Results 1 to 5 of 5
Like Tree1Likes
  • 1 Post By MikeNewYork

Thread: Countable / Uncountable

  1. #1
    Anonymous Guest

    Default Countable / Uncountable

    Are countable or uncountable noums:

    advert
    advice
    sun
    tennis

    Why?

    Thanks, Helena.

  2. #2
    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • UK
      • Current Location:
      • Philippines
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    38,628

    Default

    advert - countable
    advice - uncountable
    sun - countable
    tennis - uncountable

    Adverts are easy to count- open a newspaper and doit. Advertising, however, is not. There is onlyone sun,but there could be more,so it is countable. Tennis, like most sports is uncountable- you can count the games. Advice is uncountable in English, though can be plural in many languages, so it's hard to give a reason for this one.

  3. #3
    MikeNewYork's Avatar
    MikeNewYork is offline VIP Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Academic
      • Native Language:
      • English
      • Home Country:
      • United States
      • Current Location:
      • United States
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    6,189

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by tdol
    advert - countable
    advice - uncountable
    sun - countable
    tennis - uncountable

    Adverts are easy to count- open a newspaper and doit. Advertising, however, is not. There is onlyone sun,but there could be more,so it is countable. Tennis, like most sports is uncountable- you can count the games. Advice is uncountable in English, though can be plural in many languages, so it's hard to give a reason for this one.
    When advice is used for "communicated information", it can be plural in English. This is very rare, however. :wink:

  4. #4
    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • UK
      • Current Location:
      • Philippines
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    38,628

    Default

    The is an example of 'information' used in the plural in Gulliver's Travels, but that is the only one I have found.

  5. #5
    MikeNewYork's Avatar
    MikeNewYork is offline VIP Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Academic
      • Native Language:
      • English
      • Home Country:
      • United States
      • Current Location:
      • United States
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    6,189

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by tdol
    The is an example of 'information' used in the plural in Gulliver's Travels, but that is the only one I have found.
    My unabridged Webster's lists a plural for "information", but no examples. :?
    Ju likes this.

Similar Threads

  1. Is feature a countable noun or uncountable noun?
    By 3quarter in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 12-Aug-2004, 16:28
  2. uncountable and countable nouns
    By Anonymous in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 22-Apr-2004, 20:25
  3. countable and uncountable nouns
    By Anonymous in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 15-Sep-2003, 21:17

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Hotchalk

Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.1