentence, why was the word "value" used as a singular ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
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 ...
1
vote
4answers
82 views
Free hand: uncountable
Free hand [countable; singular]
Unrestricted freedom or
authority: They gave the director a free hand to cut the budget
wherever she wanted
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/free%20hand
...
2
votes
1answer
73 views
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, ...
1
vote
0answers
33 views
use of “the” in front of an uncountable noun
I was reading an article and came across this sentence:
"Until the middle of the century, (no the?) use of chemical fertilizer was limited."
I can tell that the word "use" here is ...
0
votes
1answer
27 views
“(…) afford stuff for a good joke to anybody, (…)” - what does it mean?
I'm not sure what does Melville exactly mean by afford stuff for a good joke to anybody in chapter five of Moby-Dick.
However, a good laugh is a mighty good thing, and rather too scarce a good thing; ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
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:
...
-3
votes
1answer
574 views
Which one is right: “there are a lot of content” or “there is a lot of content”? [closed]
Which one is right?
There are a lot of content.
There is a lot of content.
A friend of mine said "there are a lot of content in TikTok app" and I corrected him saying "there is" which lead to an ...
0
votes
1answer
945 views
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
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 ...
0
votes
2answers
136 views
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 ...
0
votes
0answers
41 views
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"?
0
votes
3answers
71 views
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.
2
votes
1answer
65 views
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.
...
0
votes
0answers
407 views
What is the difference between use and usage?
Can use and usage be written interchangeably?
Does use include usage under its scope?
Does usage has more specific meaning attached to it?
If there is any difference, tell me one striking difference ...
0
votes
3answers
166 views
plural subject with uncountable noun “impetus”
"Free education and health care are among the other impetus".
Here the subject is plural, and I want to use it with impetus. However, impetus is uncountable. What is the correct form of that sentence?...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
128 views
stock [uncountable] vs livestock [uncountable, plural]
STOCK [uncountable]: farm animals, such as cows and sheep,
that are kept for their meat, wool, etc. SEE ALSO livestock
LIVESTOCK [uncountable, plural]: animals kept on a farm, for
example cows or ...
4
votes
4answers
3k views
Coffee or coffees in this context? [closed]
In the morning, most sales are coffees and pastries.
Coffee can be used as a countable or an uncountable noun. So what should I choose in this sentence?
0
votes
0answers
49 views
Is it correct from a function's perspective to say “a piece of diamond”?
I'm designing a test for EFL students, basic level, and one item that refers to uncountable nouns was the following: "When I travel, I only take a piece of _______ for my security." My distractor was "...
1
vote
2answers
65 views
Meaning of velocity - mass noun vs countable noun
Dictionary entries like https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/velocity?q=velocity state that velocity can be a mass noun or a countable noun. What is the difference between the ...
-2
votes
2answers
123 views
When is the word “Departure” countable or uncountable? [closed]
When is "Departure" a countable usage and when is it not?
0
votes
1answer
53 views
About collective noun
Information, crockery, stationery, luggage are nouns that refers to combination of heterogenous items.
Herd, flock, album, refers to collective nouns with homogenous items.
What is the difference ...
1
vote
2answers
281 views
How is 'fixture' a count-noun when 'furniture' is a mass noun?
Fixture is defined in the LEXICO Dictionary as:
A piece of equipment or furniture which is fixed in position in a building or vehicle.
Here're a couple examples from the dictionary:
Cathedral ...
1
vote
1answer
49 views
“The youth of today dream of high-quality educationS.” (Why) Is this sentence correct?
The youth of today dream of high-quality educationS.
Is this sentence correct? If so, then why?
A teacher I know often uses uncountable Nonouns such as knowledges, educations, sugars as plurals.
...
0
votes
1answer
95 views
Can Importance Be Different?
Importance is an uncountable noun, so one may shorten this sentence
We have external information and internal information. The importance of the external information and that of the internal ...
0
votes
1answer
89 views
What is the singular form of fennel?
If I have one fennel bulb, what do I call it? What is the singular form of fennel?
1
vote
1answer
338 views
“Weigh benefit(s) against risk(s)”
Both nouns can be either a count noun or a mass noun. I think individually benefit tends to be used countably more than it appears as a mass noun.
We list the potential benefits (count) of a thing. ...
2
votes
1answer
362 views
Are “measles, mumps, Diabetes, rabies, rickets, shingles” uncountable nouns or singular nouns?
Page http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv259.shtml say that these words are uncountable nouns, but page https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/...
1
vote
2answers
38 views
Using 'that' and 'the' with 'negotiations'
I came across this phrase:
I see negotiations have gone as planned.
Why is there no article before negotiations? For example:
I see the negotiations have gone as planned.
I think that the ...
2
votes
1answer
254 views
Can the grammar terms, the words 'subject' and 'object', be used as uncountable nouns?
I thought the grammar terms such as 'subject' and 'object' were countable. But I notice that they can sometimes be used without any determiner.
For example, here's the first sentence of a linguistics ...
1
vote
0answers
43 views
“less of” and “lesser” with uncountable nouns
1. She spends less of her time playing tennis now. - correct example
2. She had less of reason to complain than I. - incorrect example (I know we can make "reason" countable and write "...
2
votes
3answers
156 views
Are mental illnesses countable?
I know that the correct phrasing for this sentence is, but I don't know why.
Many of the volunteers had already shown some early signs of mental illness.
Since the illness is unspecified, shouldn'...
1
vote
0answers
89 views
Collins Dictionary error: “a new design”?
I am looking up the Collins Dictionary today for the word "design".
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/design
In meaning 4, I see this:
uncountable noun
The design of ...
0
votes
3answers
488 views
Riches vs richness
Is this sentence wrong, and why?
My richness is having friends.
A friend of mine corrected me in:
My riches are having friends.
A bit of context. I wanted to say that my friends are my ...
-4
votes
1answer
81 views
Is it really correct to say that some nouns are countable and others are uncountable?
It is generally accepted practice in linguistics that common nouns are classified into count nouns (aka, countable nouns) and non-count nouns (aka, uncountable nouns or mass nouns).
For example, in ...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
“The cohort were followed up at 2 months” or “The cohort was followed up at 2 months” [duplicate]
Here, cohort is a group of 12-13 year olds.
0
votes
1answer
37 views
their last hope or their last hopes
I have a confusion about the usage of plural forms of uncountable & abstract nouns.
I come across both usages like:
Their last hopes remain elusive
Their last hope remains elusive
Is it okay ...
