no regret or no regrets ??

[thomas615]

I will send my job application to AB Company, one of the bigs firms in Hong Kong. If it is not successful, I will have no regret as I have done my part.

OR

I will send my job application to AB Company, one of the big firms in Hong Kong. If it is not successful, I will have no regrets as I have done my part.

[waflob]

no regrets

(same as having no apples or pencils)

[ysc1230]

HI teachers,

I have question too.

I have no idea.

or

i have no ideas.

Thanks.

[ribran]

They are both correct, but the one meaning, "I am completely stumped/I really don't know," is, "I have no idea."

[ysc1230]

They are both correct, but the one meaning, "I am completely stumped/I really don't know," is, "I have no idea."

Thanks ribran, I got this.

I know "no regrets" is correct. However, I don't know why.

Is it a rule? I want to spend some time revising this subject.

[waflob]

For example, if a decapitated body is found (apologies for the gory example!), it would be reported that a body was found with no head, as people generally only have one head, so saying that a body was found with no heads sounds silly.

It is possible to have more than one regret (or apple, or pencil), so saying that I had no regrets does make sense.

The problem comes with saying "no idea", as ideas can be plural, so "no ideas" should be correct. However, responding to a question with the answer "no idea" is more idiomatic, maning that the person is clueless as to the answer.

Hope that makes sense.

[ysc1230]

Thanks waflob.

Your examples are straightforward. I have saved for revision.

[ribran]

Thanks ribran, I got this.

I know "no regrets" is correct. However, I don't know why.

Neither do I.

I don't think there is any good reason. That's just the way it is.

[5jj]

I don't think there is any good reason. That's just the way it is.

This is often true in English - and indeed in many, probably most, languages. Learners are sometimes frustrated by this, but need to accept it.