eggplant or an eggplant

[diamondcutter]

Have you ever asked yourself why people often have trouble learning English? I hadn’t, until one day my five-year-old son asked me whether there was ham in a hamburger. There isn’t. This made me realize that there’s no egg in eggplant either. Neither is there pine nor apple in pineapple. This got me thinking how English can be a crazy language to learn.

(from an English textbook for senior high school students in China, published by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press)

In the two sentences in red, “eggplant”, “pine”, “apple” and “pineapple” are used as uncountable nouns. I wonder if they are used correctly. What about rewriting the two sentences as follows?

This made me realize that there’s no egg in an eggplant either. Neither is there pine nor apple in an pineapple.

 

[probus]

This question pertains to AmE, because in BrE they don't use the word eggplant. They call the vegetable aubergine, from the French name.

In my opinion eggplant can be either countable or non-countable depending on context. For example:

1. I like eggplant but my wife doesn't care for it.

2. Eggplants are easy to cultivate.

 

[GoesStation]

What about rewriting the two sentences as follows?

This made me realize that there’s no egg in an eggplant either. Neither is there pine or apple in a pineapple.

Your versions are possible, but the original ones are more typical. Ask yourself "Am I talking about one particular eggplant or eggplant as a general concept?"

 

[diamondcutter]

Thanks, teachers.


Hi, Rover.
I wonder if you mean the “nor” in the following sentence should be “or”.

Neither is there pine nor apple in pineapple.


If I rewrite the sentence, I’d like to know which of the following versions is correct.


There is neither pine nor apple in pineapple.
There is neither pine or apple in pineapple.

 

[emsr2d2]

In your sentence, use "neither/nor". In positive sentences, use "either/or".

 

[Skrej]

I can't wait for that author to reflect upon hot dogs and spotted dick.

 

[Tarheel]

Well, butterfly doesn't make sense, because butter doesn't fly.
;-)

 

[Tdol]

I wonder if they are used correctly.

They are, but this is a specific context.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Well, butterfly doesn't make sense, because butter doesn't fly.
;-)

But butterflies flutter by.

 

[emsr2d2]

But butterflies flutter by.

And that's why everyone in my (extended) family calls them "flutterbies".