[Vocabulary] way of doing vs way to do

Status
Not open for further replies.

yuriya

Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
Is there any difference between these two expressions?

1. I wish I had some way of helping them.
2. I wish I had some ways to help them.

Thanks in advance!
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
Is there any difference between these two expressions?

1. I wish I had some way of helping them.
2. I wish I had some way[STRIKE]s[/STRIKE] to help them.

Thanks in advance!
No.
 

yuriya

Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
Any idea why the former way (some way of helping) is treated as uncount and the latter way (some ways to help) as count?
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
Any idea why the former way (some way of helping) is treated as uncount and the latter way (some ways to help) as count?
It's not necessarily. You might have missed that I struck out the 's' on your #2.
'Some way' is far more common for both. (Yes, you might see "some ways").
 

2006

Key Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
'Some way' is far more common for both.

Because if you don't even have one way (of helping)(to help), you are not going to say "ways". You would be happy to have just one way.
 

yuriya

Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
It's not necessarily. You might have missed that I struck out the 's' on your #2.
'Some way' is far more common for both. (Yes, you might see "some ways").

Because if you don't even have one way (of helping)(to help), you are not going to say "ways". You would be happy to have just one way.

See what you mean. Thanks guys. But then to me, way sounds countable as in there's not just one way to get there. So I found it a little odd to see some way rather than some ways. But then I realized that I was missing the point. Some can be used in the sense of "a certain" (as in some guy I know) or in the sense of "nice" (as in some view you have here!)other than in the sense of "a few" (as in some apples). Tell me I'm back on the right track!:-D
 

2006

Key Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
See what you mean. Thanks guys. But then to me, way sounds countable Yes, it's countable. as in there's not just one way to get there. So I found it a little odd to see some way rather than some ways. "countable" doesn't mean it has to be more than "one".
"one" is a number, just like 47 or 112 million.

But then I realized that I was missing the point. Some can be used in the sense of "a certain" yes, meaning 'one' (as in some guy I know) or in the sense of "nice" (as in some view you have here!) Yes, but that "some" has nothing to do with counting.
other than in the sense of "a few" or many (as in some apples). Tell me I'm back on the right track!:-D
2006
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top