[Grammar] uncountable

[5jj]

When you teacher say 'may have been countable' you mean they are not countable now. But I think they are countable although you prepend 'pair'. And I think 5jj agree because of the last post of his.

Then you have misread my last post. I wrote

I can't think of when it [police]is ever countable. We can't have 'one police'. 'two police'.

In 'a pair of scissors' it is the word 'pair' that is countable. We use 'pair' precisely because we cannot count 'scissors'.

The main problem is, I think , that in the treatment of countable and uncountable nouns in most books, the only uncountable nouns mentioned are non-plural. This tends to give the impression that all plural nouns are countable. But, as we have said, they are not.

 

[atabitaraf]

Then you have misread my last post. I wrote In 'a pair of scissors' it is the word 'pair' that is countable. We use 'pair' precisely because we cannot count 'scissors'.

The main problem is, I think , that in the treatment of countable and uncountable nouns in most books, the only uncountable nouns mentioned are non-plural. This tends to give the impression that all plural nouns are countable. But, as we have said, they are not.

Pardon me. Because of several different statements of yours which are all about correct different aspects I got confused.

But you once said: (three posts before)
'There are a small number of nouns that are plural and uncountable. These include clothes, goods, police and outskirts.'

And your last post refers to a large number of nouns that are plural and uncountable.

 

[5jj]

And your last post refers to a large number of nouns that are plural and uncountable.

No, it does not. Read it again.