countable or uncaountable?

[btech86]

Hello everyone;

I really don't know if 'Protein' as a substance that exists in some foods is count or non- count ; for example:" How much protein?/how many proteins? does Chocolate puffies have?"????????

 

[Barb_D]

Protein is not countable. How much...

(I expect something called "Chocolate Puffies" has very little in the way of protein.)

 

[btech86]

ok, but how about this dictionary example(Longman Contemporary) "Although guayule latex contains fewer proteins than hevea, manufacturers should still wash it well, Cornish said." in this example 'protein is treated as countable, that's what confuses me. please help!

 

[emsr2d2]

Latex might be made of lots of different proteins, different molecules of different proteins etc. However, when you're talking about food, "protein" is uncountable.

The four main constituents of food which people tend to take notice of, and which appear on the nutritional information on packaging, are a mix of countable and uncountable.

How many calories are there in a chocolate biscuit?
How much fat is there in a chocolate biscuit?
How much protein is there in a chocolate biscuit?
How many carbs (carbohydrates) are there in a chocolate biscuit?

 

[probus]

Although in everyday usage (usually referring to diet) protein is treated as an uncountable substance, there is also a scientific meaning of protein. In this meaning there are gazillions of distinct protein molecules, each protein different from the others. That is where the plural proteins comes in. It probably should be classified as scientific jargon, but I am used to it and I suspect many others are too, When you see the plural it means the scientific meaning is implied.

 

[Raymott]

Although in everyday usage (usually referring to diet) protein is treated as an uncountable substance, there is also a scientific meaning of protein. In this meaning there are gazillions of distinct protein molecules, each protein different from the others. That is where the plural proteins comes in. It probably should be classified as scientific jargon, but I am used to it and I suspect many others are too, When you see the plural it means the scientific meaning is implied.

It would be a very sad day when "proteins" has to become scientific jargon because native speakers have no idea what it means. I learnt that in sixth grade.

 

[Tdol]

Many nouns have both countable and uncountable forms. Please think of the dictionary label as a tool rather than an absolute rule.